Communist Kate and Mormon Matt

Summer Fun

2010-07-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

We took Dima (that' the shortened version of Dimitri) to the Roy Aquatic Center the other day. It was his first time at a larger pool, and he absolutely loved it. He splashed and played and had a wonderful time with mommy and daddy. When it was all over, he fell asleep in his car seat before I could even get out of the parking lot...

Oooo, check out that hot girl over there....

hummmm, I'd give that one a 10/10. What do you think, daddy?

Of course we are referring to MOMMY - she is so beautiful!!!!!

6 Months…where did the time go!

2009-10-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

Dimitri is the center of our universe. There are times when we can’t imagine what our life was like before he arrived. We certainly can’t remember sleeping through the night. We love him very much, and judging by the constant smile on his face, I think he knows it.

Dimitri has recently received his bottom two teeth. They irritate him a lot - but he's so darn cute!!!

Dimitri Jack Evans - Happy Birthday

2009-04-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it is offical. Katya and I are parents. At 5:00 AM on Saturday morning, Katya called out to me from the restroom that water had broke. We raced to the hospital and within a couple hours she had delivered Dimitri Jack Evans. He is sooooo beautiful. He is such a precious little baby!

Draper Temple

2009-03-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

New Temple was build in Draper, Utah. We went and took a tour around and inside the Temple. It was my first time inside and I was very impressed with the "Wedding Room". Especially, mirrors.

We had some cookies too.

It was a nice experience for me and Matthew!

This is my stomach

Dimitri Jack Evans was very happy to visit Temple too...

thegrocerygame.com

2009-01-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

Last week I discovered new web site for the savings.
Go look at it, and if you are going to join don't forget to use my email katbug02@yahoo.com for reference. I would appreciate it a lot!

Happy discovering for you!

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

Christmas Party

2009-01-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy makes you fat and miserable even for Christmas Celebration! Christmas Party at Nastya's house (one of my Russian friends)

A hot cup of the chocolate! Perfect ending to any party!
Funny souvenir from Russia!

Good times and good people!

Alesya's graduation

2009-01-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

My friend Alesya graduated with the Master degree. I was excited to be a part of the event!

Hopefully, soon I will be able to graduate too!

Matthew's 31st BDay!

2009-01-10T15:29:00.000-08:00

Matthew's 31st BDay!

Gift
Bowling
and a Dinner at "Olive Garden"!
What a wonderful celebration!

Halloween!

2008-11-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

We had a Halloween party with our Russian Friends. We got together at Valya's house and drove to the Ogden downtown night club "Rumors". I was a pregnant nun, Matthew was a demon! We are a perfect couple, aren't we?

I am missing here only a cross in my hands! Just a great picture!

She was a naughty girl, so it was my responsibility as a nun to punish her!

Matthew looks so peaceful on this picture! Such an angel with horns!

Matthew's costume…No comments…

Sexy Girls!
www.russianbrides.com (best selection in the world!)
At the night club...

Dancing...

Yes, I can judge, because I am a nun!

On the dancing floor...

I hope you enjoyed the show...

See you next time...

We are 10.5 weeks

2008-10-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

We had our first appointment with doctor this Friday. Her last name is Jiricko. She works at the Mc Kay Dee Hospital. She is from Indiana, and I really liked her. Young, intelligent and ambitions women!

All tests came back normal. Baby and mom are healthy!

This is always a good news… I like this picture , because you can see a little hands and legs. So, Cute!

We were very excited to see the baby, and relieved that we have just one, not 7 or 8… Matthew had a theory that I might have twins, and it is not the case!

The birth is scheduled for May 14, 2009. Everyone is WELCOME!

Trip to the Memory Lane

2008-10-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Laura & Matt's Wedding in 2002

So cute!!! - Alex Evans
So cute!!! - Alexis Holmes You need to maximize this picture to have a better look...
Sisters
Mom and Brother
In 2003 Matthew met me and my Russian friends on the bus.
What a great memories!

First Snow - October 12, 2008

2008-10-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Today is October 12, 2008 and it is snowing outside

We had to stay in the library until 7 p.m. to finish our homework for a week, so I am sorry to tell you that all pictures are dark…
My parents would be amazed to see Matthew on the snow in the shorts! This can happen only in America!
I think we had 7 inches of snow today (in Ogden)
Beautiful

So, I guess summer is over…

Thanksgiving point

2008-10-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Katya and I co-hosted an activity to Thanksgiving Point. We had never been to there and it was such a fun day. It was very beautiful. The museum was a lot of fun, and we had a great lunch. Dinosaur Museum
Funny, ha!
So, scary…
Just me
Big fish
April and Dan had to fight with this shark too
Thanksgiving Gardens were beautiful
What a cool cabbage
A lot of fake waterfalls
My HoneyCan you imagine we saw this bird on the side of the lake?
How cool is it?

The bird was so brave (or stupid). He didn’t move a muscle when I tried to get closer to make some pictures.
In the evening we had a dinner and a show. Professionals showed us jumps into the water.
It was sad to leave in the morning. I needed to be at work at 7:30 a.m. I wake up at 5 a.m. and start driving from Park City to Ogden. It was unpleasant ride (very scary and too dark).

RMA Conference

2008-10-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

For the better part of a 2-3 months, Matthew has been working on a committee to host the Rocky Mountain Association of APPA (Facilities Management Org.). He has worked hard and when the conference was held (in Park City at the Canyon's), they invited us up to stay for 3 nights. It was wonderful. We enjoyed the beautiful mountains (the leaves were changing colors), good food, and we even won some prizes!!!!! It was a lot of fun. East Canyon Dam...pretty, huh?
This is a real Rattlesnake we found on the road on our way....
Our Hotel Room was HUGE. It even had a kitchenette...
Matthew Matthew created this brochure. Everyone was impressed.
Silly Matt with his badge...

Pregnant

2008-10-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

We are officially pregnant. We had our first appointment with a doctor on Tuesday. First Ultrasound is scheduled on October 17. Right now the birth date is scheduled for May 25, 2009.

On Tuesday I told my boss that I am expecting and she almost fall from her chair. Her reaction was so strong, because I am not the only one who is pregnant and going to give a birth in May.

Matthew told my Boss, that we still have time to plan.

Yard Sale

2008-10-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Val and Karen had a yard sale. We came to visit them, and invest in something fun.

The dress

2008-10-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

Matthew got this dress on his mission in Taiwan. It is xxx-small size. I lasted in it for about 5 minutes, before it was too hard to breath. Of corse it was just enough time to make some pictures.

Bear Lake adventure

2008-10-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

A week before school starts we decided to go to the Bear Lake and have some fun. It was my first time riding the JetSki and I was nervous. The number one reason was because of the water. It was freezing!

We had a JetSki for 2 hours. So, we spent the first hour riding together. Matthew explained to me how to work the machine. The second hour we split fifty-fifty, like a good husband and wife should do...
After the ride we got a famous raspberry ice-cream shake. It was delicious!
Our adventure was a GREAT success!

We should definitely do it again next summer.
Next time though we are renting a faster JetSki!

Disney World Vacation - 8th day

2008-10-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

For our last day we decided to go to our favorite park the Animal Kingdom. We really enjoyed it, and decided to spend more time in there.

We made some pictures of our hotel and you can see most of them on Katya’s blog http://katyainamerica.blogspot.com/

It was fun to go back. We knew what we want to see and we took our time and enjoy it slowly.
I guess during our stay we missed several lunches and breakfasts, so our goal for that day was to eat.
You need to maximize this picture to see Matthew’s face. It is a million dollars shot!!!
Lilo and Stich… I like this cartoon
We got home at 3 p.m. and decided to pack before we will go to have a dinner.
We had dinner at the French Restaurant "Les Chefs de France"
We ordered escargot
Waitress was nice enough to make some shoots of us
It was a beautiful day
Our vacation ended on this happy note

Disney World Vacation - 7th day

2008-10-03T13:32:00.001-07:00

The last Park on our list is the Magic Kingdom The castle was very pretty! Though I can’t imagine how much it cost to stay a night in there, because the dinner with the princess was booked 6 month in advanced and your dinner bill will have more digits on it than your home phone number.

This park was overcrowded. All restaurants were booked 6 month in advanced. We could eat there and we decided to cut it short and go to another park. It is a great option when you have a park hopper option on your ticket.

Sometimes my parents would ask me if Matthew have any normal pictures that they can show to their friends. I am sorry mom and dad not too many… most of them look like this one…

Is it cool? People were staring at me all evening… and I liked it…

I wanted a tattoo of Mikki Mouse of my chest but I had to choose…

This evening we ate at the Japanese Restaurant. We had sushi!
It is like a master piece, beautiful and tasty… and we had the best waiter ever. She was from Japan and she was so nice. I can tell you a secret, she got a huge tip.
When we got to our hotel we decided to go and visit the swimming pool I didn’t want to wash my face, but my mean husband made me to…
We still have one more day left…

Disney World Vacation - 6th day

2008-10-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

We decide to take a break and visit second water park. Disney World has two huge water parks. One has a huge lazy river, another one a big wave pool.

Is it a cutest ice-cream?
After Water Park we went back to the Epcot Park and had a dinner at the German Restaurant. Oh, it was so much fun. I drink very good beer, and we ate great german food. I forgot to tell you it was a buffet stile. And we danced and danced and danced. It was so much fun! I really enjoyed it!
Day went by so fast!
We stayed late and watched a show. It was beautiful! I couldn’t believe that they are doing it daily…
A little bit more patience, I think we have just two more days left.

Disney World Vacation - 5th day

2008-10-03T13:08:00.001-07:00

Epcot

We had a very nice breakfast at the Paris with croissants and coffee…
Epcot is a park of the future world generation. Park is separated in two parts. First one is all about fun and attractions, second one have different countries with restaurants and shopping areas.
My Honey is Funny
It is Mulan… Oh we were so excited to see her. I hope you can catch our feeling in our facial expressions.
We decided to have a dinner at the Moroccan Restaurant. It was a wrong choice. Food was not good, but the show and atmosphere were fabulous.
Yes, this lady was dancing while we were eating. Very entertaining!
Now, day flies faster… We were sad that our day was over. It was too fast…
I think we have several more days left to enjoy!

Disney World Vacation - 4th day

2008-10-03T12:47:00.001-07:00

We were so tired from working (pardon my English not working, a walking), that we decided to have a relaxing day and visit one of the water parks.

Bananas (it was my first experience with bananas in the wild)
I am sorry to tell you, but it is not real…
Oh, the lazy river…

We spend a lot of time on this attraction.

Around 2 p.m. rain and lighting started and we were asked to step outside of the water. I guess, park management didn’t want us to risk our lives and be electrocuted.
Several shots later we decided to go home, change cloth and move to the next adventure.
When we made our decision, and got our belonging together radio station at the park announced that we can go back to the water. Suckies!!!!
At 4 p.m. we were ready to roll again. We drove to the World Disney Downtown. This area is oriented for adults use ONLY: a lot of clubs, restaurants, shops, and galleries.
I am a princess!
You will not believe, but it is all build from Lego.
This is Lego too…
Moscow land for Lego pieces
This evening we had the most amazing dinner. It was sushi at the Japanese Restaurant. Oh my gosh, it was the best sushi ever!!!
After dinner shopping continued…
Yes it is Harley Davidson baby
It was so much fun! We had a relaxing day at the water park, a nice food inside our stomachs and phenomenal evening.

It was the perfect day!

Disney World Vacation - 3rd day

2008-10-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

We decided to explore the Disney Hollywood Studio Park next.

The main center peace was the Mikki Mouse hat.
How fun!!!
Even sky was happy that day!
We had a dinner at the Si-Fi Restaurant. The atmosphere was amazing, but food was not. Honestly, we had only two restaurants where we didn’t like food. All others were awesome!
View on the restaurant…
The coolest attraction was "Hollywood Tower of Terror"
They take you up to the 13th floor and slam you down as fast as possible. You have an impression that you are in the elevator, and you are going to die.
Star Wars…
And of cause shopping … how do you leave without it…
We came to our room very late, but it didn’t stop us from watching Olympics, and cheering for the American groups.

Disney World Vacation - 2nd day

2008-10-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

We decided to spend our first day at the Animal Kingdom Park. My boss told me that it was his least favorite park, and we decided to explore it before we will hit the best spots.

I couldn’t believe how beautiful Florida is. Every bush has flowers on it, and hundreds of banana trees… I made my mind, I don’t like Utah any longer, and I want to stay in Florida forever!Everything was well taking care of, very clean and neat. We made so many pictures (I would guess and say 300 pictures a day was our standard rate)
One of the attractions was Safari Park. It was very cool to see animals from the bus and pretend that you are in Africa. It was very realistic!
I knew it! I am so much more beautiful then Pocahontas!

(pardon my English!)

The main attraction of the park is this huge tree. Inside is the coolest 3D theater.
Funny Honey!!!
All dreams come true at the Disney World (even a frozen banana)
I have so many pictures of me and flowers (it is even not funny)
I need to tell you a secret, when you book the Disney Vacation do it through their official web site, and don’t forget to include the dinner package. The restaurants at the Park are amazing (the best of the best). Anyhow, buy dinner package it will save you hundreds of dollars, and will make your stomach very happy!
Are you laughing yet!

Our first day was over, but we had six more to go.

Disney World Vacation - 1st day

2008-10-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Sorry it took us so long to post our new pictures on-line.
We spent 7 days, 8 nights at the Disney World Resort in Florida. The vacation was to die for…

Our dogs stayed with Karen and Val. Thank you very much for taking care of your grandchildren!
Thank you to Joni we got to the airport save. We appreciate it!
I don’t know if we did the right choice, but we saved $300 by flying with two stops instead of straight flight (SLC-Florida). We spend all day long at the airport, and I was not sure if we made a right decision when we purchased tickets on-line.
Honestly, Disney World Vacation was SUPER expensive. Believe me there is nothing cheap about the Disney. BUT, the food was beyond our expectations, the hotel was clean and neat, and the whole experience did worth all money that we paid for it (every single penny).
We got to Florida at 11 p.m. and Disney bus meat us at the airport and drove us to our hotel. Everything that we booked was through the Disney web site. It was a great experience and the best part of it was that you feel like home!

Katya's BDya!

2008-08-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Katya's instructor

Katya's jump

She is flying

If yoy want to see more pictures

go to Katya's Blog at

http://katyainamerica.blogspot.com/

Katya's Tag Answers

2008-08-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

I am: exited about Disney World Vacation

I know: I need to study for my upcoming test

I want: to know what I want

I have: a test on Monday

I wish: I didn’t have test on Monday

I hate: lazy people with out goals and imagination

I miss: my parents every day

I fear: being alone

I hear: Russian Song

I smell: salad dressing on my hands. I just had lunch with my boss

I crave: I have no stress and worries in my life

I search: internet for more information for my final paper

I regret: losing time

I love: Matthew

I care: about myself

I always: right

I sing: bad

I fight: unfairness

I write: my management report for the month of July

I lose: my happiness when someone is farting and burping

I win: every time I achieve something

I never: lie, cheat or steel

I listen: to printer

I am scared: in the dark

I need: a new nerve system

I am happy about: my achievements

I tag: Matthew Evans

Behind the photo shoot

2008-07-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Guys...

Love and mom
What an attitude Eva had so much fun
Dan do you like family pictures?
Funny Jonny and Alex
Commander
Family picture

He is going for it...
So nice! Sisters
It is LOVE!
Getting ready to start...

Cute girl...
SO lovely....
Women’s rule Behind the scene...
Thank you April for your time and hard work. We appreciate it! You did a great job!

New Camera

2008-07-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

Features and Benefits:

10.1 Megapixel, high-sensitivity, high-resolution, single-plate, Canon CMOS sensor Compatible Lenses: Canon EF, EF-S, TS-E, and MP-E lenses Outstanding performance: 6.5 fps, burst rate up to 75 consecutive JPEGs or 17 RAW images and enhanced DIGIC III Image Processor. Strong, rugged build quality: magnesium-alloy exterior, shutter durability-tested to 100,000 cycles, top speed 1/8000, top x-sync speed 1/250 ISO speed range equivalent to ISO 100-1600 (in 1/3-stop or whole stop increments) ISO speed can be expanded to ISO 3200 New AF system with 9 cross-type sensors, and world's first diagonal high-precision cross-type AF at center point with f/2.8 and faster lenses EOS Integrated Cleaning System, Picture Style settings, Spot metering, and Highlight Tone Priority for advanced in-camera image control Large 3.0-inch LCD monitor and advanced Live View Function. New options for reduced shutter time lag and quiet operation.

What’s Included:

Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR Camera Body Battery Pack and Battery Charger Video Cable and Interface Cable EOS Digital Solution Disk and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Zoom Lens and 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom Lens and USB Cable and Wide Neck Strap Software Suite CD-ROM DVDs - Understanding Digital Photography 1GB SD Memory Card and DSLR Camera Bag

April's Camera

2008-07-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

Thank you April for bringing your camera to reunion! It was so nice that I didn’t want to use my camera any longer. So, we made a decision to buy a new camera. It is nice! We have so much fun taking pictures right now. Thank you!

Reunion - Tuesday

2008-07-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

Great picture of Val!

Me-me-me! (Katya)
Who knows what they think about?
Pretty...
It was fun!
So Cute...
Such a handsome boy!
Hypnotized by a horse!

First Day of Reunion

2008-07-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

Buka & Winki

2008-07-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

Katya had fun. Buka didn't!

Katya had fun. Winki didn't!

What did you do on 4th of July?

2008-07-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun with our russian friends. We got to eat, to drink and shoot fireworks!!!

We were looking at the different camera. Russian girls love to make pictures. SO, everyone had cameras.
Fireworks were the best part, and after the party we went to the bar and sang kareoke!!!

June 22nd - Lake Trip

2008-07-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Ha-ha! He is such a handsome boy...
Brothers...
Poor girl... she didn't want to swim...
Katya + Churly and Matthew on the background

Bear World

2008-05-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

On the way back from Yellowstone, we stopped at a place outside of Rexburg, ID called Bear World. It was a self guided car tour through multiple pens where real bears would roam around. We kept rolling down our windows to get good shots on our camera, and the teenage staffers would roll around in their little caged golf cart yelling at us to keep them up (It was more fun to piss the teens off then anything else). The highlight was the “kiddy land” area where they had 6 bear cubs in a little pen. They were so cute.

Yellowstone

2008-05-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone! We saw 3 Black Bears, 1 Moose Mother and Baby, Dozens of Elk, and Hundreds of Bison (they were everywhere). It rained on us the first day, but was beautiful the second day. It was a great little trip.

Idaho Falls

2008-05-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

On our way to Yellowstone, Katya and I stopped in Idaho Falls, ID and took some pictures. It was a very nice little town, and we had a wonderful dinner at a pub across from the waterfall.

Puppies Puppies Puppies

2008-05-15T12:00:00.001-07:00

Our sweet little Winkie delivered 5 beautiful puppies (excluding one that died at birth). About two weeks after birth, our sweet silver-colored puppy died. She was sick, unable to feed, and appeared to be in a great deal of pain. Her death still hit me hard, but at least I know that we cared for her the best we could…and most important, she was loved.
We are in the process of fattin’ the rest of them up so we can sell ‘em.
They sure are cute!

May 10, 2008 - Kennecott Copper pt 2

2008-05-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

May 10, 2008 - Kennecott Copper pt 1

2008-05-15T11:58:00.001-07:00

The Adventure then continued to Kennecott Copper, where we looked into the great abyss…

May 10, 2008 - Bridal Veil Falls pt 2

2008-05-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

May 10, 2008 - Bridal Veil Falls pt 1

2008-05-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Katya, Jonny, and I went on a SUPER-Adventure. We went to Provo Canyon and hiked to Bridal Veil Falls. It was such a perfect day outside. We had such a great time.

May 5, 2008 - Temple Square pt 4

2008-05-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

May 5, 2008 - Temple Square pt 3

2008-05-15T11:49:00.001-07:00

May 5, 2008 - Temple Square pt 2

2008-05-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

May 5, 2008 - Temple Square pt 1

2008-05-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Katya and I went down to look at the garden and grounds of LDS Temple Square in SLC. It was such a beautiful day and the flowers were in full bloom. It was a beautiful day!

May 2, 2008 - Graduation Pt 2

2008-05-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

More Pics

May 2, 2008 - Graduation Pt 1

2008-05-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

I am officially a college graduate.

April 26, 2008 - Walkin' Weather

2008-05-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

We went for a walk with the dogs. It is warming up to the point that it’s not too bad to take a walk.

April 19, 2008 - Hike

2008-05-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

The Weather is warming up and we decided to take a little hike through the hill behind Weber State University. It was such a nice day.

March 29th, 2008 - Port-O-Call

2008-05-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

Katya and I have never been to a “Club.” So, we got all our Russian friends together and headed down to SLC. We went to Port-O-Call and had a great time dancing and listening to the music. They had a live band that was really good, and we just had a blast. There were so many young guys hitting on Katya (she was so flattered) and most of them moved on after she showed the wedding ring…
We had such a great time.

Finding New Goals – Part 2

2008-03-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who responded to my letter. It was helpful to read your comments and think about them for a while. I haven’t found my goals yet, but I think it isn’t going to take me too long to build them.

I want to thank Karen for responding first. It was very nice of you. I think you are wise and smart women. You gave me several great pieces of advices:

1. “You must have multiple levels of goals. Some are very long term, some just long term, and others short term.”

2. Short term goals will affect the very long term goals…

3. If you set goals for 1, 3, 5, 10, and 25 years down the road, it gives you things to continually work towards to…

Thank you Valerie! I appreciate what you said in you letter. It made me think about “RIGHT” goals. What would make me feel good about myself after I will accomplish them? I think I still need a couple more months to put everything in my head step by step…
It was great advice and made me a little embarrassed…

1. Ask yourself “What truly makes me happy?"

2. Right goals will bring you a feeling of joy and completeness, bad ones would leave you empty…

3. Life is a growing experience and there isn't one easy answer, you just have to search yourself and find what works the best for you.

Thank you April! It was a big surprise for me to see a letter from you. It was very nice of you to share your opinion with me.

1. God is the motivation to go forward and know the right way…

2. One time you will wake up and think about the “life you have lived”…

3. Goals like being more thoughtful, giving of my time to a worthy cause, being a better human being can make you happy…

At the end I want to tell you the story that made me think about my goals and life. My lovely husband gave me a present for International Women’s Day in Russia (March 8th). I went to the salon for a deep clean tissue massage. It was fantastic! Everything was perfect: the right lighting, comfortable seating, kind people, relaxing smells, and a great massage. It was honestly the best present in my life, after Buka and Winki.

The man that performed the massage had a degree in psychology. He was asking me questions to know me better and to help me relax and let go of all my “stress spots”.

One is his questions was: “If you didn’t have any responsibilities, what would you do right now?” I didn’t know what I would do. I couldn’t think of anything.

His next phrase was: “Do you know how old I am?”
I guessed that he was 40. I was wrong. He was 50 years old.

He told me that life goes by so fast. You need to take time right now to stop and think what you want from life. Because, maybe the next time I would stop and think about it, I would not be 25 years old.

God wants you to meet different people through your life,
because he wants you to recognize the special ones,
that you would meet later on.

Katya

Tropical Island

2008-03-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

Setup: If you were stranded on tropical island that could sustain your life indefinitely (i.e. food, water, shelter, etc), and you were allowed to reach through space and time and bring anything back, what would it be?

(Remember: these items have to last you the rest of your life, and cannot be items to help you get rescued)

1 – Three Books

(Matt) The LDS Quad (Book of Mormon, Pearl of GP, D&C, and the Bible)
(Matt) The Giver, Lois Lowry
(Matt) The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

(Katya) Any Self-Help Book
(Katya) Cosmo Magazine (Love Gossip and fashion)
(Katya) If tomorrow comes by Sidney Sheldon

2 – Three Movies (lets pretend it’s a well furnished island)

(Matt) The Sound of Music
(Matt) Fiddler On The Roof
(Matt) Dumb & Dumber

(Katya) You’ve Got Mail
(Katya) Ace Venture (1 or 2)
(Katya) Disney’s Enchanted

3 – Three CDs (LPs or Cassettes for you old timers)

(Matt) Natalie Merchant - Ophelia
(Matt) Mormon Tabernacle Choir – Consider the Lilies
(Matt) Garden State Soundtrack

(Katya) Britney Spears - Blackout
(Katya) Christmas CD
(Katya) Pop mix CD (doesn’t matter what)

4 – Three Games (Electronic or board)

(Matt) Dominoes
(Matt) Resident Evil (playstation)
(Matt) One deck of face cards

(Katya) Face Cards
(Katya) Tetris
(Katya) Chicken Hunt

5 – One person (famous, friend, or spouse)

(Matt) My sweetheart Katya.
(Katya) okay…okay…fine I’ll take Matthew!

6 – One Sugary/Sweet snack you cannot live without

(Matt) Pepsi
(Katya) Bubble gum

7 – One cosmetic (i.e. deodorant, shampoo, perfume, etc)

(Matt) Sun screen (SPF 45)
(Katya) A hand mirror

More Snowboarding Photos

2008-03-17T10:40:00.001-07:00

Snowboarding

2008-03-17T10:33:00.001-07:00

On Saturday (15th), Katya and I went up to Wolf Mountain and went snowboarding. It was such a beautiful day. It was cloudy and snowed a little at first, but then the sun came out and it was just a perfect day.

Katya is SOOOOOO good. This is her second time and she was going down their Black run toward the end. I am so proud of her. She has really caught on, and now wants to add it to one of her perminant hobbies.

I came to the realization (rather quickly) that snowboarding + big stomach = exhaustion.

Otherwise, we had a wonderful time.

Love,

Matt & Katya

Jonny's B-Day

2008-03-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I went over to the Evans compound to celebrate Jonny's birthday. We had German Chocolate Cake, opened presents, and had a nice time.

Will post pics later.

Love,

Matt

Ava's Birthday

2008-03-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Katya & I went over to Mom & Dad's house to celebrate Ava's birthday. We could only stay for a short period, but it was such a nice treat to see everyone. Ava is such a sweet little angel, and Max has turning into such a funny little man.

I have a lot of pictures that I will post later.

Love,

Matt & Katya

Finding New Goals

2008-03-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Here is my situation: You have your goals set, you are working hard toward them and you push each time a little bit more to achieve something great. Every year you can look back and see how far you are and how fast you are moving.

I had a lot of dreams and all of them came true in the last 5 years. I wanted to get a diploma with honors, wanted to get married successfully, wanted to find a job, make a lot of money, and get accepted in to the MBA program. I did it all.

So, now it is a time to think about new goals, and while there is nothing there it feels kind of empty.

I want you to share about your life experiences. I believe it would be helpful for me to know how you got back on track after you achieved your long-term goals. I think I need advice from someone with life experience. How do you find that "something" that would move you forward?How do you do it?

Thank you,

Katya

P.S. All of you know that I don’t believe in God. So, I would appreciate if you would not include religious believes in you comments.

TAG - Here are my answers

2008-03-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

10 years ago – I was finishing up my mission. I retuned in Dec of 1998. Sometimes it feels like I just got home...

Snacks I Enjoy – Ritz Crackers, Baby Carrot sticks, and Fresh Fruit

I Enjoy – Watching TV in the evening with my wife, going to the movies, going out to eat at a nice restaurant, going on walks with my wife and dogs, traveling, listening to music, drawing, writing, and keeping busy.

What would you do if you were suddenly a billionaire – I think it would be a very stressful thing. I know that I would immediately make sure Katya’s and my family are taken care of. Once that is done, I would start to work on a million little projects that I’ve thought about that I believe would make the world a better place.
I don’t think I would want a HUGE house (it would be lonely), but I would like a HUGE yacht and a private plane. I would fly, and sail around the world, seeing all the wonders of the world.
After that got boring...I would probably donate 90% to the LDS church’s Temple, Mission, and Perpetual Education Funds.
If everyone is taken care of…I only need a couple million to live off of….anything else is just a selfish waste of resources.

3 Bad Habits – I eat too much. I burp too much. I don’t wash my belly-button enough.

5 Places I have lived – Taiwan, Missouri, Ohio, Germany, & Utah

5 Jobs I have had – Area Supervisor, Building Supervisor, Loading Dock Supervisor, Graphic Editor/Designer, and Retail Cashier.

5 Things people don’t know about me –
(1) I have “vampire” teeth. I have an extra pair of sharp incisors behind my regular teeth.
(2) I have urinated off the side of ferry in the middle of the English Channel.
(3) I very rarely cry.
(4) I often dream I can fly.
(5) I often see ghosts.

Karma, Fate, & Justice!!!!!

2008-02-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

The other day, I was at work and a man called my boss. I didn’t hear the entire conversation, but I could hear him through the phone well enough to know he was yelling and really upset.
It turns out that he had been in prison for several years, and upon his release he had filed for welfare only to be rejected. It turns out that their records showed that he already worked at the company I am at…only it wasn’t him.
The man that had been using his SSN was apprehended by the police today and taken to prison. I feel terrible about it, because he was a good, hard worker that was just trying to support his family.
When this man had arrived in the United States (yes, illegally), he had purchased an identity from a man who went to prisons and paid the inmates for their social security numbers.
When the man that called my boss got out of prison, he wanted all his information back…even through he sold it.
This event sparked a great conversation between my husband and me.
On one hand you had a bad man who was in prison for many many crimes (we got to see his police record), and on the other a sweet young man that worked hard, and just wanted to support his family. Day and night difference…but it seemed unfair how the legal system labeled one a criminal and one a victim.

Matthew thinks that whenever terrible things happen, or when things are not fair that it is Karma at play. I believe in Karma as well, but I don’t see the balance in this situation.

All I see is a “good” man going to jail and a “bad” man collecting welfare and unemployment.

What do you think?

Katya

Fun Pictures...enjoy!

2008-02-28T20:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, I can cook!

This was one of the more recent storms...fun huh?
Buka looking for a treat.

Sorry…

2008-02-28T20:12:00.001-08:00

Katya and I have been so busy that we really haven’t had too much time to write on our blog. We have periodically view Laura’s and Mom’s (and now April’s & Valerie's), and it has been so nice to see the pictures and read the accounts of your life.

For those of you that don’t know…Katya was accepted to the Masters of Accountancy at Weber State University. So, that means she will be working on two Master’s at the same time (MBA and MAcc). I am so proud of her. She works so hard to understand the material presented, and spends every spare moment studying. She is mortified by the idea of getting anything less then an “A” in her classes, and so far (knock on wood) she’s received all “A’s” in her classes.

I am finishing up my last semester and will graduate this spring with a double Bachelors degree in Political Science and Visual Communication & Design. A part of me feels relieved that I will be finishing these degrees, but I have plans to go directly into the MBA program here at Weber State, so I know I am not done…

For those of you that have not heard, I have accepted a new position at Weber State University, working for Facilities Management. Previously, I worked for the Dee Events Center as the Custodial Supervisor. I loved this job! It was a very difficult decision to leave, but when opportunity knocks, you answer. My new job title is Area Supervisor. Whereas I was the custodial supervisor over the Dee Events Center, likewise there are supervisor over most of the buildings on the main campus. My new job places me above 7 buildings on campus (Swenson Gym, Stromberg Complex, Stadium, Stuart Library, Lampros Hall, Browning Center, and the Kimball Art). I have gone from a staff of 5 to a growing staff of 33+. It is a difficult and challenging position, but I find that I am cut out for a management role. It fits me well.

Katya and I are happy. We see the blessings of the Lord in our life and recognize His hand in helping us progress and grow. Each year we look back and are amazed at the growth and progress we have made.

We send our love….

Communist Kate and Mormon Matt

2008 – Year of the Yellow Rat

2008-01-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of each year we usually take stock of our lives and resolve to make much needed changes. We decided that this is the year we’ll lose weight, quit smoking, spend more time with our kids, and other vices that haunt us all year. I kind of like the idea of a new year’s resolution. It’s such a simple expression of faith. We look past the imperfections of ourselves and imagine a world where we can correct the mistakes of our past, moving forward to a brighter, happier future.

I find it a bizarre coincidence that this process takes place so close to the birthday of Jesus Christ. In the Christian world, resolution is called this process of repentance, where we recognize our shortcomings, resolve to change our ways, and correct them. Typically the only difference between the two is that in the Christian world, they recognize that they need grace to accomplish these changes, whereas in the secular world it is left to our own strengths.

While the New Year’s Resolution is usually set and broken before January is typically over, the process of repentance is not time sensitive, and in most cases, is followed through to the end.

So, in the Year of the Yellow Rat, I hope each of us can see where we need to change, and realize that, “With men it is impossible; but to God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Happy New Year Everyone!

Christmas Spirit

2007-12-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

When I was a little boy, Christmas was my favorite holiday. The anticipation, excitement, songs, food, and magic of the season were just so strong that I doubt I will ever forget a single season.
The strange thing is that when the “magic” went away (typically what takes place when your are old enough to understand the logistics of who and what makes Christmas happen) so did the anticipation and excitement. I guess for many adults, they re-live those moments through the excitement of their children, but for those that haven’t had children, the holiday has felt empty.
So, the question I pose is this…What do you do when the magic goes away?

I know that a lot of you will interject the idea that you should shift your attention to Christ on Christmas, but this is not what I’m talking about at all. I’m talking about the magic and wonder that children see in this season, and to some degree at life in general.

The older we get, the less magic we see.

So, for those that are reading….What do you do to recapture the magic and excitement around the Christmas time?

Welcome to My World

2007-12-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

Due to overwhelming demand, and a rather forceful nudge by God, I have decided to be more open and friendly to my family and friends. This Blog is the first "baby steps" toward being a kinder and more open person.
Having established this...I now welcome you to the wild world of Matt and Katya!