My husband is trying to raise enough money to buy a Macbook ($1,600) and he only wants nickels. Crazy I know. But if you have a nickel and a Paypal account, you can help make my husband a very happy man.

Read his post for more information on how to donate.

Thanks for the support!

This Saturday I went to the local Farmer’s Market with some friends from church (another “first” for me this summer). It was a lot of fun. There was a great selection of fresh produce, fresh meats and seafood, canned goods and much, much more.

I bought zucchini, cherries, corn and homemade pasta. I made the homemade pasta last night for dinner and it was delicious. I think I might try making my own pasta sometime in the future. Any suggestions? Have you tried making homemade pasta before?

I also bought a watermelon lemonade (another first for me). I wasn’t sure what it would taste like but it was so delicious! I can’t wait to have another one. If you have the chance to try a watermelon lemonade, go for it!

This summer I’ve:

• Rolled Yahtzee 3 times during a game of Yahtzee
• Went to a drive-in movie for the first time with Joey and my sister, Christene. It was a lot of fun but made for a very late night since we stayed for both movies.
• Attended a REAL Salt Lake game for the first time. I really enjoyed it and hope to go again soon.

I also hope to add a couple more “firsts” before this summer is over. Wish me luck!

I just heard news that an old high school friend, Craig Decker, is presumed drowned in Utah Lake. He was boating with his family Saturday evening and he jumped off the boat to retrieve a lost oar and never resurfaced.

I am in shock. I’ve heard stories about freak accidents before but when it’s someone you know it’s different. I will be praying for his family and the search efforts that have been going on. Hearing news like this, it’s hard to understand God’s plan but I pray that peace and understanding will come soon to all those that have been affected by his accident.

Craig was an awesome person with an amazing outlook on life. I got to know him through high school band. He was fun to hang around and always made people laugh. I was never privileged to go on a date with him but we did hang out once and I will never forget that day. I drove him home after school and we didn’t have anything to do (or didn’t want to do homework) so we decided to go on a “scavenger hunt” and see if we could get enough money to buy an ice cream cone or something small. We wrote up a list of items on a piece of paper and crossed some items off so when we got to a house we could ask for a specific year of a quarter (sneaky, sneaky) or one of the other items. I don’t remember what kinds of things we acquired but we did get some money. I do remember a guy at one of the houses asking if we were just out to get money and I’m sure Craig came up with a good response. After a while (maybe an hour?) we decided we we had enough money (I really wish I remember how much we got) so we went to a local grocery store. You’ll never guess who was at the store. Yup. It was the guy that asked us if we were out to get money! I felt so horrible when I saw him there. I’m not proud of what we did but that’s possibly the worst thing I did in high school besides skipping class once or twice. Thanks Craig for a fun high school memory.

After high school I kind of lost touch with Craig but heard through the grapevine, years later, that he had blown off his right hand from a firework accident. He writes about it on his blog. You should read it (beware of pictures) and you will appreciate your blessings so much more. Really.

Craig also made several videos about doing things one-handed and posted them on YouTube. He posted advice/lessons he’s learned on his profile page and one of the things he said was:

We can always lift others, no matter how bad of a situation we are in. It is a divine gift. The only true and lasting joy comes from forgetting ourselves and helping those around us.

If you have a minute, you should check out the other advice/lessons he’s posted.

Craig, you will be missed!

I just bought tickets for Joey and me to see Body Worlds 3 here in Salt Lake City. It looks amazing. I can’t wait.

BODY WORLDS 3 is a first-of-its-kind exhibit where visitors learn about anatomy, physiology and health by viewing real human bodies. The bodies are preserved through plastination, which is a groundbreaking method for specimen preservation invented by Dr. Gunther von Hagens in 1977. BODY WORLDS 3 & the Story of the Heart features more than 200 authentic human specimens including whole body plastinates, organs, translucent body slices, and a special presentation on the heart.

If you have a minute, you should check out their website and buy tickets.