Blissied Life is Marry

As a celebration of our one month anniversary, I just wanted to post a bunch of pics from our wedding since we got the internet, FINALLY!

Enjoy! We will get reception and honeymoon pics up soon also!
Thanks to you all who have supported us in this joyFUL time!
Bret & Niki

Bret is engagged to be Marred!

That is correct! you read that right. (Maybe you read it right but I didn't write it right!) I am getting hitched! I know it seems like an incredible turn of events! I proposed July 19th and she accepted! I have a picture of us before, and the cubic zarconium ring! its beautiful!
Niki and I will be getting married in the Bountiful temple Oct 16th!

Sasha- The legacy continues

So here is a picture of the lovely Sasha!

I know that you were all very anxious to see her! the bad news about that is, I am moving to Wyoming and can't take her with me, so the whole reason that I took the picture was so that I could post her up on Craig's list and sell her. check out the ad.

I can't take the 'ol, not so tired girl with me so I am trying to let her go.

But if anyone knows of a person in need of a decent car, I would rather give it away...so let me know if you know anyone!

Five hundred, thenty-five thousand six-hundred minutes

So its been Six years (3,153,600 minutes total) since I returned to US soil from the South American Continent.

Reminicent of the Musical RENT (which I have never seen!)

I can still remember the sight of the Santiago city lights fading from my view as the plane lifted off the ground and took me away from the place that had won my heart for the past two years.

Chile! (pronounced Ch-ie-lay)

I had labored and sweated and worked amoung the Chilean people sharing the most important message on the earth...about Jesus Christ and the Restored Gospel! Not all accepted and not all even wanted to even talk to us, good looking americans, well some of my companions were at least. However many lives where changed, most importantly mine!

Life is good! I had a great day! My friend Niki and I played earlier. We went for a bike ride around a quarry, and a walk on the Lake Michigan beach! Had some great soup for lunch and played some ping pong. We were 1 and 1 but couldn't finish the 3rd game as her family showed up from Utah...

Anyway, I came back to my cousins house, watched BOLT! such a good show! I went for a run and really enjoyed getting out.

Its been a great day and I can't believe that its been 6 years. I am sure that I have wasted many of those moments, but I think that I have also made the most of others.

I wish that I had been able to go back and visit, but I haven't been able to. Someday...some other moment.

ROMAN SEBRLE (Who?) The greatest athlete in the world-and others that you DON'T know...

DISCLAIMER: This is in no particular order...Really!

Make sure you click on all the links or you will be very very lost...

1- The first is one who I remember watching as a child, Every Saturday we would find ourselves watching American Gladiators...This lady Kelly Mollica rocked! A firefighter, really cute and tough!

2- Maybe Steve Prefontaine should be at the top of the list because: #1 he is a runner, and #2 actually accomplished worthwhile goals in his life. (Let's see Olimpics vs American Gladiators...hmmm...Sorry Kelly...I can only imagine the hate mail now).
His story is almost the stuff to make a fairtale, even with a sore ending its worth the study. He definitely made his mistakes though, as do all humans, super athletes or not! Here is a man driven to excellence. A man who persisted on pushing his limits. He was not built like a runner, one leg was significantly shorter than the other, he was small. And only when you consider drive, stamina and dedication do you realize his strengths. Those were areas that he was anything but underdeveloped.
He is oft quoted, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." Wise words.

3- Lets go to another Track athlete... Jim Thorpe. "... winning two gold medals at the 1912 Olympic games in Stockholm, Sweden...heptathlon and pentathlon gold medals which labeled him as the world's greatest athlete." I'll admit I am taking this quote out of context slightly to make the point that he was the man! Read the article yourself if you really have to know, but know that the man was also honest. That makes him a great athlete in my book!
Let's get another chap's opinion shall we?
In 1912, King Gustav V of Sweden told Jim Thorpe, "You, sir, are the World's Greatest Athlete" after Thorpe won the decathlon at the Olympics in Stockholm. Traditionally, the title of World's Greatest Athlete has been given to the man who wins the decathlon, a two-day event that features runs of 100, 400 and 1,500 meters, the 110-meter hurdles, the long jump, the high jump, the shot put, the discus, the javelin and the pole vault.

4- Here is one that you wouldn't expect to see...

see the full article

Tony Azevedo?
Everyone has his parochialism, all fans have their own slant on what athletes are the best.

But how can one argue with this:

Jump into a pool. Tread water for an hour. Don't touch the sides or bottom. Swim about two miles. Throw a ball the size of a volleyball upward of 70 mph. All the while, get punched, pinched and kicked in the mouth, eyes, nose and places you don't want to think about.

That's water polo, a sport that requires the skills of baseball, the strategy of soccer, the teamwork of basketball, the endurance of a marathon, the exertion of swimming, the grit of hockey, the contact of football, the danger of boxing and . . .

"Wrestling. Think of wrestling in the water," Azevedo said. "You're focused in on trying to score, working with teammates while you're getting roughed up like you wouldn't believe. You should see the stuff that goes on under the water. And all the while you're trying not to die from drowning. I'd put water polo up with any sport in the world."
Hmm Good argument...

5- Strongest Man competition, well although this is also entertaining to watch...I don't think it meets the definition of athlete...

6- Lets see what the Wall Street Journal has to say about this topic!
interesting finds! Is it a coincidence that there is a hurdling picture here? I don't think so!

Any comments? disagree? etc.

Jon Cold Swift

You gotta give that man! Some serious props for the good work! My friend Heather sent me this link and I liked it so much I decided to post it up!

Let me tell you about why I love it, its the fusion of two songs, that I like, and that I think compliment each other. Its the elements of the cello, piano, bass drum and vocals that all work together in perfect harmony, yes it sounds cheesy, but you can't deny it! I also love the motivation behind the arrangment! that is love! I wish I could do cool stuff like this!

Birthday player

So for those of you unawares...don't worry I don't hate you...I had a birthday a few days ago... March 8th to be exact, I am now 27! yahoo! i think, oh yeah that is right, 2009 minus 1982....that's uh let's see, um...seven, carry the one, 10 minus 8 equals.... yes 27!

I wanted to share some of the birthday celebrations cards and presents! I must say that honestly this has been one of the best birthdays of my life!

Thursday there was a "Bret's Birthday Bash" (not solicited by me, mind you).
Friday there was a Bret's Birthday Bowling Party
Saturday my boss took me to dinner since our birthdays are the same day!
Sunday I went to the Johnson's for Lasagna and red velvet cake, hmmm
Monday I brought a birthday cake for FHE treat!


I got the funniest card from my Montana friend, Kristin Scott, pictured here, I love the pictures!
The caption on the inside is "You are a legend in your own mind." I laughed for hours! I won't show you the rest, because its private ha ha! but you can see there was time spent in the making of the card! (there was also some amazing blueberry, coconut, mystery bread, SO SO good!)

I got a record player Holla! I have a record collection, well i had started one, and didn't have a player for the big vinyl discs of black! Laura somehow managed to convince her grandma to give it up! and at least 250 records! that count may be an embellishment, but its a huge huge stack! I listen to one record a day!

I got a beautiful tie (thanks Heather), and some raisin nut bran (thanks Mamá), the best cereal in the world!

I also got a sweet card with a cutout of Lightning McQueen! from My favorite movie! CARS, Awesome! and a plate of cookies that didn't last very long! (Not pictured!) Double Awesome!

All in all I think I didn't fare too badly, although I didn't get any kisses, not even one! You might say, "Well Bret you are 27 and unmarried, what do you expect?" and all I would be able to respond to that is, "well played well played..."