Hello, Houston!

Here we are in Houston! We have started the adventure. The movers came and dropped everything off, and now we are going through the process of deciding where we want everything. We got as much done as we could before today, since we are leaving for Armenia tonight.

Yesterday, we decided to go find a Target and get some items we needed for our apartment. We went down to the parking lot, and there was our jeep, with the passenger side window smashed out, the dash ripped open, and the stereo gone. We were in shock. Our apartment is in a good area of town, and the parking lot is fenced and gated. How could something like this happen? And on our first real day in Houston?? We looked around the parking lot, and it looked like there were about 6 other cars that had been broken into as well. We filed a police report, and talked to management. When Mark talked to the police, he mentioned that we had just moved in the day before, and said, "I guess, welcome to Houston, huh?" The cop said, "Pretty much." From what we have heard from our neighbors and the management, this is a rare occurrence. But it definitely made us feel a lot more vulnerable. Yikes!! So, we spent the day getting the jeep window fixed and getting security measures put in place for our apartment and cars before we leave for Armenia.

In all of this, there is a miracle and a blessing. When we were going through the car to see if anything else was missing, I saw and extra key to the jeep sitting in the cup holder, right by the dash and the jockey box, which had been gone through. We had accidentally left the extra key right there in the Jeep when it was dropped off. So, instead of the stereo, the whole jeep could have been gone. It's a miracle that whoever broke into the car didn't see the key. I am convinced that God kept it invisible to them. We are so blessed that the damage was minimal.

In spite of that, we still feel like this is a good place to be, and that we are in a good area of town. Things like this could happen anywhere. We pointed out to each other all of the car thefts and break-ins that we heard about in Provo and Salt Lake. We are still so excited to be living here, and the weather is beautiful.

Welcome to Houston, everyone!!

Goodbye Provo

Mark graduated from BYU with his master's degree in Civil Engineering. I am so proud of him! Right after graduation, the movers came and packed us all up. It was the easiest move Mark or I have ever done. We couldn't pack anything, so we just watched while our stuff got packed for us. When the movers left, we started our Family Tour 2008. We traveled up to Idaho to visit family there, and then went back to Utah to finish our visits with the rest of our family.

First stop, Rexburg, Idaho. We went to visit my uncle Brent and his family. They have 4 very active children, and we loved every minute that we were with them. Talon, the oldest, is getting to be so grown up. We had a rousing game of spitoon, the official Crowther Family game, and Talon was right in there, getting cards and fighting for spoons. We had a grand time with him. Kieri, the second child, is getting ready for third grade. Mark quizzed her on her times tables and her spelling. She's ready to go! She also treated us to a back handspring. She's quite the little gymnast. Cache, the third child, is a hoot! He will be in kindergarten next year, and he is so excited to go. He begged us to take him with us to Houston, until we told him that he wouldn't be able to go to kindergarten if he went. He decided that kindergarten was the better choice. Makell, the baby, is adorable! She loves to be held, and while we were there she learned to click her tongue.

Next stop, Blackfoot, Idaho. We spent a few days with Mark's parents. It was great to spend some quality time with them. We helped get the garden ready and plant some flowers. We were also able to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa Herbst.

On to Wendell, Idaho to visit Mark's Grandma J. She lives on a farm, and we got some down-home farm cooking. Woo! It was good stuff, and we got stuffed too!

Moving on to Soda Springs to visit my aunt Dana and cousin McKenzie. We had a nice chat with them, and then drove to Preston to see my uncle Blake and his family. After a quick visit, we went on to Logan to see my cousin Kacee and her family. We stopped for the night in Syracuse, at my cousin Cody's house.

Our last stop was Grantsville, Utah, to spend a few days with my parents. After Mother's Day was over, we went to the airport and flew to Houston.

So, our goodbyes have been said. It's a strange feeling to leave behind the life and all the people you know. But we are excited for the prospects we have before us in our new life. We have been truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends that care so much about us. Thanks guys!

In All of Life, Have Much Joy And Laughter

I love this quote from Pres. Hinckley. We have a plaque of it hanging up in our house, to remind us to treasure the little things, and to in enjoy life. Here are some of the things we have done to make our lives more memorable:

Playing in the leaves in Blackfoot.

Hiking Timp with the Petersens.


We had a Halloween Party at Del Sol. My department went as "Sol White and the 7 Sols". We won first prize for our group costume. A special thanks to Benji for his role as Sol White. Ha ha!!


Mark went as Wilson from Home Improvement.


Being the drama queen that I am, I decided that it was time for me to do another play. I tried out for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Center Street Musical Theatre in Provo. It was lots of fun getting to wear all the different costumes. My favorite was the Go-go outfit. Go, go Joseph!

We went to see the lights on Temple Square at Christmas time. We took the Carters with us. We decided to eat dinner, and wanted to take the Carters to Cafe Pierpont, my favorite Mexican restaurant. When we got there, we learned they had closed! So, we opted for our favorite Thai Food joint, just a couple of blocks down. Did I mention it was the coldest night of the year? We braved the frigid cold and walked to the Thai restaurant, only to learn that it, too, had closed! Bah! We hiked back and opted for a safe chain restaurant - the Macaroni Grill.

After dinner, we drove to Temple Square and again braved the cold as we walked around looking at the lights. Soon we stopped in the visitors center to warm our fingers and toes, and I asked about a sister who was serving on Temple Square who I taught on my mission. I was pointed in the right direction. We went in to see the Nativity movie, and there was cute little Mayranush, bearing her testimony. After the movie was finished, Mayranush walked out of the room, and I went tearing after her, but she was gone! I grabbed another sister and asked if she could help me find Mayranush, which she did. When Mayranush saw me, she came running, and we hugged for a long time. We had a nice long chat about Armenia and her mission. I was so glad to see her. I warmed my heart to see her there as a missionary, preaching the gospel that has come to mean so much to her and her family.

Mark got a job with ExxonMobil in Houston Texas. In March, we went out to find our housing. We took a day to go to the beach and enjoy the sun, away from cold snowy Utah! Find anything in the sand, Markus?

The Honeymoon

After the wedding Mark and I headed for Cozumel, Mexico for a week of much-needed rest and relaxation. Some of our activities included:

- Visiting the Mayan Ruins of Tulum. Our tour guide's name was Moroni, and he had a brother named Lehi. Mormon? Yes! We got to hear the LDS take on the ruins found in this beautiful place. The church is true!

- Snorkeling at Xel Ha. We saw a HUGE hermit crab and named him "Hermie".

- Seeing a sea turle on our snorkeling tour of Cozumel. I had really wanted to see a sea turtle, since they are my favorite sea animal. We dove in the water, and there he was! We named him "Sammy" (we're into naming things we think are cool).

- Renting a scooter and driving around the island. We stopped to see the sea turtle nests all along the beaches. We look so cool with our helmets and sunglasses!

- Swimming with the dolphins, Romulo and Luis (we didn't name these ones!). We even got a dolphin ride!

Ours was definitely the coolest of vacations. I love the beach!

How It All Began

Mark and I met on November 11, 2006. But our story really begins much farther back. My cousin, Cody married Mark's cousin, Ryan in August of 2001. They talked about introducing us to each other back then, but the timing was never right. After his mission, Mark spent his summers in California, Texas, and Seattle while going to school in Provo. I was going to school in Cedar City, went on my mission, moved to St. Thomas for a few months, and then back to Cedar City. With all of our moving around, there was never a chance for Cody and Ryan to get us together. Still, they planned and plotted.

Finally, in the fall of 2006, the timing was right. I had graduated and was living in Salt Lake. Mark was finishing up his Bachelor's degree at BYU, and was still in Provo. Cody and Ryan started making their plays. At the Herbst family gatherings, they would talk to Mark about me. At the Crowther family gatherings, they would talk to me about Mark.

One night, Mark needed a date, so he decided to call me up. He asked Ryan for my number and invited me to a hockey game. We were doubling with one of his roomates. Mark and I really hit it off. I was glad to find out that he was easy to talk to, and he felt the same. We continued to see each other often.

To make the story shorter, Mark asked me to marry him in April. I said yes (of course!). We were married in the Salt Lake Temple on July 26, 2007, and are living happily ever after!