Last details!

As much as I cannot believe it... we leave for Mexico in DAYS! Some last minute details (but crucial details) to share:

Starting Tuesday, if you need to reach us, please use the following number: 1-215-667-8788. Please note - we HIGHLY recommend turning your cell phone off in Mexico. The data roaming charges are very high.

Driving directions (from the Cancun Airport)

• From the airport take route 307 South (towards Tulum, Playa Del Carmen)
• You will stay on route 307 all the way to Akumal
• Depending on traffic, plan for 1 hr - 1 hr & 45min travel time
• As you approach Akumal, the last large all-inclusive resort on your left will be Sirenis.
• You will go under a pedestrian overpass and an automotive overpass.
• You will want to take a left at the intersection, but you must go beyond the intersection and then make a U-turn at teh "retourno" just down the road.
• Double back and then turn right onto the Akumal access road next to the automotive overpass.
• Go down the road, under the arch, then bear left onto the main road.
• Go about a mile.
• Stay on teh main road, which makes a couple of bends to teh left towards the end.
• You will see the public enterance to Yal Ku lagoon directly in front of you.
• The romero complex is immediately to the right of the public enterance
• Drive into the driveway
• You've made it!

Groceries & Supplies -
If you're planning on grabbing some groceries, we suggest you do it in Playa del Carmen, rather that Akumal. Akumal does have a small grocery store, but the prices will be better in PDC.

In PDC the easiest grocery store to get to is "Soriana" in the central maya mall on teh right side at the far end of PDC, opposite of Sam's Club.

See you soon!!!!! K&B

One small month to go!

Unbelievably there's just one month until the big day. Yes, in one month we will be "the Murphy's", "mr. & mrs."...married! So what's this mean to you?

1. You should have sent your RSVP card in by now. And, if you're part of the cool crowd who's heading down for the trip - it should be marked "happily accepts".
2. You should expect to receive an email from me in the next week with additional details about the location, what to expect at the Cancun airport, and other pertinent details.
3. You should start stocking up on sunscreen and light-weight clothes - it's gonna be hot down there!
4. You should be be thrilled that Nancy & Rick Watson are hosting a sunset cruise in Playa Del Carmen on Thursday, July 1...more details to come. Oh, you're invited to it!
5. If you had to check "regretfully declines", you should know that we completely understand that it's quite the financial committment to head down to Mexico, and we still love you. Don't worry, there will be 100's of pictures that we will show you.

We're so excited. So looking forward to seeing everyone in Mexico. So looking forward to an amazing evening on July 3!

Two Months to Go!

It's true - time flies, even during a long engagement like ours. We're getting so excited for the big day, which is about two months away right now. You should be receiving your invite in the mail in the upcoming days. We wanted to take the chance to answer a few questions you may have once you receive your invite...
1. Why are you getting married in Mexico?
As you most likely know, Brian and I met in Australia. When we were looking at locations, we knew we wanted to bring our wedding to a destination, and a tropical destination at that. We also loved the idea of being able to take a vacation with our closest family and friends. Finally, we've never been to Mexico and wanted to have a place that we could continue to go back to to re-live our wedding day!
2. Is Akumal safe?
Yes! We know there's always information in the news about Mexico being dangerous, let us assure you - we did not choose a dangerous location for our wedding! The problems in Mexico are isolated in the North (much closer to the US border). We'll be surrounded by higher end vacation spots.
3. If I decide to come to the wedding, when should I plan on arriving?
You can plan to arrive anytime, however we would recommend flying in at least a day ahead of time. When you book your flight, we'd love for you to send us your details so we can keep track of everyone. Brian and I will be in Mexico from Sunday, June 27 - Tuesday, July 6.
4. Which airport do I fly into?
Cancun International is the closest airport. From there you'll either want to rent a car, or grab a shuttle to your accommodations.
5. Where should I stay?
As this is a smaller wedding, and we are not staying in a hotel, we did not book out a block of rooms anywhere. Instead, depending on how long of a trip your planning on taking, we'd love to suggest some options. If you're planning on staying for more than 3 days, we'd suggest looking into one of the condos available on http://www.locogringo.com/. Specifically search in the Akumal area. For those of you staying for a shorter period (or who just prefer to stay in a hotel) - there are hotels in Akumal, and many resorts/hotels in Playa del Carmen (15 - 20 minute car ride from Akumal). Luckily we're going in the off season, so there are some great rates to be found! If you need any help finding somewhere to stay - please don't hesitate to call/email us.
6. What should I wear, is this thing on a beach?
For the wedding/reception we'd prefer you dress in beach cocktail attire. We'd rather not have anyone in jeans or shorts. The rest of the week - it's gonna be hot, we're guessing you'll be in a swimsuit :)

We're so thrilled that the wedding is quickly approaching! Looking forward to seeing you in Mexico!

Mexico - Safety Concerns?

So obviously when Brian and I were researching destinations for our destination wedding, we had several criteria. We knew we wanted to go somewhere warm, that travel costs should be similar for everyone who planned to come, that we could rent a home (rather than stay in hotels), and let everyone have a vacation while coming to our wedding. Oh, and we also looked at safety. When we first started looking at Mexico the lovely swine flu was rising. Once again, folks were panicked about heading south of the border (although, really - you can catch that thing anywhere). Now the latest news from the US Government's newest travel warning for Mexico is out. And what does it say? Good news! They're not concerned about the resort towns, only specifically concerned with towns that border the US (pretty much the exact opposite of where we'll be). For additional details, I encourage you to check out this article from the Seattle Times (with link to the US Government advisory) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travelwise/2011358640_trpucci16.html?cmpid=2628 ...So no excuses about the safety folks! We'll see you in Mexico :)

5 Months & Counting!

Time is flying! We're exactly 5 months out from the wedding right now. As you plan your trip, just wanted to provide a quick reminder - make sure you get your passport in motion now. Here's how you can get started:

• If this is your first passport, get the details here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_832.html
• If you just need to renew your passport (you must fit specific guidelines to do this via mail or internet): http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/renew/renew_833.html
• To apply in person (must do this if you are getting a passport for the first time or if your expired passport is from before the age of 16): http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/
• Current (as of Feb 3, 2010) processing time for a non-expedited passport is 4 - 6 weeks, so plan accordingly!
• If you wait until the last minute, you can get your passport expedited (still takes 2 - 3 weeks): http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_831.html
• Please note: unless you're driving to Mexico, the new passport card will not work. It's not valid for international air travel.

Hope this helps and is a good reminder for everyone! Get ready for another stamp in your passport!

Krystle & Brian's Wedding - Review of Details

We're nearing the 5 months out mark and save the dates are going out this week - so thought it might be nice to do a quick review, for folks looking for an all up view of the details.
Flights:
- We're not booking group flights or anything like that, as we're sure people will want to stay for different amounts of time.
- Make sure you fly into Cancun - it's the closest airport to Akumal
- If you're planning on doing travelling other than to Akumal, rent a car...otherwise, if you're just staying in Akumal - no need to. Just hop in a shared van, one recommended provider is: http://www.cancuntransfers.com/express/ You can even reserve online if you'd like.

Accommodations:
- Pretty much all types of hotels, B&B's, condos, all inclusives, and hostels are available in or near Akumal. Check out our earlier post for specifics on hotels, condos, and all inclusives.
- If you're looking to stay in a bigger city, Playa Del Carmen is 15 - 20 minutes away and has the bigger, brand name hotels (Marriots, Hiltons, etc.). Just remember that you'll need to find some transportation to the wedding. (Taxis and collectivos are easy to hail)
- If you stay in Akumal, everything is less than a mile apart, so you won't need to worry about getting around.

Akumal:
- Akumal is about an hour South of Cancun, away from the giant resorts and crazy amounts of tourists.
- Known for snorkelling and diving, there's pristine beaches with reefs that are a short swim from shore.
- Also within a short drive/taxi ride are the Tulum ruins and many cenotes (caves for diving).
- There are little restaurants, shops, and places to grab a drink along the beaches of Akumal.
- The wedding party is staying at the Romero Compound - located on a lagoon. Typically people need to pay to use the lagoon, with the exception of those staying on a private property, so feel free to come by for a swim in the lagoon or one of the pools!

The wedding/reception:
- The wedding is on Saturday, July 3 at 5:30pm at Casa Romero
- Dinner, drinks and dancing will follow at the same location
- Dress is beach cocktail - we'd prefer no jeans, shorts, or flip flops for the ceremony... however we do understand it's Mexico, in the summer - so feel free to get more comfortable for the reception.

Your presence at our wedding is the best gift we can ask for, however - for those who have asked - we are registered at Crate & Barrel and at Macy's .
When we're closer to the date, I'll provide the phone number to where the bridal party will be staying, along with more details (as they become avialable). If you have any other questions, please shoot us an email or leave a comment and we'll get back to you!

So looking forward to our wedding and seeing everyone in Mexico!

More Akumal Details

For those of you wondering about Akumal - had a chance to catch up with the owner of the villa, he passed along a great map.

Everything from Akumal Bay to Yal-Ku Lagoon is a total distance of 1 mile. A few key points of interest on the map:

• Yal Ku Lagoon: This is where the Romero compound is, and where the Watsons, Murphys, and bridal party will be staying. There's great snorkelling in this calm water lagoon.
• Half Moon Bay: Great sandy beach with snorkeling and two beachfront restaurants
• Akumal Bay: More sandy beach, snorkeling, this is where the turtles go to nest (great chances of seeing at least one!), and several restaurants
• Turtle Bay Cafe: This is the cafe our wedding planner owns. It's well known for some delish breakfasts and goodies!

As you can tell from the map, we're about an hour away from Cancun (which means to plan for an hour travel time from the airport).

New Year, More Photos, More Details!

First off, Happy New Year to all! We had our last Christmas apart (thankfully!) and enjoyed the holiday time with our families. We've also been working on the wedding details and getting more and more excited to go to Mexico!

We did receive the rest of our engagement pictures, to view them visit here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2208207&id=25900729&l=ee39250c78 or check them out from our photographer's page here: http://www.kristenmarie.org/blog/2009/12/26/krystlebrian.html

In wedding planning news, after a FULL year of searching... I finally chose bridesmaid dresses! Very exciting, very cute dresses, and now feel like planning is really under way!

Finally, for those who may be joining us in Mexico but haven't yet found somewhere to stay - there's two townhomes still available on the Romero compound (where the Watson family and Murphy family, as well as bridal party will be staying). Each fit 4 people and are $1500 for the week. If you're interested, please let me know and I'll put you in touch with the owner.

We're less than six months out, save the dates will be sent out soon. I'm sure before we know it, we'll be in Mexico!

Engagement Pictures - Sneak Peek!

Our photog posted one picture as a preview on her website... I kinda love it. However, more than one person has said "umm... aren't you supposed to be in the same picture for your enagement pictures?". But... I still do kinda love it.

A quick recap of our engagement pictures day... believe me, it didn't get off to any great start. I decided to wake up early, do my hair, and head off to the mall. You see, earlier this year when my sister was up visiting, she went and got her makeup done at Bare Escentuals and they did such a fabulous job, I thought I'd do the same for pictures. This ended up being a VERY bad decision. Not only did they go over on time, but before I could swipe the brush out of the makeup "artist's" (AHAHAH ... yea right) hand, I had two very dark (pretty much black and blue) eyes. So I ran out of there, hopped in the car, and started rummaging around for napkins to wipe the skank-eye off my face. While trying to hold back tears, trying to wipe my makeup, and just get home - I hear a siren behind me. I pull over. The siren pulls over. He gets out of his car. "How fast do you think you were going?". "ummm... 35 maybe?"... "Wrong, 37 - I'll need your license and registration". AGH. Luckily I had never been pulled over before (statistically I am a better driver than Brian;)) and was let off with a warning. As a note to all of you Christmas shoppers - Bellevue Way cops will pull you over for going 37 MPH.

Luckily my lovely fiance had already gotten the dog ready, was ready himself, didn't comment on my crazy eye makeup that I was still scratching off, and we made it to pictures on time (and without skank-eye).

We ended up taking pictures at the UW Arboreatum. Cool mossy bridge, beautiful trees, crisp autumn leaves, and broken down freeway structures covered in broken glass and left over hobo homes. A little strange, yes... but we're still pumped for the pictures.

Can't wait to share them with you (plus, I'm just about the least patient person in the world, so I'm DYING to see them).

About 7 months till the big day:)

Engagement Pictures - Location?

Here at the Murphy/Watson household we're in full swing "workout like crazy because our engagement pictures are in less than two weeks" mode. Luckily we joined the brand-new, beautiful, clean, wonderful (can you tell I really like it??) YMCA in Newcastle. Anyways, while we're going to look great ;) for our pictures, we're still trying to settle on a location. A few things to keep in mind...
- We're taking our pictures in November...in Washington. Weather is iffy, might be cold, but it's the only time we have.
- We aren't really "urban" people - so probably not looking for a city location.
- We are bringing the crazy (aka: Atilla) with us for some of the pictures.

Here's a few of my location ideas:
- Marymoor park in Redmond - lots of trees, cute river nearby, random structures (including a windmill), and completely dog friendly
- Golden Gardens park in Ballard - great park, but it's on the water and will be windy - so I would have crazy hair in all pictures
- Bellevue Botanical Gardens - beautiful location, but... have done Watson family photos there in the past
- Discovery Park in West Seattle - similar to Golden Gardens, it's near the water and will be windy/probably really cold.

Any other ideas/suggestions? Or even places to completely avoid? We don't want to look completely out of our element, but we also don't want to look freezing and annoyed.

Frosting Overload

Although Brian and I are doing this "untraditional" destination wedding, we didn't want to miss out on some of the traditional planning items... namely - cake tasting. So, following the advice of Amy, we decided to sign up for the Trophy Cupcakes wedding cake tasting. Holy frosting overload. (Holly and her sister, Heidi, were there to attest to this)... the first few mini cupcakes went down delicious-ly, however I can safely say that I will be staying away from buttercream frosting for a while. We tasted about 10 different types of cupcakes - personal favorites (minus the frosting overload) were snickerdoodle, vanilla chocolate, and carrot. Cupcakes themselves were awesome, something we're considering replicating down in Akumal!

And The Winners Are...

Jon & Andrea Carey! Officially the first two plane tickets have been purchased to get to this crazy wedding! Andrea posted on FB that they were good to go and made my day. There will be some kind of prize in Mexico for their preparedness.
For those of you wondering about the actual dates - we'd love to have you for any and all of the time we're in Mexico. Brian and I will be in Mexico from Tuesday - Tuesday with our families and the bridal party (well Brittney will be there a little less, as she'll be finishing up her MBA). We're not planning on having large, organized group activities (because we're not that kind of people), but we will fill everyone in on general plans and keep it nice and casual. Between the properties we've rented we'll have 3 pools and a lagoon for snorkeling, so at least plan for a little time to hang out! Oh, and the wedding is on Saturday, July 3 - so please make sure to be there for that little event :)

About 8 months away... yay :)

A Quick CONGRATS!

Yes, this is a little late (okay, embarrassingly late). However, in the spirit of this blog (wedding, duh), it's completely important to note three important things that happened in the last month:
1. Zach and Megan got married! Congrats again to both of you, it was a wonderful ceremony in Sammamish! I've known Zach since about 7th grade (or whenever he moved from Montana to Sammamish), we both went to WWU, both went to Australia, and actually survived living with each other for half of a year (in one of the crappiest apartments ever). So happy for both of you!
2. Brian & Amy got engaged... in Hawaii! I've known Amy since Freshman year at Skyline - we were both on the swim team, and her group of friends was the Beaver Lake Middle School equivalent of my group of friends from Pine Lake Middle School. So excited for your big day.
3. Broderick & Holly got engaged! Holly and I have been friends since 6th grade - thats about 13ish years (no way are we that old...). Holly, Lauren and I were inseparable throughout middle school - we have the awkward pictures to prove it. Thrilled for her and Broderick (plus, it's just about the cutest proposal story I've heard in a long time!)

All wonderful people who, no doubt, will have/had beautiful weddings and lives together.

What we did on Sunday...

Much to Brian's dismay, I had completely planned out our morning last Sunday. For those of you who either grew up with Brian or know him very well... Brian is NOT a morning person. Especially if he hasn't had breakfast yet. ESPECIALLY if you take him shopping early in the morning, without breakfast. However, we are about 9 months our from our wedding (EEK... must. plan. more.) so it was time to register for gifts. Luckily, Crate & Barrel was having a registry event - before the mall opened, with food for the boys. Registering is weird - picking out gifts that you want other people to buy for you... it's just strange. However, we did have a good time planning for our future. We also stopped by Macy's, which wasn't nearly as fun as Crate and Barrel. Macy's was unorganized and not very helpful - but we still managed to find a few items.

To find our registeries visit: Crate & Barrel and type in one of our names, or Macy's - same thing, type in one of our names.

Note: We consider your attendence at our wedding the best gift you can give us... but we have been asked about our registry, so felt it was time to do something about it.

Hotels, Resorts, and Condos - Where to stay in Akumal?

Maybe you’re trying to decide if you want to come down for the wedding, and obviously cost is going to be a consideration. There are a variety of accommodations for a wide range of budgets. Below is a list of hotels and resources for accommodations priced as low as $89 nightly. Also, we’re looking into getting a block of rooms in a nearby hotel (if there is enough interest). Let us know if you have any questions about the areas these hotels are in relation to the wedding and other things to do in Akumal.


Hotel Akumal Caribe: Beachfront hotel rooms. Room rates for a double - $109 USD nightly; triple - $124 USD nightly; Bungalows: double - $89 USD nightly; $104 USD nightly
Gran Bahia Principe Akumal: All inclusive resort – double - $230 USD nightly
Vista Del Mar: Beachfront 2 bedroom condos from $110 USD nightly
Las Casitas Akumal: 2 bedroom condos from $220 USD nightly
Akumal Beach Resort: All inclusive resort from $90 USD per person, nightly
Loco Gringo: Great search engine for reasonably priced, well-maintained condos and houses for rent.

Fun Facts: Bridesmaid - Laurel

Laurel and I have not always seen eye to eye, mostly because I'm taller than her. Even though we have had our differences in the past, I am genuinely happy to have my wonderful sister as a part of our special day!

Fun facts about Laurel:
-Laurel majored in recreational therapy at UNH.
-Laurel has just (as of Oct. 2009) completed an internship in Colorado during which she worked with groups of people with disabilities on outward-bound like trips.
-Laurel once dropped a pitchfork on her foot while wearing flip-flops.
-Our dad used to refer to Laurel as “Henry.” My mom asked him to stop after Laur started to beleive it was her real name.
-Laurel used to have the best bowl-shaped haircut a girl could ever wish for.
-Laurel calls our mom “Karen,” even though her real name is “Mom.”
-Laurel loves cowboy stuff, like tractors, boots and goat-ropin’ music.
-Laurel played a lot of sports growing up, including soccer, basketball and hockey.
-There was a cow in the road.
-Laurel once chipped my tooth by jumping on my back when I was brushing my teeth. Take a close look; you can still see the bonding line. I looked like Jim Carey in Dumb and Dumber.
-We used to fight… ALL THE TIME.
-Laurel was obsessed with Vin Diesel for a long time. We think it was because of his man-boobs.
-Laurel beat up my friend Tim after he bet her that she couldn’t. He was wrong.
-Laurel loves working with kids.
-Laurel hates the color pink. Get over it, you’re a girl.
-Laurel refused my friend Matthew’s request to go to prom with him, more than once.
-Laurel once ripped the oil-tank off of the barn with the plow when asked to move the truck.


Bottom-line: Laurel is a thoughtful, caring sister who takes crap from no-one, has a great sense of humor and is always there when you need her. We can’t wait for her be part of our wedding!

Location! Location! Location!

At this point we've started introducing you to our wedding party and given a quick (well, maybe not so quick) insight into how this crazy relationship started. Probably time to provide some details about the wedding location!

When we started planning the wedding, we knew right away we'd be going away. Key considerations were: somewhere tropical, hopefully even distance from the west and east coasts, somewhere that there was lots to do, and something within our small budget. After a LOT of research (that Krystle did) we landed on Akumal, Mexico. Neither Brian nor I have been to Mexico, but we've heard great things - especially about Akumal.

About Akumal:
Akumal is about an hour south of Cancun, pretty close to the border of Belize. It's less touristy and more rustic than Cancun and surrounding areas, but close enough to the bigger attractions to get groceries and go to Costco (yes, there is Costco in Mexico). Akumal is known as the "Place of Turtles" as it's where the sea turtles go to lay their eggs. There are several beaches, cave diving, open water diving, and historical attractions nearby. The Watson and Murphy families will be staying at the Romero Compound on the Yal-Ku Lagoon. The Lagoon is actually a marine sanctuary with excellent snorkelling. We're still researching other activities and will keep everyone updated on what looks interesting to us!

Other logistical items we'll be working on over the next few months include: flight options, transportation from the airport, and hotel accommodations for additional guests. If anyone has additional points we should consider, please let us know!

Fun Facts: Groomsman – Jared Long

It was always my dream as a future groom to compose my side of the wedding party with as many large, red people as possible. Although the inclusion of Grant prohibits me from filling the spots with three as I would have preferred, our third groomsman more than makes up for it. Enter: A. Jared Long.


Fun Facts about Jared:
-Jared has danced around in a leotard more than once.
-Jared has big, dopey, loving dog named Echo, who is Attila’s best fried/boyfriend. Jared gets mad when they make out.
-Krystle’s mom purposely makes more food when she knows that Jared is coming over.
-Jared has a long-term friendship with Brittney, the MOH.
-Jared once ate over 20 chicken drummies in a single sitting.
-Jared has a sweet cabin on the Hood canal, which is pretty much why we’re friends with him.
-Jared and Krystle have known each other since he was 9 months old.
-Jared was Brittney’s (the MOH) date to homecoming sophomore year.
-Jared drills things for a living.
-It takes Jared 13 bullets to kill a rabbit.
-Despite what he may think, Jared is not a good singer on Guitar Hero. Seriously.
-Jared loves tank-tops.
-Jared also answers to “Jare-Bear.”
-Jared is afraid of gypsies.
-Jared had to run after Krystle when she tried running to Jack in the Box one night, which included across a busy street in front of a police car.
The Bottom Line: While we (mostly Krystle) make fun of Jared a lot, we have actually missed him since he went to Montana to work over a month ago. We’re excited to have him as a member of our wedding party, and can’t wait to tear it up in Mexico with him!

Fun Facts: Bridesmaid – Caitlin

Caitlin Murphy, who is the youngest of my two beautiful sisters, is taking time out of her busy schedule as a student at the University of New Hampshire to be part of our wedding party!


Fun Facts about Caitlin:-Caitlin is studying hospitality at UNH.
-Our entire family used to call Caitlin “Gus,” after the tubby mouse in the Cinderella Disney Movie.
-Caitlin has a lasting obsession with John Travolta.
-Caitlin has literally taken a class on how to smile; not that she needs it.
-Caitlin is "Pooh-Bear" to Laurel's "Tigger" and my "Eeyore."
-Caitlin was once trapped under a high-chair by Laurel. She was traumatized by this event.
-Caitlin loves taking road trips! She has driven to Washington, Colorado and Florida.
-Due to dietary restrictions, Caitlin can not digest gluten.
-Tequila does not contain gluten.
- When Caitlin was small she always wore more food than she ate. My mom claims that she was the dirtiest little kid ever.
-Caitlin worked/studied at Disney World for a semester. I am now scared of the Disney corporation.
-Growing up, Caitlin had a fear of Halloween masks.
-Caitlin has a beautiful singing voice, ask her to sing something for you when you see her.
-Although it is not proven, there is a theory that Caitlin and Laurel kept PacSun in business for several years.
-Yes, Caitlin’s hair is naturally that blonde.
-Caitlin, Krystle and Laurel can recite nearly every line from all 10 seasons of Friends.

Bottom Line: Caitlin is one of the most genuinely happy people that I know; she is a wonderful person and has always been able to spread her happiness to me. I know that Krystle is as excited to be her newest sister as we are to have Caitlin as a part of our special day!

Fun Facts: Groomsmen - Grant

Grant Watson. Hmmm… well he let us put him in the dog crate once, he’s gone several days without showering before, and has tipped over Honey Buckets. Somehow, he’s still managed to wrangle a place in our wedding party. We actually are pretty excited about it too. Is something wrong with him… or with us?


Fun Facts About Grant
- Until Grant was about 6 or 7, he watched the following movies almost daily: Lion King, Beethoven and Homeward Bound. It’s no wonder that Krystle can still recite most of the lines to those movies.
- Grant used to be able to make a noise that sounded exactly like a dolphin. Then his voice changed. He can no longer make said noise.
- Grant’s a master of the obvious. Case in point: Krystle, Jared, Ryan, and Brian on a chairlift. Grant: “Guys, when there’s snow on the trees it means it snowed recently”.
- Grant had the best imagination growing up. He would use his toys to make scuba gear and mountain climbing gear to go on expeditions. He was typically summiting the stairs. With the dog in tow. 
- Grant loves dogs – he received stuffed animal dogs several years in a row for Christmas and always had names picked out for each of them ahead of time.
- Brittney (MOH) thought Krystle trained Grant to like her more when he was little.
- Grant prefers hiking up a mountain and skiing down, rather than taking a chair lift like normal people.
- Grant drives a car that is the same age as him – 1990 Ford Ranger.
- Grant broke Brittney’s finger when he was little by smashing it with his toy guitar.
- Grant loves to ski, snowboard, scuba dive, wakeboard, mountain bike, and hike. He’s not really a “team sports” kind of guy. Probably a reason why Grant and Brian get along so well.
- Grant once sold Krystle his bike for $100. The bike was broken. Krystle was unaware of this at the time of purchase.
- Grant’s been letting Brian borrow his really nice Trek road bike. Note: Brian does not wear the stretchy shorts like all other road bikers do.
- Grant already has the name picked out for his future German Shepherd: Jerry Lee.
- Grant is a freshman at Oregon Institute of Technology.
- Grant loves fireworks. He’ll be in charge of the Mexican fireworks at our wedding. Is this a bad judgment call?
- Bottomline: Even though he does have the tendency to text his friends whenever he’s hanging out with Krystle and Brian, he’s a pretty great little brother. He’s always willing to watch the dog for us, come hang out, and is actually very helpful. We’re so glad he can be a part of our day – plus he’s always wanted an older brother… so he’s kind of getting one now.