I made chocolates for Christmas. I am so proud of myself. Everybody says they look so professional (which is what I was going for). They even have a diagram inside the lid to tell you what everything is. But for everyone not lucky enough to live near me here is a virtual box of chocolates for you!
Anniversary?! I know what you're thinking, "They just GOT married!" and you'd be correct. We celebrated our 6-month anniversary by going to Tombstone, Arizona. I sort of expected it to be HOT and dusty and it was cold and rainy. Nevertheless, we had a good time. Among other things, we ate some good food, saw a cyclorama/video presentation about the city's history and toured a museum about the city. Did you know there was only 1 illegal lynching there? Was it good that knowledge of any lynching whatsoever had completely slipped my mind? Or does that make me a bad person?
We saw the reenactment of the famous gunfight at the OK Corral.
And we toured the Good Enough silver mine.
Diego and I went to see Val Halen touring with David Lee Roth (that's Eddie on guitar on the screen to the right). Eddie's 16-year old son was playing bass for the band. They never used to have those big jumbo screens when I first started going to concerts. I'm glad they do. Ticket prices are astronomical these days and I think I'd have to kill someone if I couldn't see anything!
We took our 1st camping trip together. We used the last of our wedding money and Diego's birthday money and bought us some camping gear. We bought a tent, tarp, portable grill, 2 sleeping bags and 2 mats. We left on Saturday and were supposed to find some friends that left on Friday. We never found them so we set up our own camp in the Coconino National Forest and had ourselves a barbecue!
This is Knoll Lake. Just a few step (so to speak) from where we pitched our tent. The stars that night were beautiful. It's just too bad that it was too darn cold to be out of our sleeping bag and enjoy it. I know. You probably think we are wusses and you're probably right. We are definitely car campers. But at least we're out enjoying nature!!!
This was so funny to watch!!!
Dancin' Diego and Sashaying Shannon
Please visit this link...
Although I bought Diego a grill was throwing him a barbecue for his birthday he decided it was too much work for me to clean the house and opted to have the party at the house where he used to live with all the guys. Hence I have what all the cars, playground equipment and other random junk in the background are for.
Adrian introduces us to "Guitar Hero." Am I in trouble now?
The carrot cake I made for him with his Boca Juniors' colors for the frosting.
All 37 candles.................................... He's a bit afraid to get near it. Understandably so.
Esteban kicks it in the hammock after all the yummy food. I think it's interesting that they use french bread for buns instead of buying a package. I guess there, they said, "buns" are a specialty and much more expensive. Just a little side note. Here's another. We have hamburgers and hot dogs for our barbecues and they have sausage and beef. Random cultural difference. Nothing to be alarmed about.
I was glad for this trip to Atlanta where Diego could see what "my" life was all about before coming to Arizona. We went to my old work and met everyone and toured the place. I had a group of my friends meet us at my favorite barbecue place Swallow at the Hollow. That place is SOOO yummy. You must go there! It was good to see places that I recognize and people who know me as Shannon and not at Diego's wife...
The next day we went to Chow Baby for lunch and gorged ourselves. I love that place too. What do they call it, American Stir-Fry. They have this bar and you pile on whatever you like. Numerous noodles and rice, various vegetables, sundry sauces, mega meats, and several seasonings (ya like those alliterations, huh?) and then they cook it up for you and it's simple fabulous! Go there too. The we went to the only place Diego really wanted to see, The Coke Museum. This is one of the oldest delivery truck and it's from Argentina so of course we had to take a picture!
The tasting room at the end was where Diego really wanted to go. We tasted like 60 varieties of Coca-Cola products. Some more pleasing than others. And they give you a FREE bottle of Coke at the end too. Bottled Coke tastes so much better to me...
Sorry for the bad pictures. We went to see this amazing Bond Jovi cover band called Slippery When Wet. Actually it's the 3rd time I've seen them. They changed their set list quite a bit which took out my favorite song "Blood on Blood" but he looks and acts so much like the real thing that Diego was swearing up and down that he had a twin.
We went out to dinner with my brother and his wife. So the only one Diego hasn't met is my little sister. We didn't actually eat at this restaurant cause the wait staff was severely understaffed but it was here that I found out that my father had open heart surgery...
And I hesitate to post this pictures yet since the rightful owners haven't even seen them yet but it is the whole reason we came out to Atlanta in the first place. Karla and Taylor got married. YEAH!
So even though I've moved away from Atlanta I've still managed to find traveling work. This time I went to Montreal, Canada. This was my 1st trip to visit my northbound neighbors. Truthfully in the short time I was there I didn't spend much time in the daylight. I did, however, take a few hours one afternoon before sitting in the tradeshow and took a walk. I went to this little park/corner courtyard to see the Notre Dame Cathedral. Seriously, you couldn't get a picture smack in the middle if you wanted to. Somebody stuck a stupid light pole right there!
I went around the corner and picked up some food from this little French cafe and ate in the park. This is a close up of the statue/fountain. It was quite interesting. 
On the walk to the convention center you go through Chinatown. Weird. I'm in French Canada and I am walking through the Asian District... I did catch a picture of a guy gluing posters. It seems so old tyme-y to me - like a streetsweeper or a chimney sweep. I mean, I know it happens all the time but you never see it. The posters are always just up there somehow. He's just a guy with a bucket of posters, a bucket of glue, a set of headphones and a brush. Well, I thought it was cool!
And finally, the slideshow for all the honeymoon pictures. Okay, well, not ALL... That would be like a 25-day slideshow!
We've finally sent off our thank you cards from our wedding (4 months ago!). Thank you again for supporting our new life together!!! From the bottom of our hearts, you know who you are, we appreciate your support...
My Aunt Judy and Uncle Richard got sealed for time and all eternity in the Mesa, Arizona Temple this weekend. Judy asked me how much she need to pay me for taking pictures. Here's my response. "Did you really just say that?! Take it back!!" Sheesh!
And I just couldn't resist. Grandma goes 4-wheeling...
My aunt invited me to Time Out for Women this weekend and I got to meet Michael McLean who was hosting the event. He wrote the Forgotten Carols. He's a great songwriter but not so great as a singer. Still powerful though. He sang one of my favorites of his "From God's Arms, To My Arms, To Yours." He shared with us his own struggles with depression and being a good Mormon and how faith will overcome and how finally the answer is simply to take the pill. His was a literal pill but in other cases I can imagine it being something else simple like looking at a serpent on a staff or dipping in a pool. Anyway. The was also a musical fireside featuring Joseph: A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet. It was way good, but I think it was better live. It's powerful songs mostly about 3rd parties and their lives and effect on the prophet: like Hyrum, Emma, Porter Rockwell, an irish immigrant, etc... Anyway. It was a good time to be with the girls in my family and to recenter. 
I must be brave or stupid to post this picture... I've discovered that Diego's "white" is darker than my "tan." Alas, this is what we did for Labor Day. Slide Rock in Sedona, Arizona. This was my parent's first date.
It's this natural watering hole area. There's a place to wade around, a place to just off a cliff, a place to slide down a mini rapid. Plus, it naturally has pretty cool landscaping.
Sorry. Most of these pictures were taken from my car.... (**insert slapping wrist sound**) Bad Photographer, Bad!
Sedona is at least 10 degrees cooler than Mesa. It was SOOO great to roll down the windows and enjoy the gorgeous weather and not be stifled my heat. I don't want to live in the desert forever...
Does that just not make you crack up.?! It's my Afro Duck! My favorite! Diego and I went to feed the ducks on Sunday and we ended up with a crowd. (I must say that was the intention...) My other favorite was Scaredy Goose (he's one of the geese standing behind Diego in the bottom picture). Remember that one kid back in school that was on your volleyball team in gym class. You know, the one who stood ready but then winced when ever the ball came near him. Ya, well, this goose was like that. He kept coming near me for bread but then would duck and weave whenever I threw it to him, inevitably giving the other geese the opportunity to steal his prize. Silly goose... Good times.
So my hometown of Slidell, Louisiana did a gallery show called "Where Are They Now?" highlighting students who went on to pursue their artistic talents/interests into professions. Here's an excerpt of an article written about the even along with a picture of the pieces that I sent in for the show. They are from my Senior Show called "The Nature of Humans" at BYU. They are macro images and original subjects were only about 1 or 2 centimeters. Kinda cool, huh?
LOCAL KIDS MAKE GOOD
Slidell proud of local grads' talents
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Kathleen Deshotel
"Visitors at the crowded reception were treated to beautiful paintings and photographs by artists in attendance and those whose jobs or new homes kept them from returning for the show.
Shannon Henry Lista, who shoots photographs as both a freelance and as a staffer for an Arizona newspaper, sent four amazing macros of insects for display. Among those admiring the amazing photographs was fellow photographer Laurie Manley, executive director of the Slidell Art League. "When those came in and we unpacked them, I was excited and thrilled by the beauty of them," Manley said."
This was on a truck that I was driving behind for quite some time. Where else, in the world, would you ever see such a sign?! He is very true. He is a child of God. As we all are. 
This has been a much asked for item and I am proud to finally say, "Here it is, world! All you people who don't know me but will find this blog and this video, glad to meet ya. Enjoy."
Have you ever wondered what you would look like as a Simpson's character? Well, wonder no longer. This website will start you off then you can change facial features, clothes, accessories, etc... All spawned from the Simpson's Movie. Pretty funny, eh? What do you think about the likenesses?...
Kathryn Ione Fife. Born Saturday July 22, 2007 to my cousin Evan Fife and my other cousin Victoria Fife. She had her eyes open for us when we visited.
Mommy and Katy.
Diego and Katy.
Me bumping noses with Katy. No, we are not thinking of having our own yet as evident by my continually referring to the baby as "it". Although my cousin Brittany keeps reminding me that I was the same way when I knew Diego wanted to marry me. Unable to comprehend that next step. I've always been a late bloomer...
"Hey Mommy! That tickles!"
"Okay, now you've made me hungry!"
"Okay, lady, you can stop taking pictures of me now..."
© Blogger template Ramadhan Al-Mubarak by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008
Back to TOP
