BYU 38 Oregon 8

I want to take a moment and acknowledge the amazing season BYU finished by beating the Pac-10's Oregon University in the Las Vegas Bowl. I cannot even put into words how amazing this season has felt.

Since 2001 I have been a part of BYU football and never have I seen such a great effort by the players under Coach Mendenhall. Through the 2004 season I was quite disappointed at BYU's performance under Coach Crowton. As soon as I heard the grounds for firing Crowton and the plans for Mendenhall to return BYU to its winning tradition, I knew that we were on the right track.

Through the 2005 season I watched in satisfaction as the cougars steadily improved under the new conductor. I was pleased that the problems which pestered the BYU team of the Crowton era were changing with discipline and strong leadership. I became endeared to the team as they committed to their spiritual heritage. Asking for the help of the Lord and exercising the same faith that made them worthy to come to BYU, the blessings were poured out on them. Finishing 2005 barely .500 did not bother me at all; I could feel they were headed in the right direction.

As the 2006 season began, I was troubled that the first two games were frustrating losses, but I knew that they were learning experiences that would be used during the conference schedule. Sure enough, those games proved to be motivation for the rest of the season.

The real breakthrough for BYU was the win against TCU. It was just the victory they needed. There was no looking back. I was amazed at the focus they held entering each and every game. As they entered the Las Vegas bowl, I knew they would have nerves, but I also knew that they would be prepared and focused as they had proven all season.

What a fantastic game and an end to an equally amazing season. Now as the season has ended, the players can look back at their efforts with pride and satisfaction; yet I feel BYU will be looking more to the future as their prospects for next season are endless. Amazing recruits? Another winning season? Another ranking in the top 25? Absolutely. Way to go Cougars!

Christmas Newsletter

This was a great year, much happened. We started the year off with a bang, when our car’s engine died on New Years day. But we bought our new Corolla just two weeks later and life moved on. Dave had many interviews and flew to and from Arizona and California until he was accepted into a summer internship with PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Los Angeles. He left for training in Chicago and two weeks later, when I had finished my classes, we met in California. Dave’s parents were kind of enough to let us stay with them for six weeks. While Dave was busy working on his internship, I was finishing my last 2 class through independent study (correspondence). I finished those two classes and was officially done with school. We returned to Utah in August for graduation. A few days later we went Hawaii.

We spent 8 glorious days on Oahu, relaxing on the beach and walking around the island. We came back with some great tans and lots of sea shells. After Hawaii, it was time to work. Dave started fall semester and I started to look for a job. After a bunch of interviews I found one at Dentrix, a dental software company. I troubleshoot over the phone for the customers. During the same week, Dave got a full-time job offer from PwC in Dallas! We will be moving next summer when he finishes school.

This year we ate Thanksgiving dinner with a few couples from our apartment complex. I made the turkey and it actually worked! We ate left-over turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes, etc. for weeks. We are very excited to visit New Jersey this year for Christmas.

We send you our love and wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Love,
The Crests

Training

So training is over at work. I am offically on the phones. It is harder than I thought, but much more fun. It is great I get to talk to people all over the country. I have heard some really thick accents too! My favorite is the New York. A lot of people can't understand what they are saying because it is so thick and they are speaking so fast. I grew up around it and is no problem for me. We had customer service week last week. I was able to finish the crossword about the company correctly and got a $5 gift certificate to Cold Stone Creamery. I love ice cream!

Dave's Dollar club is offically in action. The website is up, there have been meetings and the first fundraiser is this friday night. To learn about the club go to this link or click thedollarclub under my links:

http://www.byudollarclub.com

We had a lot of fun putting together everything the night before the first meeting. He made a power point presentation while I added all the people, who said they were interested, to gmail. Needless to say we went to bed late that night. It was well worth it.

Job

It is offical, I have a job. I start Sept. 25. I will be troubleshooting dental software. The company is call Dentrix. It seems like a great place and I am really excited to start working. They are a huge company too. They are the software that 50-60% dentists use. They are also expanding into medical software, so soon they will be even bigger. This will be a great for me to work at with great experience. Hopefully I will be able to use it to be able to work in a dentist office and then work my way into the back of the office. I think that would be a good end goal.

Hawaii

The story behind this trip is pretty interesting. I planned to go to BYU-Hawaii last summer before I started dating Dianna. As last winter semester was coming to a close I was sure about going to Hawaii and unsure about my future with Dianna. Then one day we both have life changing experiences and become sure that marriage was the right thing for us to do. That left me with a plane ticket to Hawaii and a summer spent in Provo preparing for our wedding. So I called up the airlines and had them switch my reservation to a year from our wedding. We bought a ticket for Dianna and stayed with my good Uncle Dave in Honolulu. We spent 8 marvelous days in paradise enjoying the sights you see above. It couldn't have worked out any better than that!

We have come to a decision...

It is official: Dianna and I are moving to Dallas, TX! I spoke with the partner in the Dallas PwC office and he offered me a full-time position in their systems auditing practice. At the end of next summer, I will attend training and start work shortly after. It is a bit of a pay cut from LA, which is to be expected, but already looking at the numbers we whould be in a better financial situation. I am excited about going to a new place and getting used to the culture. There is no doubt about it, if I am going to live in Texas I will have to become a Texan! So look forward to me coming to Christmas in CA wearing the burnt orange of UT, having "I Love Texas" printed somewhere on my clothes, and sporting a big cowboy hat. Well... we'll see about that, but I plan on diving right into the southern culture. What are your thoughts about TX? Want to weigh on the subject? Post a comment and tell me what you think about TX.

Hawaii

So this summer was pretty great. Dave and I went to Hawaii to celebrate one year of marriage, graduation, summer, and because we had the tickets. Hawaii was a blast. The first day there we went to Pearl Harbor and saw the Arizona Memorial. It was a very somber day. Later that day day we went to the beach.

The next day we got ready to go camping at the botanical garden. It was great we hiked all over. The flora there is amazing. We saw lots of papaya, guava, mango, banana, coconut, and many more kinds of trees. The next day we got up early and left. We were going to try and make it to church. We did. Sacrament meeting started with a big, A-loha brothers and sisters. It was fun, everyone said aloha back. That was really it for the day because it was Sunday.

Monday we got up early again and headed to the PCC. (The Polynesian Cultural Center) It is like a theme park, but with out rides. There were exhibits, cultural activities, and other things. We got to match little shows about Tonga, Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand, and Fiji. It was fun to learn of all the cultures.

The next day we went to the temple and to the North Shore. The north shore was probably the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. Stayed all day and watched the sunset. So the next day we went to the beach and the huge mall near by. We were really tired and relaxed all day.

The next day was probably my favorite day. We went snorkeling at Haunama Bay. I saw a sea turtle! That was the coolest thing ever! A sea turtle. I think they are really cute. We also hiked diamond head. It was cool to see the remains of the volcano, all that was left was a big ring all sorts of plants over grew the area. Later that night we meet up with Charlene and Aaron and went to dinner. We walked around Waikiki a bit. It was fun to see them and hangout a little.

The next day was our last day so we walked around town a little more. We had done everything that we wanted to so we just bummed around until our flight. All in all it was a great trip. For everyone who hasn't gone, I really suggest it. It was a lot of fun and a beautiful place. All the following pictures are of the beaches and when we meet up with the Sperrys. There will be more pictures when I upload the camera! So stay tuned!

Lets get you caught up...

Hello!

Since my last entry Dianna and I packed up and moved to California for my internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers. They are a big accounting firm. We are living with my parents in Upland, CA and I commute to Huntington Beach everyday to work on my first client: Boeing. Not a bad one to start on! It was quite overwhelming at first, but it has been a good experience. The firm has really treated my nicely as well. I got to visit Disney World for the first time, attend training in Chicago, and get to know some fancy eats in LA, all on the firm. Ahhh, the life of an intern. Sounds nice, but it definetly doesn't last. It is a joke among the firm how well the interns get sucked in. I really like the people I work with and that is the big reason why I want to stick with PwC. Now all I need to do is figure out where I am going to live and work for real. Los Angeles is nice, but the internship was long enough to make me re-think the idea of settling there. The top alternatives are Florham Park, NJ and Dallas, TX. Who knows where we will finally decide to go. Any suggestions?

Some pictures to go along with the words:

Internship

So this summer Dave and I have been on an internship. He is working for Price Waterhouse Coopers. They have been absolutely wonderful to him. He has eaten at many fancy places and has gone to Disney world. I did not get to go, I was upset at first but, he brought back some cute books ends and souveniers. I was then okay with it.

While he has been working, I have been finishing up my last two classes. I am officially done. I graduate August 17 and 18. It feels good to be finished. I highly recommend it. Now that my classes are finished I have been fixing up my recipe book, knitting, sewing, and canning. I am so domesticate. Who would have thought that I would be doing these things and actually liking it.

On weekends we have done all of the touristy things. I have stood in John Wayne's shoes. I have also walked on Drew Carrey's star along with a ton of other people's. It was fun to the sites. My favorite was the La Brea Tar Pits. I am such a nerd. I loved looking at the excavation sites and the museum. The fossils they were able to remove were amazing. If you haven't been, you need to go!

IMPORTANT! Marriage Protection Amendment

Dear Friends and Family,

On June 6th, our government will vote on a bill to make a constitutional amendment that will make marriage between a man and a woman the only legally recognized form of marriage in the US. It passed the initial vote, but is currently not expected to pass the final round of voting. Now is the time to support the bill and notify your senator how you feel about the subject!

Below is a link to email you senators. Put in your address and it will find your senators for you. Then just enter a brief message (in addition to what is already written, if you want) and click send.

Take Action!

Send an email to your two Senators today. (If either of your Senators is co-sponsoring the Marriage Protection Amendment, he or she will receive a thank you. If either of your Senators is not co-sponsoring
the bill, he or she will get the letter encouraging them to vote for it.)

And please, please forward this to friends and family.

Click Here to Email Your Two Senators Now!

If it doesnt work, copy paste this link in your browser:
http://www.capwiz.com/afanet/issues/alert/?alertid=8799581&type=CO

Please take the time to email your senator. The vote will take place on June 6th!

Sincerely,
Dave Crest

This is funny... and long

For those of you unaquainted with his humor, please enjoy the following in remembrance of Mitch....

Last week I helped my friend stay put. It's a lot easier than helping someone move. I just went over to his house and made sure that he did not start to load stuff into a truck.

I got my hair highlighted, because I felt some strands were more important than others.

I had a stick of Carefree gum, but it didn't work. I felt pretty good while I was blowing that bubble, but as soon as the gum lost its flavor, I was back to pondering my mortality.

I want to be a race car passenger: just a guy who bugs the driver. "Say man, can I turn on the radio? You should slow down. Why do we gotta keep going in circles? Can I put my feet out the window? Boy, you really like Tide."

I got in an argument with a girlfriend inside of a tent. That's a bad place for an argument, because I tried to walk out, and had to slam the flap.

I type a 101 words a minute. But it's in my own language.

I think Bigfoot is blurry, that's the problem. It's not the photographer's fault. Bigfoot is blurry. And that's extra scary to me, because there's a large, out-of-focus monster roaming the countryside. Run. He's fuzzy. Get outta here.

I don't have a girlfriend. But I do know a woman who'd be mad at me for saying that.

My sister wanted to be an actress, but she never made it. She does live in a trailer. She made it half way. She's an actress, she just never gets called to the set.

I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.

If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be screwed up.

I like vending machines, because snacks are better when they fall.

Pickles are cucumbers that sold out.

I was walking down the street with my friend and he said "I hear music." As if there's any other way to take it in.

2-in-1 is a bs term, because 1 is not big enough to hold 2. That's why 2 was created.

I know a lot about cars. I can look at a car's headlights and tell you exactly which way it's coming.

This shirt is dry clean only. Which means...it's dirty.

At my hotel room, my friend came over and asked to use the phone. I said "Certainly." He said "Do I need to dial 9?" I say "Yeah. Especially if it's in the number. You can try four and five back to back real quick."

My lucky number is four billion. That doesn't come in real handy when you're gambling. "Come on, four billion! Seven. I need more dice."

Politics

I dont consider myself a great, political activist, but I got this email the other and thought it was worth sharing. I didn't bother to verify it, but I like it anyways.


They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.

Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed awaytears.

This class would not pray during the commencements----not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.

The dean and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.

The speeches were nice, but they were routine..... until the final speech received a standing ovation. A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened. All 91 of the other students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!!

The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said, " GOD BLESS YOU, each and every one of you!" And he walked offstage...

The audience exploded into applause. The graduating class found a uniqueway to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.

Isn't this a wonderful story? GOD BLESS YOU!!!!

In God We Trust, United We Stand.

This is a true story; It happened at the University of Maryland

Evan goes to the MTC!

Today my brother entered the Missionary Training Center. He will be serving in the New York Uttica mission. We are very proud of him and wish him the best! Have a happy two years Evan.

Katharine McPhee - Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Wow! She was good. Sooooo good, I wanted to post the song on my blog. Enjoy.

I love blog!

I love this blog stuff! I am totally hooked now. I figured out how to post videos, pictures, and everything else, and now I am pumped. I hope you appreciate the content, as most of the postings made me laugh hysterically/think profoundly/cry profusely/etc. Whenever I find something interesting I try to post it up for your viewing pleasure. I hope you can appreciate my sense of humor. I also use this blog as a sort of family journal and a way to communicate big news. Come back often to check out the cool funny stuff and email your friends about the blog.

A new species: The FrogHorse

Scientists have researched this for years!





(Did you figure it out? Tilt your head to left and look again. Hehehe, that might help.)

Do you believe this?

Read the info first, and then watch the clip.

And you thought those people that set up roomfuls of dominos to knock over were amazing. There are no computer graphics or digital tricks in the film. Everything you see really happened in real time exactly as you see it.

The film took 606 takes. On the first 605 takes, something, usually very minor, didn't work. They would then have to set the whole thing up again. The crew spent weeks shooting night and day. By the time it was over, they were ready to change professions.

The film cost six million dollars and took three months to complete including full engineering of the sequence. In addition, it's two minutes long so every time Honda airs the film on British television, they're shelling out enough dough to keep any one of us in clover for a lifetime.

However, it is fast becoming the most downloaded advertisement in Internet history. Honda executives figure the ad will soon pay for itself simply in "free viewings" (Honda isn't paying a dime to have you watch this commercial!).

When the ad was pitched to senior executives, they signed off on it immediately without any hesitation - including the costs.

There are six and only six hand-made Honda Accords in the world. To the horror of Honda engineers, the filmmakers disassembled two of them to make the film. Everything you see in the film (aside from the walls, floor, ramp, and complete Honda Accord) is parts from those two cars.

The voiceover is Garrison Keillor. When the ad was shown to Honda executives, they liked it and commented on how amazing computer graphics have gotten. They fell off their chairs when they found out it was for real.

Oh, and about those funky windshield wipers. On the new Accords, the windshield wipers have water sensors and are designed to start doing their thing automatically as soon as they become wet.

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/honda.php

Cars that go... !

Here are some cool pictures:

Up to speed

Dianna and I are now done with winter semester! Yiippeeeeee!! We both finished very well and improved our overall GPAs. Dianna will continue school until she graduates in August 2006. As for me, I am working full time at the Office of IT until we leave for the internship in Los Angeles on June 12. I am enjoying my 40 hour weeks and the free time after I get home from work. I am working on learning Spanish and also starting a club on campus. This little break from school is doing wonders for me. Life is good.

Bird Flu in Florida

The Bird Flu hits Florida.

The Last Two Weeks

So the past two weeks have been great. Finals were over next semster started it was great. During the break of finals and the next semster starting, I had some fun. We recently got a wedding present of spring form pans so I made a cake. Cool huh?

I also got my eyes examined and it turns out that are not as good as I thought they were. I had to get new glasses, but boy are they cute! I really like them. I actually got 2 of them because they were having a special.

These are my cool, trendy pair. Cool?

These are my nerdy, studious ones. I look smart, right?

Big Rock Candy Mountain

Big Rock Candy Mountain, is not just a song but a place in Utah.

Dave and I went to a friends reception in Orderville and stopped at Big Rock Candy Mountain on the way home. It was pretty cool.

There wasn't much there for walking because it was a bike route. But it was still fun.

The most exciting part was the rabbit we saw.

If you look carefully you can see it too!

Internship

So we have heard back from AZ. It is a now go. They said that they would not have the work load to higher another intern. So, we are going to LA for the internship. I will finish up my spring semster classes and meet Dave there. His dad will be nice enough to let us stay with him. Finals are just around the corner! AHHH. I can survive. Since we are doing an internship, I am going to have to do 2 classes independent study. This I think is going to work out great, because, while everyone is at work, I can be doing homework and studying. So summer, here we come!

Winter 2006

The semeseter is wrapping up and Dianna and I are excited to be done!

Beginning

It starts!

Arizona

Arizonia was awesome. It was great staying with some friends of Dave. They were wonderful. It was a great a conference weekend and the interviews went well. Dave's interviews were for a fulltime position and an internship. The fulltime didn't pan out, but that's okay. We are still waiting to hear back from the internship. It was so much fun. The companies pampered us. We ate out at some really nice resturants. Plus we go to eat In & Out. Who know that AZ had it? I didn't want to leave to 70 degree weather and go back to the snow of Utah, but I did. I have some finals I need to prepare for. Hopefully all my finals will go well.