Coco Loco

Birthday wishes to Jilly!

2008-07-09T10:37:00.004-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JILL!

I thought about what I could do for Jill's birthday that would surprise the heck out of her. This is what I came up with...to actually BLOG! I probably should let her find this entry herself. I know she doesn't check out my blog very often (if at all) anymore. Regardless, this is the best reason I can think of to post!

JILL - I am truly grateful for our friendship. I appreciate the opportunities to call you up and run off to a movie, a hot chocolate or just a quick chat. You are a good friend and I feel blessed to be acquainted with you. I wish you the happiest of birthdays!!!

I'm ALIVE!!!

2008-04-15T16:12:00.002-07:00

I am waiting for Travis to call so we can go home from . I will type this post as long as it takes for him to call.

I am alive. I know I dropped of the face of Blogger world. I wouldn't think of trying to catch up on the last, oh wow, 8 months. Life is good. Work is good. I have a cold at the moment. I dreamt all last night about sore throats.

Ok, he called. See ya

Confessions of a Slacker Blogger

2007-08-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

I am sure no one will read this post (let me know if you do - even if you want to leave an anonymous comment). Seriously, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't check my blog - ever again! I had to laugh at Claudia's comment to me at the blog party. She said that she checks my blog every so often but it "is still your mom." I love my mom and think she is the most beautiful and lovely woman I know so having her pic grace the last post (seriously May!), it ain't so bad.

So, here is the incredibly short version of where I have been since May. Trav and I went to Vegas for a week in June. I hate Vegas and was only there for a conference at the convention center. We did go out to the Hoover Dam which was cool but sizzling hot! We went to Delta (pronouced Del-Da) for the 4th of July and visited family. We got the last non-smoking room at the Best Western but the front desk lady had to unlock it everytime we wanted into the room because the lock was broke. That was a bit obnoxious. Work is busy as usual. Relief Society is busy as usual. I continue to feel like I am not getting enough done in either of these areas of my life. I bought a roman shade for my recently redesigned/reorganized office and it is still laying on the floor.

I had huge plans this week with something every night but all of it was cancelled, rescheduled, or I just opted out. So, I am looking forward to a night with the Renegaders this evening.

Oh! I must tell you about my football injury! I went to BYU women's football camp last week. It was so much fun up until the time I got hurt. I was running the 2nd of 6 drills when I rounded a corner, slipped on very wet grass and I audibly heard and physically felt a RRRIP! Ouch! I quietly limped off the football field. I was bound and determined not to tell anyone let alone cry. You know the rules...THERE IS NO CRYING IN FOOTBALL!! I was laid up last Friday, used a cane on Saturday and have been upright since but man! it still hurts. But, the cool thing (I guess) is that I can honestly say that I have a football injury. Nah - it isn't that cool. It is just a PAIN!!

So, that is it for a 3 month hiatus. Let's see if I will recommit to blogging more often. Anyone care??? :)

2007-05-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

Mom & Me - May 12th, 2007

Celebrating Mom & Holiday Weekend Recap

2007-05-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

I know I am 2 weeks behind, but I wanted my mom to know how much she means to me! My parents left this past Thursday to go to Europe. They will be gone until late June. I miss her already! My mom sees the best in me and forgets the rest! This photo was taken on our mother/daughter day out at California Pizza Kitchen and manicure/pedicures at Remedez spa.

Memorial Day weekend: Mostly stayed busy around the house. We braved the IKEA crowds on Friday evening. We spent about three hours there with a stop in the restaurant and ate Swedish meatballs - pretty good.

The store has only been opened a few days, but they were out of one piece to the craft desk I purchased. It looks like one more week before they get it in. We bought two bookshelves for the office/craft room. We assembled those and rearranged the room as best we could without the desk. I am loving it already! We also cleaned the grill, cleaned the patio furniture and spent a lot of time working on other house projects. All in all, Trav and I both agreed it was a pretty good holiday weekend. If only the Jazz can hang on tonight...

Weekend Recap - 92nd post

2007-05-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty fun weekend. We watched BYU beat the Utes (always a good time) in baseball on Friday night. It ended with a walkoff homer by Leon Johnson. We had front row seats behind the Cougs dugout. We were surrounded by students taking seats that didn't belong to them. They were constantly being asked to vacate when the real ticket holders showed up. Don't know why that bugged me so bad. Actually, I think it was the entitlement attitude that bugged me. I found myself with some internal eye rolls throughout the night. One funny story was about this girl who sat next to me. She was very chatty to her friends sitting around her. She leaned over to the guy sitting next to her and said, "are you normally this quiet?" I laughed at the guy's response..."No" was all he said. Seriously a very funny moment. I also found myself leaning over to Trav and asking reassurance that he would never leave me. Besides ALL the many real reasons about why that would be oh so very bad, I'd just HATE to date again.

Saturday was spent driving around the valley looking at the Parade of Homes. We started at house #1 in Woodland Hills and worked through #8. We enjoyed what we saw, but I love coming home and feeling content and happy with our home. Is it exactly what we want? No, but we love it nonetheless. We got movie popcorn and spent the rest of the night in.

Today was filled with church activities and responsibilities. I was able to sleep in which felt great. I had to take a Tylenol with codeine so I could sit through church. I had another cortisone shot on Friday but it hasn't taken affect yet. Oh, how I hope it works! The airplane ride home from Paris did me in. I made some visits to some new sisters this evening and uploaded some photos for our very large bare wall in our kitchen. We got our shaker display cabinet this past week so now we can finish decorating the kitchen. Very exciting!!

Tomorrow brings a new day. There has been a bit of a shake-up at work. My former boss was appointed to a new position within the university and so I now have a new boss. My department is even getting a new name. We have lost some employees to other departments and have gained a few. This will keep me pretty busy, but I say...bring it on!

We'll always have Paris

2007-05-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

We did it!! I always find myself in a bit of a funk after I return from a trip. I feel a bit dazed and confused. We got home about 6:30PM Friday night. Travis was waiting for me with three beautiful roses. I really missed him and am glad to be reunited. I went to bed at 8:30 and woke up at 3:38 AM so I got caught up on some television shows that had been taped. Last night, I went to bed at 9:30 and this morning woke at 5:50AM which was a bit more reasonable. I thought I had a meeting this morning so I got all ready and then realized that I don't, so now I have the chance to catch up a bit. But, I am getting ahead of myself. You are probably wondering about the actual trip. Well, here it goes...

We started the trip with a bit of a panic. Our itinerary said that our plane left at 12:50, but that morning I looked at the actual ticket and it said 11:40! I got on the phone and called all the girls. We had to leave right then! We made it but a bit frazzled.

We arrived in Paris the next morning at 9:30ish. We were exhausted but exhilarated that we were actually there! We decided to take the RER (train) to the stop closest to our hotel. That was all find but we had to lug all our luggage about 6 blocks through crowded Paris streets to our little hotel - Hotel Claude Bernard by the Sorbonne. We had two small rooms - one on the 4th floor and one on the 6th. No elevator. :)

Just to highlight our days:

Thursday: Travel day

Friday: Arrival in Paris, Notre Dame, Luxembourg Gardens, Met up with Michelle and had Jana's surprise birthday dinner. Delicious Nutella and Carmel glace'.

Saturday: Flea Market, Les Invalides & the Musee de Armee, Alexander III bridge, Celebration of Mary presentation at the Notre Dame, boat ride on the Seine River

Sunday: Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages, Pantheon, walked tons, La' Orangerie, Place de Concorde, Tuilleries, pictures at the Eiffel Tower

Monday: Moved to Michelle's apartment, Sacre Couer and Montmartre, Moulin Rouge, shopping at Galleries Lafeyette and Printemps, Opera, Fauchon chocolates, Champs Elysees and famed Laduree chocolates

Tuesday: May 1st holiday (France's Labor Day), Giverny & Monet's gardens/home, Eiffel Tower at night

Wednesday: St. Eustache church, wandered around Michelle's neighborhood by myself, famed ribbon store, walked to the Musee de Orsay (closed early), Inno (French Target), Book Club discussion of "The Devil in the White City", Raclette diner at the apartment

Thursday: "On our own" day, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, La Conciergerie, St. Chapelle, Pont Neuf bridge, Notre Dame and St. Michel square, Rodin Museum, dinner at Bistro le P'tit Troquet for real French cuisine (escargot!)

Friday: Travel day

We saw so much and packed in a lot each day. I am pretty sure we all still like each other :). I really gained an even deeper appreciation for my friends, especially Michelle. I am grateful that she let us come for a visit and invade her turf. I am going to certainly miss her while she is gone.

Vive Paris!!

Lesson of the Day: Think before you speak!

2007-04-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard something come out of your mouth and thought, “why in the world did I say that??” I remember one instance, probably 10 years ago, when I said something so stupid that I still remember the details. I won’t go into it, but the moment is seared into my brain. I reflect back on that incident whenever I say something stupid – I swore I would stop making the same mistake. Sadly, I even pray (every day!) for help to think before I speak. Argh!

If you know me well, you know that I obsess over things I can’t control. Usually, my obsessive nature is triggered at 5:02PM on a Friday or in the middle of the night – when I can’t do a darn thing about the issue! Something flew out of my mouth yesterday at work. I realized what I said may have been hurtful, but it was too late to do anything about it. It haunted my dreams last night. Boy, am I melodramatic today!! Anyway, here is the lesson for the day – think before you speak!!!

Not much to say except that I want to say something

2007-04-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

I was reading Jill's blog and just had the gut reaction to say a little something myself. We leave in 14 days and I am getting terribly excited. I purchased a new carry-on roller bag through ebags.com. I hope it works for me! I realized that a big perk of travelling with Travis (along with the fact that Trav is my soulmate) is that he is chivalrous and carries the majority of the bags. Since I am leaving him home, I realized I needed something with wheels to protect my back. Here's to hoping it is the perfect bag!!

This is the only photo I had on my work computer from my last trip to France in June 2004. Bad photo of me in front of the Chartres cathedral. It just reminds me of the fun to come!

I am hosting a yard sale at my house on Saturday. It is going to be a late night preparing for Saturday but I am excited to have it done. Some of those going to Paris are going to participate in the yard sale in hopes we can all make a little cash for the trip. I hope it is better than a bake sale. Funny: Buy our junk so 6 ladies can go to Paris. That makes me chuckle.

Tonight, I am accompanying Travis to a semi-formal banquet for the BYU Basketball team. I was a little miffed that I only found out yesterday that it was semi-formal. I panicked for a moment, but I tried on an outfit from my closet and low and behold, it still fits. It is at the Marriott and should be a good time.

I am reading "Valley of Light" by Terry Kay for my "other" bookclub. I am hosting this book club at my house two days before I leave. I need to suggest the next book to read. Any suggestions??

That is about it - I guess I did have something to say.

Is it really April already???

2007-04-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

Seriously, where did March go??? In a nutshell, March passed so quickly because of all the changes we made to our house. After talking about painting the interior for at least two years, we finally hired a contractor and had it done. I don't know about you, but the money/paint color/who to trust in a contractor decision(s) kind of freak me out. I was lamenting this very thing at the beginning of March with some of my co-workers while at lunch. The next thing I know, my associate is chatting with his son who is a Kwal paint outside salesman. The son provided two references and I had a contractor giving me a bid less than 16 hours later! We chose the first one we called and he started 4 days later. He said he'd be done in 6 days and he was. We had all of the living areas, ceiling, my office, moldings and doors painted. As you can see, a stark difference. I know the first picture isn't really a fair "before" photo since most everything was taken down by the time I took the picture. You can see I was having trouble deciding on the color.

Since the paint job was completed, we have cleaned every nook and cranny and rid ourselves of a lot of junk. I enjoyed CHOOSING what would go back in our space. Very enjoyable! We also purchased a new black dining table and just yesterday, my mother and I picked out the fabric for the front window drapery. We also took down a ceiling fan and my dad walked me through stringing it up. I didn't even get shocked once! I added a light kit to a celing fan in the basement and,... There is still much to do, but we are finding joy in our new home.

Besides the house, both Travis and I have been busy professionally. I have had three Administrative positions that I have had to fill. It is Student Employee Appreciation week this week so the Administrative staff provided a dessert bar for the students on Friday. This photo is all the students names. We employ over 100 students! I really do enjoy my job and like the people with whom I work!

I also had my RBC birthday party on March 17th. We had a brunch at Amy's with DELICIOUS breakfast foods. My favorite meal is breakfast so I truly feasted. The book that was made for me brought me to tears. My mom read it and was so thrilled and grateful that I have friends like these. I, too, am so very blessed to have such wonderful, thoughtful and creative friends. I am so looking forward to our trip together to Paris in less than 25 days!!!

On being thrilled with who we are

2007-03-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

I just had to comment in part about our Relief Society Birthday celebration last night and in part about the blog theme of appreciating all the good things about oneself.

Yesterday, I saw some girls walking around campus with a pink carnation and a note tied to the stem. I wondered what it was for, but at the time of this post, still don’t know the purpose. I was waiting for Travis to pick me up for our lunch rendezvous (sounds romantic but it was just lunch at McDonalds). I looked down and saw one of these carnations discarded in some bushes. I saw that there was a note attached. This is what it said:

“No woman is a more vibrant instrument in the hands of the Lord than a woman of God who is thrilled to be who she is.” ~Sheri L. Dew

I was so struck by this statement that it filled my thoughts the rest of the day. I went to church for our RS Birthday Celebration. I asked if I could take a few minutes at the start of the program (I guess being RS President gives me the prerogative). I recounted the discovery of this note and shared the sentiments with the almost 50 women in the room. I truly felt the Spirit as I shared my love for each of these fine women and how Relief Society has collectively blessed our lives. It brings us together in sisterhood. I can honestly say that all 50 women were beautiful and the light of Christ radiated from them. It really was a powerful moment.

The rest of the evening was filled with good food, a beautiful musical number and 3 sisters sharing their thoughts of what Relief Society has meant to them. The second half of the evening was a “pamper sister” extravaganza. We had manicures, pedicures, seated massage, hair and face care. I watched sisters serving sisters. A sweet sister painted my toes. My feet haven’t felt this pretty in a long time!

Probably the most touching was watching an overwhelmed mother sitting at the manicure table. Her baby was screaming and the Enrichment Leader took the crying baby and strolled him up and down the hall as this mother received a much needed pampering. This Enrichment Leader was in charge of this whole event but took the time to serve. What could be more important?

I walked home from the church feeling rejuvenated, loved and a true sisterhood with these women. My thoughts also reflected back on this note I found (no accident, I am sure). I want to be that instrument and be thrilled with who I am. This is within my power.

On being sick

2007-02-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Travis and I have been fighting a cold for about a week. He stayed home from work, but I tried to make it. I lasted until 10:30! I came home, hoping I wouldn't throw up in the truck. I made it home and crashed on the bed. I am not sure if I took off my shoes! I slept until 1:00 and then went back to sleep at 3:30 and finally woke up at 5:00. I hope I will be able to sleep tonight.

We have been lazying around this evening. I had some RS stuff I had to do and I checked my work email. I really feel like a slug. I haven't been to the gym since Friday. I miss it!! I hope to be able to go back tomorrow morning. I do feel different when I don't go. To keep you updated, I have kept up my pace. We go to the gym (still) at 5:00 AM 4-5 times a week. Loss of poundage, no. But, I feel more invigorated throughout the day. The next step is certainly to work on what I eat. That is actually a lot harder for me than the early exercising. I love candy and carbs.

So, hmmm...What else? Travis and I went to Denver over the President's Day weekend. My sweet niece, Lindsay, asked Travis to baptize her. She also asked if I'd give a talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost. We were thrilled to be a part of her special day. It was great visiting with their family.

Here is to good health and getting back to the gym!!

The Day of my Birth

2007-02-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am surrounded by incredibly generous and loving friends, family and co-workers. As the last goodie (huge heart-shaped sugar cookie) was dropped off last night, I was overwhelmed and brought to tears as I reflected on the celebration of the “day of my birth”. I started jotting down all the goodness that had come my way and all the people who truly went out of their way to show me kindness. The number of text messages, phone calls, cards, gifts, emails and people just stopping by to wish me well was too much to quantify. Gratitude sums up my feelings - true gratitude for my life.

I have had my health challenges and one significant unfulfilled dream; HOWEVER, that is not my life. My life is brimming with important and fulfilling relationships. It is filled with laughter, happy tears, and a joie de vivre. I couldn’t ask for a more loving and attentive husband. I don’t even know how to express how much I love and respect Travis. Really and truly (LYDLL). I am blessed with opportunities all over the place to serve and utilize my talents and abilities. I have seen incredible places all over this world and can’t wait to see more!

So, I am not afraid of the future. I am proud to be 36 and am grateful I feel as fulfilled as I do. That is a blessing.

Am I really 36!

2007-02-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

I walked into my office to find a "heart attack" from my student employees. Very sweet! The card on my computer was signed with such nice sentiments from my co-workers. The card was drawn by non other than Johnny U. I guess the lifting weights, diet coke and my Paris trip is what currently defines me.

I have received numerous emails, calls and cards from family and friends and it is only 9:39 AM. Travis gave me a sweet card with a poem he wrote plus some spendable cash. Great day so far!

Renegade Book Club has a FAN CLUB!!!

2007-02-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

I was delighted to arrive home from a long day at work and see a box marked "Good Mail from Melanie" on the porch. My first thought went right to the "Melanie" who recently commented on my blog for the first time. I then thought..."that is crazy! why would Melanie, whom I have never met, send a package to my house???" (I need to back up - the box was addressed to Collette and Book Club.) So, I was thrilled to be the one to open the box and see SIX SETS of this fun treat! Sorry the photo is so blurry!!!

As you can see, it is a delicious Cadbury chocolate with 5 darling Paris magnets. I called Jill right away and we debated whether to blog about this fun treat right away or wait until Wednesday when we get together for Book Club. Sorry to blow the surprise for you Renegaders, but we wanted to thank Melanie for her sweet gift! What a fun surprise!!! I guess we have our first official fan club member!

Finally back at it!

2007-01-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

Travis and I have come to the conclusion that we just have to do something about our shrinking clothes. Could it be the soap we are using? Maybe the freezing weather is affecting the size of our clothes. Yeah, right!

Ok, so Travis and I have been a little delusional. We decided to really do something about our "incredibly shrinking" clothes dilemna. So, this week, we started going to the gym. The next part is a bit shocking, so steady yourselves. We get up at 4:50 AM! Yep, you read it right. That is the only time that we felt that we could consistently make it the gym. We have actually found that it works for us. I was 5 for 5 days.

This morning, I wanted to try something a bit different so I went to a Turbo Kickboxing class. I slept in and the class was at the reasonable hour of 10:30 so I assure you that am not completely crazy. It kicked my behind! I realized I had to overcome my fear of looking like a fool, but I am sure I looked the part. I must say though, it felt great! I already realize that I am going to feel it even more tomorrow.

I have also joined a Wellness Challenge at work. 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily plus 30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week is the goal. My friends know that I have a competitive streak. I am not competing against anyone but myself, but the competition helps me focus.

So, why am I really doing this? I look forward to being able to climb the Notre Dame without completely dying of exhaustion. I look forward to having more energy for the things I really want to do. I look forward to not having that aforementioned pesky problem of incredibly shrinking clothes. I look forward to enjoying sping/summer clothes. I look forward to being able to climb stairs without panting. And I can admit that I look forward to plain looking better.

I am changing my paradigm. Travis and I are gym people. We get up at 4:50 every morning and we go to the gym. That is just what we do.

Paris is always a good idea!

2007-01-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

Bon jour! I made my reservations yesterday for Paris. I am going to Paris with 5 of my bestest girlfriends!! We will be there from April 26-May 5th. We are all so excited.

This photo was taken on my last trip to Paris in June 2004. My folks, oldest sister and I went to France and toured for 2 weeks. It was the celebration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day. What a great trip that was!

My father, who is currently in Thailand, emailed home the other day. He said something that I thought was so profound. He said that once you learn something new or travel to a new place, your brain can never shrink back to the way that it was (something like that). I believe that! I love to learn and travel to new places. I know that I will see things I never saw before. I am excited to have Michelle show us her perspective.

This photo was taken by Jennie, my sister.

This very artsy area is behind the Sacre Coeur de Montmartre. I remember having a yummy crepe with lemon. I can't wait to go back!!

Whirlwind December!

2006-12-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

After much complaining that I have dropped from the blog world, I thought I’d try to recap the last 6 six weeks. It has truly been a whirlwind.

Thanksgiving – Our Thanksgiving was pretty great. We enjoyed a scrumptilious meal with the folks and Jennie’s family. Jennie and Mom had pretty much taken care of the food and I wanted to contribute in some way, so I delegated myself as the “remember why we have thanksgiving” representative. I created some cute party favors for everyone and then I collected quotes on thanksgiving, gratitude, and service. We then went around the table and discussed our quotes. It stretched out the dinner and even the youngest ones wanted to read their quote and tell us what it meant to them. I was very pleased that we didn’t just shove food into our mouths and then leave the table after 15 minutes. It was nice.

We didn’t get up at the break of dawn to shop the day after Thanksgiving, but we did get some shopping in. We stayed away from the stores that had remnants of people camping out. Too crazy and crowded for us.

Our new baby – So, Trav has wanted a Jaguar (car, not the exotic animal). So, we found this car, turned in the Camry and adopted this cute little Jag on December 5th. She (yes, it is a girl) is a black 2003 S-type. Lots of fun.

Pre-Christmas – Filled with parties, shopping, wrapping gifts, decorating, etc. Just the normal stuff. I was consistently surprised that the feeling of being overwhelmed didn’t leave me throughout December. I seemed to have things every night and on more than one occasion double or triple booked. Ah, but it was fun (mostly).

Vegas baby! – We were invited by the Athletic Department to go to the Las Vegas Bowl. It happened to be over our 11 year anniversary. We stayed at the Golden Nugget with the team and had a blast at the game. We had 3rd row tickets! It was, however, quite cold and we weren’t entirely prepared (i.e. blankets, ear muffs, thermals) so we left a little early.

Christmas – Christmas was spent at home. We did go to my folks for Christmas Eve. We had a nice dinner and played a Christmas trivia game. We also had a piñata which was way fun. After opening our gifts, we headed home. Christmas morning was filled with lots of fun gifts. We are going to a Jazz game in February and to Les Miserables in June. A few of the gifts we rec’d this Christmas.

This week, I have been working. Trav has too many vacation days that he had to use up before the end of the year and I have barely a day worth of vacation left. It has actually been quite enjoyable because of the quiet. I have been able to get on top of the many things that I have needed to do. I think I am ready for people to come back to the office.

Well, that is the update!!

Aloha!

2006-11-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

The week of November 5th was spent in beautiful Hawaii. We had great weather with only the first day being a bit muggy.

Most of the time (for me) was spent lazing around the pool and reading. Trav attended his conference and conducted a session on attracting and admitting homeschoolers.

We climbed Diamond Head. I must admit that we were totally unprepared for the climb. I had flipflops and Trav was wearing Crocs. We had one small water bottle between us and a Halloween size bag of sweettarts (for the low blood sugar). Luckily, we were fine and the view was worth it (top photo). I couldn't resist taking a pic of my feet. This photo was taken at the peak. I was seriously the only one wearing this type of footwear. That is what I mean by being unprepared. If you look closely, you can see a blister on the right side of my right foot. Pretty pedicure, no?

We spent some time on Waikiki Beach and enjoyed strolling up and down the beach.

We also visited the Dole Plantation and enjoyed the drive through Laie and the North Shore. Do you see how huge our pineapple split was? It was refreshing and yummy. I forget how much I love fresh pineapple

Not a lot of driving (yeah) and true relaxation was the theme of this trip.

Cougs 33 AFA 14

2006-11-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

October 27-29 took us to Colorado! We enjoyed a very fun-filled weekend with the wonderful Hill family.

We went to the Cheesecake Factory on Friday night after we got into town.

Saturday was the big game. We drove from Littleton to Colorado Springs. It was a gorgeous day! We had great seats on the 3rd row. This photo of one of the BYU touchdowns was without my zoom. The other photo is of darling Lindsay and Cosmo.

Sunday was also great because we were in town for their Primary Presentation. I was such the proud aunt of Kimball, Lela and Lindsay. Lindsay sang a solo and she was pitch perfect and brought tears to my eyes.

I feel so blessed to be a part of their family. I was also proud of Brad who is learning to drive and took us to the airport. Very competent!

Maine seems so long ago...

2006-11-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, if I wasn't before, I am now an official blog slacker! For all my blog fans (hee hee) know, we could still be in Maine. But, alas, no. I have so much to tell. So, here we go for the recap.

We did go to Bar Harbor. It was a long drive after driving a couple hours the day before. However, it was incredibly beautiful. The one downside of the trip was that my photos just didn't capture the gorgeous colors. Yummy chowder and lobster bisque were highlights.

That night, Trav had his Ed Conference in Topsham. It was hugely successful, but by the end of the day, we were very tired and my backside was numb.

Next day took us back to Boston. We had some time prior to his Ed Conf in Boston so we went over to Harvard Square and the Coop. The next day we went into the city and walked some of the Freedom Trail. This pic is Trav on the phone (ahem!) right outside Fanueil Hall. It was a beautiful day and it was fun to revisit some of our old haunts.

Prior to getting on our flight home, we drove out to Quincy (pronounced "Qwinsee") to see the home of John Adams. That was fun but we didn't have time to take the full tour. We attempted to see the Boston Tea Party monument but it was under construction, but we looked out into the Harbor and said, "well, there it is!" A bit of a bust, but overall, the trip was great. I think we calculated our driving miles to be somewher in the 700s. Whew!

Maine baby!!

2006-10-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick post. We arrived yesterday in Boston. Today, we drove north. We stopped in Kittery, Maine. There are great outlets stores and of course, we stopped at the Weathervane restaraunt where we ate LOBSTAH. Yum Yum!!

We took some scenic detours and stopped at Wells and Kennebunkport. Darling towns. The colors are magnificent!

We also went to Freeport, where again we stopped at the outlets. L.L. Bean's flagship store is there plus many others.

We pulled into Augusta around 7ish. Because of our yummy (and pricey) lunch, we had pizza at the good ol'Pizza Hut.

Tommorow, we are going to Bar Harbor and then Trav has his Educational Conference tomorrow night in Topsham.

So glad I came. If the internet wasn't soo slow, I'd upload pics. Maybe tomorrow!

Go Cougs!

2006-10-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

We had the fun opportunity to sit in one of the President's loges at the BYU vs. SDSU football game today. We were invited by the Athletic Department to sit in these climate-controlled, indoor, soft-seated (you know I love that!), tv watching, free snacking loges. We highly recommend these accommodations! We had a blast - oh yeah, the game was fun to watch as well! Score: BYU 47 SDSU 17. Yahoo!!

Prior to the game, we went to the Admission Services tailgate party. We enjoyed yummy food and Cosmo stopped by (see photo).

It was such a gorgeous fall day. Although we had much to do to get ready for our Boston/Maine trip, we are so glad we went. My back is mostly better. I pray it will be okay for the trip.

Oh, we rode the elevator up with Hartman Rector Jr and down with Elder Richard G. Scott. We also saw Elder Nelson, President Samuelson and LaVell Edwards. Yeah - we felt part of "the club" if only for the day.

I am going to attempt to blog during our trip and hopefully provide a taste of Boston and Maine during leaf peeping season!!

I love the Fall!

2006-10-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken at Spring Haven in Hobble Creek Canyon last Tuesday. Pretty, eh! I love this time of year. It is hard to fathom that it is already October 3rd! I have been a major blog slacker lately. Was it really August 20th since my last post??? Good friends and family provide subtle and not so subtle hints that I have been a slacker. So, here we go...

Life is just busy! I really have tried to stop saying how busy I am because EVERYONE is busy. The following is some of the things I have been up to...
1) Work
2) Cleaning house - I powerwashed our house on Saturday and it looks so amazing! I like our house again! In addition, I've scrubbed the floors on my hands and knees, ironed everything and all the other weekly stuff
3) Planning our trip next week to Boston and Maine
4) Planning our trip to Denver for the AF vs BYU game on the 28th. We are staying with Linda and her family...totally excited!
5) Planning our trip to Hawaii in November
6) Travis had a 3rd eye surgery early September. He is doing very well and the doctor is ecstatic with the results
7) Relief Society stuff - never ends
8)I've read a number of books. Just finished "The History of Love" and I am looking forward to our RBC discussion. Not sure what I think of it. Read a Baldacchi and a book called "Color of Light" which I blew through in 24 hours and liked a lot. Loved "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" and am sad I am going to miss that discussion because both book clubs are scheduled for tomorrow night.
9) My sisters Linda and Robyn came in to town a few weeks ago so it is always great to visit with them.
10) My former companion, Abby, came to visit me this past weekend. It was great to get caught up.
11) I've pulled my back AGAIN and am sitting here, typing this blog in major pain...ICK!!

So, that is about it for now. I am sure I missed tons of stuff since it has been so long. I will try to do better....really, I will! :)

Hard work brings simple pleasures

2006-08-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

I think I just came up with my book title -

We have worked really hard this weekend. I was in a bit of a grumpy mood on Friday, so after I worked all day and got my haircut, I came home to clean the house. Dishes, laundry, and a major "general pick-up." I remember early in our marriage, if Trav came home and I was deep cleaning, he knew I was upset about something (hint hint).

I began Saturday morning by taking a walk. Simple pleasure - fresh air, enjoyed the solitude and felt the cool breeze on my skin.

I asked my Dad if he'd come over and help with a few outstanding household issues. One, our toilets have been running for probably 2 years! Yes, I am embarrassed about that fact. Well, he taught me how to replace the toilet flappers. Really, quite easy. He also had to make an adjustment on one of the toilets. Simple pleasure - no more sound of running water!

We had tossed the sink stopper about a year ago and had attempted to find a "universal" replacement. Don't let the word "universal" fool you! We bought about three that did not work. Dad replaced the whole sink stopper unit. Simple pleasure - I don't worry about dropping my ring or tweezers down the drain.

Our flag holder bracket thing had rusted out so it wouldn't hold the flag. I bought a new holder and replaced it MYSELF!!! Simple pleasure - I love watching the American flag flap in the wind.

I washed sheets. Simple pleasure - I LOVE clean sheets (especially when I have freshly shaved legs).

My Camry has cost a lot of money this month. It needed the timing belt kit replaced. I also had three of the four tires replaced and I had to get the emissions and inspection done yesterday so I could get it registered before the end of the month. Although we spent a pretty penny it does lead to a simple pleasure - I feel safe driving my car!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention all the cleaning Trav did to create the simple pleasures of a clean home. He cleaned both bathrooms, swept and mopped the floors and helped with the laundry and grocery shopping.

We did some sorting 'cause I want to have a yard sale next week. I love tossing unneeded stuff. That is the simplest of pleasures - decluttering our house! It goes back to regaining some control (i.e. when I am sad, upset, confused, frustrated - I clean or organize).

We grocery shopped which leads to that simple pleasure - having food in the house!

I made chocolate butterscotch crispy thingies which is a delectible simple pleasure!

I almost forgot! I have been reading "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards. I finally found a book I am enjoying. Clean house, kick my shoes off, flop on the couch and get swept off in to an alternate reality - the most decadent of simple pleasures!

So, the moral of this story is that although work is hard and my back is sore, I now get to enjoy these few simple pleasures today!!

Rock on!!

2006-08-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

This was our group at the Def Leppard/Journey concert at the USANA Ampitheter on Wednesday night. Travis works with Mark (black t-shirt) and Joel (Hawaiian shirt). We had a blast! A bunch of middle-aged Utah County Mormons!!!

Journey was first and they played for about 1 1/2 hours. Steve Perry is no longer the lead singer so we were expecting the back-up. But, the back-up wasn't there so we got the back-up to the back-up. They were still pretty good.

Def Leppard was next and they rocked!! They sound just the same as the '80's. They started with "Let's get Rocked" and enchored with "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Love Bites."

The place was packed so we had to wait about an hour before we could leave the parking lot. We got home about 1 AM. Travis, Mark and Joel had to get up at 4AM because they had a presentation in SLC. Needless to say, we are just barely feeling normal again. My voice was hoarse the next day and I had a sore throat from yelling, but what fun!!

Word Verification

2006-08-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry friends...I had to add word verification to this blog. After posting last night, I rec'd a terribly unpleasant email. I got comment spammed! So, I am hoping this will help.

Catching up!

2006-08-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

My sister, Robyn, emailed me today and said that her heart had grown fond enough and she wanted me to update my blog. So, here it goes!

My good friend from college paid me a visit this past weekend. April and I were in the Relief Society Presidency during our Freshman year at BYU. The association goes further back, though. My mother and her father knew each other from way back when. It was a fluke that April and I were in the same ward. We became fast friends and have kept in touch ever since. I was honored to be a bridesmaid for her wedding back in 1991.

I was in charge of our Department Summer Party. It was a lot of work and I was exhausted after the event but I think it was worth it. We had a great turnout. We had BBQ, water balloons and prizes so all were happy.

We have hit the gym two days in a row. Yes, we are getting back to a routine. My triceps are killing me after tonight's workout. That is good, right???

I am getting in the swing of my new RS calling. I have absolutely the best counselors and secretary. I feel blessed to be working with such great ladies. I taught the lesson on the 6th. I think it went well. I keep hearing people talk about certain things from the lesson so I think that is a good thing.

I helped my folks move my grandmother out of her home and more permanently with them at their home. It was hard work but it felt very cleansing. I love throwing things away!!

Trav and I (along with a few friends from work) are going to the Def Leppard and Journey concert tomorrow night. Back to the 80's!!!

I guess the rest of my life is Blah, Blah, Blah. So, I will attempt to do better keeping up with this blog.

***I have tried to upload some pics but to no avail. What is up with that!!!***

Absence makes the heart grow fonder??

2006-07-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't be surprised if no one reads this. I have been a blog slacker lately. It is just that things have been fairly crazy around here. Here is the update:

July 13 through 19 - I packed up a suitcase and went to spend time with my grandmother in Provo. My grandma is living with my folks right now and my folks went to Montana to be with my niece who was getting baptized. I didn't think it would be a big deal to do this, but it turned out that it was. I worked all day and then came home to make dinner and take care of some of the remodeling business that was also going on at the house. The third day brought my niece to stay with me at the house. I also had my nephew at the house and he would wake me up in the middle of the night when he returned home from his job on a film site. I spent quite a bit of time cleaning up after the contractors because I really wanted the house to be in good shape for my folks. For some reason, it was just emotionally and physically exhausting.

On Tuesday night, I sat on the porch and cried from 9-10:30 PM. Poor Trav, he couldn't figure out what in the world was wrong with me. All I can say is that I felt this huge range of emotions and had this tape going on in my head that I just couldn't shut off.

July 20th - I came home (parents were back) to a voicemail message from our Bishop. It had been left at 9:36 the night before (during my crying time). Anyway, we went to meet with the Bishop and I was called as Relief Society President. Strangely, all my negative feelings were gone in an instant and I felt calm and peaceful. I had the good fortune of having Book Club that night which was a much needed outlet.

July 21st - We went to the temple
July 23rd - Sustained
July 23-28th - Pretty busy figuring out what I am supposed to do! Oh - did I mention that I haven't been released from the Primary presidency yet? I have had to move forward on putting together the Stake Baptism on the 5th.

July 27th - Had another fortuitous moment when I got home as Jill called. I had an open hour before visiting teaching so she ran over and we went to Cafe Rio! It was so loverlee!!! She had a thoughtful gift for me. She brought me a copy of Ardeth Kapp's (who I love) book called "Lead, Guide and Walk Beside." I am so excited to read it. I felt so loved! Jill, you are a dear dear friend!

So, that is about it in a nutshell. Thoughts???

Onward and Upward!!

2006-07-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

So, has the sluggishness gone? I think so. I realized that I knew how to get past the sluggishness, it is the doing that sometimes is the hardest part. I thought long and hard about my sluggishness on Sunday and felt inspired to change my attitude. Our church time has changed to 1:00 PM. I love going to church late. I can wake up whenever and then I feel more inspired to read and listen to soothing/religious music. I feel so much more prepared to go to church ready to learn and serve. I had a great day on Sunday.

I have been reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. It has caused me to do research on Chinese traditions which I am finding so fascinating. I am really looking forward to our book club discussion.

We saw Pirates on Monday night. Same reaction as Superman. We weren't terribly impressed. Definately liked the first one the best.

Starting tomorrow, I am staying at my parents home to be with my grandmother and a nephew. I am looking forward to spending some time with my grandma. She is a pretty neat lady. My nephew, Brad, is working as a Grip for a movie called Together Again for the First Time starring Julia Duffy and David Ogden Stiers. He is so into filmography. He is 15 years old and this is the second film he has worked on. This gives him great experience!

Brad's sister, Karina, is coming on Saturday for a sports camp. I am looking forward to having her stay with me at the house.

That is about it for now...

Sluggishness

2006-07-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

I am going to just admit it - I have felt like a slug for too long now. I honestly think that the traveling and the bad back has knocked me on my keister. I have not felt compelled to do much of anything outside of my work. I have totally relaxed in my scripture reading which I think contributes to my sluggish feeling.

Our stake will be reorganized next Sunday. Both Trav and I are totally okay with any changes that will or won't be made to our ward. I do like change so I haven't fought that melancholy feeling that is permeating the neighborhood. I have been thinking that it would be okay to be released from Primary. Is that horrible to say? Sometimes, I just feel like a fish out of water with no children of my own. There are a few in Primary that don't have children but they are all still quite young (not to discount what they may be feeling).

We did have a Primary activity this morning and it really turned out pretty fun! We had water games, a fishing pond, and the children brought their bikes or scooters, decorated them and then we had a parade at the end. Top it all off with popsicles. The kids loved it and I was glad I found joy in the event. It made me feel a bit guilty about the sentiments discussed above.

I just finished "Ahab's Wife" by Sena Jeter Naslund. It was 688 pages but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to reread "Wicked" and then read "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" for RBC.

Trav and I tried to get tickets for "Pirates" but we were way too late for this weekend. We have tickets for Monday night. I think we may run out and see "Superman" today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AMY (yesterday) AND JILL (tomorrow)!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE: We just got back from seeing "Superman". I fell asleep and thought it was kind of boring. I was thinking it was this sluggishness, but Trav felt the same way. So, for what it is worth...2 out of 5 stars from us.

What happened next?

2006-07-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

Day Five - The conference ended. It stopped raining (finally!) so we walked the "Mall" and saw the new WWII and Korean War monuments. We went to dinner at the famous Watergate. I stood up from a delicious meal and sprained my back. Sadly, I don't have a better story for the injury. I hobbled across the street to the Kennedy Center where we watched "Little Women" starring Maureen McGovern. Although the pain was pretty bad, it was a wonderful production.

Day Six - We packed up in the morning. Actually, my mom and sister packed up my things. We had planned to visit Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home) but I was skeptical about my ability to traverse the property. My little sister would not let my injury keep us down so she got a wheelchair for me and pushed me all around Mt. Vernon. We still had a long flight home which was oh so not fun for me and got home about 1:00 AM.

I saw the chiropractor on Friday and it helped a bit but I stayed fairly flat on my back the rest of the day and through the weekend. I went to work today but grimaced for the most part. I am ready to go to bed and am so glad I have tomorrow off.

By the way, I feel kind of guilty regarding my previous post. I did talk with Bill Rancic at the conference and we did talk about Utah, but he did not offer me a job or anything of the like. I thought it was clear that I was joking, but Travis said that it wasn't. For all those who thought he had, I am flattered that you thought it was even possible. :)

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!

A "Capitol" Day Four

2006-06-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

We took a tour of the Capitol building this morning courtesy of Senator Bennett's office. The first picture shows a clear sky. Luckily, this morning was pretty clear although the afternoon and evening was filled with rain and flooding. Recordbreaking rain!!

The second photo is of me standing in the center of the "Crypt" which is the center of Washington DC. It was the plan to bury George Washington there but he, of course, was buried in Mt. Vernon.

The conference sessions were insightful. I learned how to handle "beasts" in the workplace and how to "lead with leavity." I was also reminded how important it is to recognize employees often and with meaning.

Tonight, we went to the SHRM concert, starring Gladys Knight. She is a beautiful woman! I don't really know her music but it was fun and entertaining.

A Rainy Day Three

2006-06-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

What a rainy day! Much of Washington DC was shut down due to the rain. Luckily, I was at the conference all day so didn't have to fight the rain too much.

You may recognize this guy...Bill Rancic, the first winner of "The Apprentice." We chatted about Sundance and Utah. He gave me his card and asked me to call him tomorrow about a job in Chicago. He was sure that it was the perfect fit for me. I respectfully declined and told him that I was very happy with my current situation. He was (of course) saddened by my response, but I am certain he will hire an equally competent individual. But I jest...

The other photo is a shot of the Expo Hall. There are over 800 vendors! I couldn't help but think of Jill and how she hates Costco on Saturdays. It reminds me of that!

The sessions were good today. Louis Gerstner (former IBM CEO) was the keynote this morning. He talked about values and specifically if CEOs are not willing to fire those who violate the company's core values, they are making a mockery of those values.

I attended three other sessions. Some of the highlights:

Does your organization truly link values to behavioral standards?
Big Shots think they are exempt from the rules.
DITO DITA - Dot it to One, Do it to ALL
Optimism will not guarantee success but pessimism will guarantee failure
Pessimists pass their poison on and they die sooner than optimists!
The greatest source of pain is constantly doing things that destroy your self-worth
If it's not fun, you have already quit!
Another source of pain is to not know your ability and try for it anyway
Fear is self-imposed, only restraint to what you get out of life

As you can see, lots of thoughts, some dealing with Human Resources and the law and others dealing with skill development. I think the best thing about conferences is the time spent in formulating new thoughts and ideas.

This evening was kind of a bust. That rain thing is a bummer! DC has been on the national news due to the flooding. We tried to get to the monuments, but the rain and traffic made that near impossible. We ate dinner at Dupont Circle. I first got a burrito at Chipotle, but after two horrendous HOT bites, I ran next door and got a sandwich.

We are now back to the hotel and decided a movie (TV) is the best bet. Until tomorrow...

Day Two

2006-06-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

We woke up really early this morning so we could drive to the Arlington Ward for Church. This was my mom's childhood ward. We past 2122 Hollister Street (see photo) which was my mom's house.

We got to church and met up with mom's best friend, Andrea. She also was able to see three other childhood friends. She was in her element!

Gospel Doctrine was taught by Senator Bob Bennett and we visited with Secretary Michael Leavitt and his wife. Also, I ran into a girl named Carol with whom I worked at FranklinCovey. Crazy small world!

After church, Mom and Robyn returned to the hotel and then enjoyed the National Gallery of Art. I headed off to the Conference for the keynote address by General Colin Powell. He is a funny man! He spoke of leadership, values and diversity. I have lots of notes which I am excited to review. I spent some time at the expo hall before returning to the hotel.

We then went to dinner in Georgetown at an Italian restaraunt called Paparazzi. I had lobster ravioli - delicious!! Right as we got in the car, lightning lit up the sky and we drove back to the hotel in a torrential rainstorm. Tomorrow is going to come quickly - until then...

Day One

2006-06-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

My mother and youngest sister (Robyn) joined me on this trip to Washington DC for the SHRM Conference. We flew out Saturday morning and had a layover in Denver. My #2 sister (Linda) picked us up at the airport and we went to breakfast. We had a great time laughing it up at IHOP. It made the 3-hour layover so much fun!

We arrived at Reagan National at 5PM. Long waits at baggage claim and picking up our rental car plus driving the wrong way and driving around and around Dupont Circle was our thrilling first 3 hours in DC. We finally arrived at the Washington Hilton at 8PM. We took dinner at the Hotel because it was late and raining. It turned out to be really tasty.

Fun Evening with old friends

2006-06-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Travis and I had the pleasure of meeting up with some old friends this evening. (L - R Deb, Me, Jennifer). We worked together at good ol' FranklinCovey back in the day. Actually, Deb originally hired me in 1999. I still remember the interview! If I remember right, Jennifer worked in another division and shortly after Deb left, she came over to work in my division. Good times.

We enjoyed a delicious meal at PF Changs, but most importantly, we had a great time catching up. It wasn't just us girls though. We were joined by our incredible husbands (Trav, Eric and Ted). I love meeting up with friends, especially with friends whom I haven't seen for quite some time. No lags in conversation - it was just as if no time had past.

It got me thinking about how important friendships are in my life. I have been tremendously blessed with people in my life who inspire, love, support and encourage me. Friends whom, when I see them again, make me want to be a better person.

To all my friends, I say again, "thank you!"

Sweet Ayndee!

2006-06-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

This is my niece, Ayndee. Ayndee is almost 8 years old. She is a sweetheart and I love her sense of humor. She makes me smile. I love when she takes my hand and wants me to play with her. I am blessed to have Ayndee in my life. She is smart and pretty cute, too!!

Happy Father's Day!!

2006-06-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for my Dad! He has taught me so many important lessons in life. He taught me to be responsible for my thoughts and feelings - I often heard, "he didn't MAKE you feel that way..."

I also learned from him accountability. When I was a teenager, he'd respond to my question regarding the time I needed to be home with, "you know yourself and what you need to do tomorrow." My immediate response would be, "tell Mom" as I trotted off.

He also taught me how to ask questions. Not asking a question was the stupid part, "there are no stupid questions" he would consistency tell us.

In addition, he has listened, loved and supported me. I have never felt his disappointment - not that I was perfect, but that he believed in me. If I made a mistake, he believed that I could learn from it and set it right. He has been a true mentor.

He has always believed I am beautiful and when I don't feel that way, his belief has carried me on. That makes all the difference.

Dad - I love and respect you. You are a hero in my eyes!

Poor Poor Miles

2006-06-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

This is Miles the dog. He was born in 1992 while Trav was on his mission. His brother, Mickey, passed away earlier this year. So let's see, if he was born in 1992, that is 14 human years so that would make Miles 98 in dog years. He is so sad and seems so old since Mick died.

Miles lives with Ma & Gary (Trav's mom and step-father) in Delta. We went to Delta for a visit. We also visited with Uncle Rob and Gram and Gramps. We had a nice day, but I can't get poor Miles out of my mind.

I am usually not a dog lover, but my heart goes out to him. When Trav and I were dating and we visited Delta, I would sleep in the back bedroom on Mick and Miles bed. They didn't stay out of the room, so they ended up sleeping with me. It was a human bed, but these two have always been treated like children. If anyone knows me, they'd know that I am not a huge fan of animals nor do I ever want to have animals sleeping on my bed or even in the same room. When I told my Mom that I had slept with the dogs, she knew I must be in love (with Trav).

So, that is my dog story. He is cute though, isn't he??!!

Random Photo #3

2006-06-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

This was our tour guide while we were in Egypt. Her name is "Bigga." She translated in English and Italian.

This photo was taken just outside the mosque of Mohammed Ali Pasha in Cairo. Both Trav and I loved visiting the mosque. We had never even been close to a mosque. We both felt a very reverent feeling while inside.

Random Photo #2

2006-06-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

Another one of Trav - doesn't he look good in orange?? That is the Parthenon on top of the Acropolis in the background. The Parthenon was an incredible place to visit. It overlooks all of Athens - white houses for miles!

Random Photo #1

2006-06-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd try something new. I knew I wanted to post, but nothing really came to mind. So, I went to my picture file and randomly uploaded a picture. I figured that whatever came up...I'd create a post. Yes, I do have a "serendipitous" side to my personality!

This is a photo my cute husband in Cyprus. This is Kourion. Behind him (not seen) is the Temple of Apollo from the 2nd century AD. Beneath the wooden structure are ruins of an ancient bath. Yes, the sky is really that blue. The sea is just as blue and beautiful.

NAME THAT FILM

2006-06-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

Mr. Darcy: "You must know, surely you must know it was all for you..."If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you would silence me forever. If, however, your feelings have changed, I would have to tell you, you have bewitched me, body and soul and I love love love you and I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.

Final Scene:
Elizabeth: You can only call my Mrs. Darcy when you are completely and perfectly and incandescently happy.
Mr. Darcy: Then, how are you this beautiful evening...Mrs. Darcy? (Kisses her forehead) Mrs. Darcy (kisses right cheek). Mrs. Darcy (kisses her left cheek). Mrs. Darcy (kisses her chin). Mrs Darcy (FINALLY kisses her lips).

I so needed a break from my busy, exhausting day of work. How I love this story and this newest screen version had the power to pull at my heartstrings. Oh, Ms. Austen, you've done it again!

Stop me...Stop me now

2006-06-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you just can't seem to stop? I had a good day at work, but busy nonetheless. Since Trav is gone, I decided to stay a little bit after 5:00 so I could look through the hundreds of photos from our cruise and organize a slideshow. So many of my co-workers wanted to see pictures, I reserved our meeting room for one-half hour on Wednesday. Anyway, I ended up stopping at 7:30ish when the security guard came around and wanted to verify I was who I said I was. Crazy! I never stay late. I just felt compelled to get this done. Plus, it was so satisfying to see all my cool photos!!!

Well, I came home and after eating re-heated mac & cheese (yum!), I decided that it was time to clean our shower. I must admit this is my least favorite chore and the cleaning supplies have been out since last week. So, after our shower got sparkling, I decided to scrub the bathroom floor. I still smell like bleach. It does look fabulous, though!! But, the interesting thing is that when you get down on the floor, you notice areas that need a wipe down so you go after that one smudge. But hey! There is one more, and another, and another. Get where I am going?

In addition to all that, I washed the kitchen and bathroom rugs and wiped down our garden tub. I flipped through "The Apprentice" finale just to see who won. All that after a very full day at work! Yes, I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan....

Side Note - have you ever heard "Open Up My Window" by Christopher Cross? I don't know why I like it so much, but I do. It just happens to be playing on my iTunes. I am going to attempt to get some shut-eye but I am a bit wired.

P.S. Welcome to the blog world Jana. You rock!!!

Weekend Recap

2006-06-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full of fun, relaxation and some work...

Friday night, I attended the Blog Party at Jill's. It was so much fun! I have been a "blog slacker" lately so I went to the party not very familiar with many of the Blogger guests. It didn't take long to feel comfortable and feel like I have made some new friends. Thanks all for such a fun time! The gift exchange was a highlight!

The photo is of our brand new faucet! We have had a leaky faucet for way too long. Our hometeacher happens to work for a plumbing supply store and he informed us that our leaky Moen faucet has a lifetime guarantee. We ended up getting this oh-so-cute and fully functional Moen faucet for about $35.00 (after turning our old one in). I never knew we had such awesome water pressure!! Major score! Actually the biggest score was that our giving and sweet hometeacher offered to install it which he did on Saturday.

I was in charge of the Stake Baptisms on Saturday morning which was a sweet event. Travis left on Saturday mid-afternoon for Dallas where he is attending a conference through Tuesday. After taking him to the airport, I worked on Primary stuff. I had some baptism posters to create and I also had Sharing Time preparation.

The Sharing Time theme was "I am blessed when I obey the commandments." I always learn a lot when I prepare lessons and I am appreciative of how the Primary children seemed to listen and take part in the lesson.

It was a quiet day for me. It is unusual that Trav is gone over the weekend so it was a bit strange to have the whole day to myself. I took my usual Sunday nap and read "Gilead" for Thursday's RBC. I actually had a nice, peaceful day for which I am grateful.

I feel ready for the work week - rested and ready to go!

My 3-day Weekend

2006-05-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

I LOVE 3-day weekends! My weekdays are pretty much shot with work and my weekends are typically filled with Primary, chores and the occasional movie. So, when a free Monday or Friday come around, I feel so free! The opportunities are endless!!!

So, what did I choose to do??? More chores! But for those who know (and hopefully love me for this trait), I chose to clean and organize. Saturday was spent on the house. We did go to a surprise birthday party for my brother-in-law on Saturday night which was fun.

Sunday was typical with meetings and home teachers. Monday, we slept in until 9AM (wow!!) and then went to IHOP for brunch. We then decided to clean the garage. The photo shows the final product. I must admit, we only spent about 1/2 hour so it wasn't all that dirty but we pulled out our summer furniture, swept and recycled papers. I love a clean garage. It makes me giddy! We also worked in the yard (my legs are killing me today from weeding). I gotta remember to bend my legs when I weed but I always think I am going to get one more weed...

We also got the car washed which needed it terribly bad. We did a few minor things in Provo/Orem and then relaxed during the evening.

All-in-all, it was a nice weekend! How was yours???

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth

2006-05-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks for kind words and phone calls! Travis had his eye surgery this week so that has been the focus for the past couple days. I felt that I could understand what working moms go through when they have a sick child. We woke up at 5AM and headed to the hospital for his 6 AM surgery. He had the routine blood work with an additional EKG. He went in to the operating room at about 7:45. A girlfriend (Kristin) happened to be there with her sister-in-law. That was nice to eat breakfast with Kristin while the other two were under the knife.

His surgery went very well but we won't know for 5-6 weeks if it is truly a success. We left the hospital at 11:30, picked up the prescriptions from the pharmacy and then went to my parents home in Provo. I got Trav settled and then jumped in the shower so I could make a training I had scheduled at 1PM. I was crazy tired, but the training was informative.

My folks watched a sleeping Trav until I got back at 5:00. I picked him up and took him home. By then, the effects of the anesthesia were wearing off. He stayed home today while I ran off to try to accomplish 8 hours of responsibilities into 4 hours because I had the 2nd 1/2 of the day in training.

We had no food to speak of in the house, so I grabbed a pizza on my way home. I was also out of gas and was sickened by the receipt of almost $40! We ate dinner and then I had to go out and replenish the cupboards and refrigerator so Trav doesn't starve tomorrow. Tonight, we did enjoy the finale of American Idol and I was able to finish an important project (shhhh...don't tell Jana).

So, now it is bedtime and I look forward to a good night sleep. Buenos noches!!

Still tired...

2006-05-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

I am sure no one really cares that I am so tired, but I am. I can't seem to have the energy I usually have. I had a Primary Activity this morning. I think it was a success but I just felt like I dragged.

Thanks Amy for the tickets to The DaVinci Code. I am wondering what everyone thought? I liked it, but didn't love it. Travis has never read the book but he liked it quite a bit.

Sadly, that is about all I can come up with today. Man, pathetic!

A very tan Travis (Lindos, Rhodes)

2006-05-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

The Acropolis (Lindos)

2006-05-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

Lindos, Rhodes (Greek Island)

2006-05-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm back!

2006-05-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

I may be back but I feel so behind the power curve. I hear it takes one day per time zone to get back to normal. I guess I have three more days to feel totally with it again. The first day back, Trav and I woke up at 4AM so we got caught up on "American Idol" (which, by the way, was such a bummer to learn that Chris was voted off). The next day it was 5 AM and "The Apprentice". The next was 6 AM and it was "Survivor". We are finally waking up at the right time but still feel so tired.

BUT...enough of that! We had a fabulous vacation. We saw things that we never thought we'd ever see. We touched the great pyramids of Giza. We sailed down the Nile River and stood in the shadows of the Acropolis in Athens. It is hard to even try to pick the most favorite part. It was seriously "all good."

I feel completely out of the blogging world but I will do my best to catch up. I have added new photos to my countingcountries.blogspot.com site so check it out.

See you soon!

2006-04-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Check out this site dedicated to posting our photos from our Mediterranean cruise! http://countingcountries.blogspot.com/

Count Down is On!

2006-04-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

We leave for our much-anticipated cruise on Friday! We are so thrilled! It has taken a lot of planning, especially with all of our medications and supplies. We had to make sure we had enough medication for the two weeks we'll be gone plus at least another week after that. It gets even more complicated because some medication needs refrigeration. I guess it can be compared to taking a baby - so much to take!

I have had a list for about a month but it seems that every time I cross something off, I remember something else that we need to do or purchase. At this point, I guess if we haven't thought about it, hopefully it won't matter much.

Friday was a nice day at work for me. All the hiring stuff is complete and I was actually able to spend some time reorganizing my office, shredding papers, etc. My friends and family know that this type of thing really makes me happy.

Also on Friday, I had a DEXA body scan. The University has this scanning machine which breaks down the body into regions and identifies the lean muscle and fat in your body. I was interested in getting a baseline and see how I can improve over the coming 6-9 months. I felt a little nervous about getting this scan but I always say, knowing is half the battle. I also had a bone density scan which showed that I am well within normal range.

I did join a "Tour America" walking challenge sponsored by the University. I will get a pedometer and track my progress. I am excited about the challenge. I have lost a total of 5 pounds and have been working out 4-5/week. My eating habits have not changed much but the exercise has really helped PLUS I feel great! I am definitely at the point where I look forward to working out in the evenings. I love that feeling!!

My class has come to an end

2006-04-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

I have really enjoyed my Photoshop class. I have learned a lot. The above is a photo I had to restore. Don't look that close (Linda still looks a bit mangled), but I think it is better than the originally distressed photo. I am the little one - looking scared (as usual).

For my final project (due today), I had to create a 2-page website in Photoshop. It was so fun! I created a website called "Counting Countries." Adam and I have been comparing numbers of countries visited for many years so that is where the idea stemmed. I had a world map and pushpin icons to denote the countries in which I had visited. You selected the pushin and it would take you to the corresponding page about that country. I also super-imposed my face on an image I found on the internet. I will have to post that sometime. A lot of the cool stuff I learned came from just playing around in the program.

The class added to my already busy schedule, but I must say that I will miss it. I highly recommend for all my 30-something friends to take a college class for the heck of it! I guess you can either accept or deny the challenge - it is all up to you! :)

A civilized morning

2006-04-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

Anytime we, as a family, were doing something like reading by the fire or eating a meal at a table with a tablecloth, my father would say, "this is just too civilized." I woke up this beautiful Saturday morning at 6:45. That is pretty early for a Saturday but I knew I wouldn't get back to sleep - in fact, I didn't want to go back to sleep. I am looking for that "civilized" morning.

Trav is still sleeping so I am downstairs with my hot apple cider and my computer. I've got the iTunes playing and I've got the newspaper in hand. Ahhh...the sweet life!

Trav brought yesterday's USA Today home and shared an article about the "Waiter Rule". The byline reads "rudeness to service workers reveals a lot about character." I think this is so true! I have been thinking about this because we have been in the process of hiring for 4 Administrator-level positions. I have often asked the receptionists what they think, because you can certainly gain a valuable perspective from someone who may be seen in a subordinate role. I remember fairly recently when I told our Director that someone was rude to the receptionist, he said, "well that does it for me", indicating that the decision was easily made to rule that individual out of the running.

The article also states that this whole response to service workers is a result of how people were raised. I like what Steve Odland of Office Depot said. "People with situational values have situational ethics, and those are people to be avoided."

I guess that is all the profundity from me this morning. I hope you all enjoy your Saturday - make it a civilized one.

What a bummer!!!

2006-04-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

Ahh, how I love doctor appointments. I just love spending an hour in the waiting room before being seen. I really enjoy writing and re-writing my insurance information and all the details of my health history (which sadly is quite lengthy) especially having to re-do paperwork for doctors in the same clinic (no sharing of information). I am happy when I get to miss work (okay, that one may not be so sarcastic).

I had 2 appointments today - mostly to prepare for my big Mediterranean cruise. I saw the Orthopedic doc who specializes in feet. I have plantar fasctitis and needed another steroid injection in the arch of my left foot. My appointment in Provo was at 8:20 but didn't leave there until 9:50. I ran to my 10:00 appointment in Orem and was there until 12:30. This one was the Orthopedic doc specializing in the back. I have had chronic coccytis for 2 years! Yes, you read that right...2 YEARS!! I won't go into to many gory details but I did get a cortisone shot in the "you know where." Let's just say that I had to go to my "happy place" when I got this shot.

Prior to the shot, I had the fun experience of getting an x-ray. Without many details, I'd have to say that those stupid hospital gowns just don't stay shut. That poor technician...Again, I had to go to my "happy place" and just realize that healthcare professionals have seen it all! (Does anyone need me to spell out the details???)

So, that is my "bummer" of a morning. The rest of the day was a piece of cake!

Loving Spring in Utah

2006-04-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a RS Birthday Dinner. I've got to get started on my final project for my Photoshop class so I don't have much time. I just wanted to say that I LOVE living in Utah, especially at this time of year. One of my friends at work and I walked around campus this afternoon. It was so beautiful! I love all the blossoming trees, the tulips and the snow-capped mountains. I love it!

Staying afloat

2006-04-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

My sweet sister Robyn emailed me to see if I was okay because I hadn't blogged for a while. So, here goes another update (I will try to do better).

Last week was crazy busy. I don't think my work calendar has ever been so booked. I had Maria's book club on Wednesday night. It was held at Nancy's home in Hobble Creek so I didn't get home until late. We had such a fun evening. We discussed "All Over But the Shoutin" by Rick Bragg. It was a memoir about his difficult upbringing, his undying love for his mother as well as his insights regarding the many stories he had covered (writer for the NY Times). I was particularly intrigued by his take on the uprising in Haiti, the Susan Smith case as well as his first-hand account of the LA Riots. I would highly recommend this book!

Jill, Michelle, Jenn and I met at Jana's on Thursday to help her paint her loft. It was fun gabbing and working together.

I came home from work on Friday evening completely exhausted. I was so grateful for a "do nothing" day at home. We took care of our chores and I finished "The Known World" for book club on Tuesday. We went to see "Take the Lead", starring Antonio Banderas. It was my choice and Trav wasn't all that thrilled about my choice but he liked it alright (6 out of 10).

Sunday brought a bit of a scare for me. I was at church and was feeling just fine. At the beginning of the 3rd hour, I got really dizzy and was lucky to find a seat. I had this terrible wave of nausea. I had our Primary President run and get Travis and he took me home. I had just bought a blood pressure cuff so when I got home, I took my BP and it was pretty high. I then got a bad migraine the rest of the evening but was relieved a bit when I finally threw up (sorry if that is too icky). We debated whether or not to go to the hospital, but ultimately decided to wait and see my doctor on today.

So, I saw a nurse practitioner this morning. My sweet mom came to AF and picked me up because she didn't want me driving. The EKG was clear (whew!) but my BP was still really high so they put me back on BP medication. They also gave me phenigrine for the nausea. That basically knocked me out for the rest of the day. I am still feeling dizzy but better. The nurse was pretty sure that the high BP was causing the frequent migraines so here is to hoping that helps!

I'll go back to work tomorrow but hopefully this week won't be so hectic. To all my RBC chicks, no worries about Tuesday night. I am still planning (and looking forward) to having you all over. Thanks for your calls and concern.

...It Wouldn't Be Hard

2006-03-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

No, I am not dead. I have been missing but I am here once again. My week has been very full. So, if you want to know what is up...continue reading. If not, go ahead and stop here and just know I am tired but doing just fine.

Gram had her surgery yesterday and it went very well. We spent Monday night and today during our lunch hour to be with her at the hospital.
Work has been very busy. We currently have three positions open and I am heavily involved in the search committee. Interviews at every turn.
Trav and I rejoined the gym and have been going every night.
Photoshop class Tuesday and Thursday and homework on the other nights
Visiting Teaching - I know it is the end of the month!
Doctor's appt for Trav - he has been scheduled for another eye surgery on May 16th (after our vacation)
Friday is jury duty - hopefully, I will not need to appear but if I do, maybe I can get in some serious reading time.
Laundry, making a decent dinner, trying to stay on top of daily chores (but not doing so hot)

What I have not had time to do? Read my book (hope it will get done by next Thursday) and blog. I will attempt to get caught up on everyone's lives this weekend. Thanks for checking in on me Jill!

If Life Were Easy...

2006-03-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

I have been reading this book off and on for about a month. I have really enjoyed all the pearls of wisdom. Sheri Dew has a way of saying things "straight up" without any pedantic tones. These are a few of the many passages that have touched my soul.

"How grateful I am that we have difficult things to wrestle with. They keep us young, if that is possible. They keep us alive. They keep us going. They keep us humble. They pull us down to our knees to ask the God of heaven for help in solving them. Be grateful for your problems, and know that somehow there will come a solution...Just do the best you can, but be sure it is the very best. Then leave it in the hands of the Lord" (President Gordon B. Hinkley)

"Burdens have the potential to exalt us, but baggage just weighs us down and wears us out...Worry, jealousy, and guilt are baggage. An unforgiving heart, anger, regret, and pride are baggage. Resentment, the desire to retaliate, fear, and insecurity create unbearable baggage." She continues, "if we don't want to carry any more than we have to through mortality, we've got to get rid of the baggage."

"If we're trying to make our way through life on our own, relying largely upon our own talents and strengths and abilities, at some point we will fall short. But if we learn to draw the power of
God into our lives, to open our minds to the spiritual privileges and possibilities right in front of us, there is literally no limit to what we may learn and come to understand."

2006-03-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

When I got to work on Monday morning, I found this sign, cleverly made from magnets. I didn't know who had created it but I must admit, it warmed my heart. Turned out it was my manager, David and another associate, Jason who must have been really bored on Friday night. I have left it up all week, 'cause it makes me feel special and I smile when I see it. So, the question is this...how long should I keep it there? Is it cheesy to not take it down?

My photoshop class ended early tonight so it was really nice to come home and just be home. I cleaned up a bit and am doing some laundry. There is absolutely nothing worth watching on TV tonight so I finished my book. The house is picked up and I have totally enjoyed the solitude. Trav will be home tomorrow (which I am glad about) but it was nice just having all this time to myself without interruption. No meetings, no phone calls, no TV. It is just my books, my blog and my iTunes. Now that is a great night.

Whew!

2006-03-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

What a day! Work was work (genius)! After work, I ran to the hospital. Gram had requested I bring her a hair pick. I bought a couple and ran that by. I wasn't planning on spending too much time there because I had my homework still left to complete. I ended up staying until 7:15. I actually spelled Gramps so he could go back to Delta to do laundry and shower, etc. It was really a blessing because it was just Gram and me. We had such a good talk and it did my heart good. She feels better (emotionally) today. She realized that she doesn't need to make amends because she "has done it all her life!" I really appreciated that! We also talked about Trav and how she knew I was the one the day she and Trav had lunch just prior to Trav's and my first date. It was a sweet two + hours. It was two hours I will forever cherish.

Well, I ran home and was worried that my photoshop homework was going to take all night. The last assignment proved difficult for me and I spent a lot of time on the assignment although the result didn't show it. I was pleasantly surprised that it went so fast tonight. I have really enjoyed my iTunes lately. I just turn it on and rock while I photoshop!

I am ready to call it a night. It seems that I only ever have time to blog right before bedtime. I do want to read a bit tonight so I can finish my book and start "The Known World".

Quick Update

2006-03-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give a quick update on our Gram. She is scheduled for surgery on Friday. She has an infection so she needs a few days of antibiotics to make it as safe as possible. Looks like she'll need a valve replacement. I have been to the hospital each evening and she looks better than she has the past few days.

Hmmm...Travis is on a road trip to Portland. He'll be gone until Friday afternoon. I always think I am going to get tons of stuff done, but not so much today. I had my Photoshop class until 6PM and then went to the hospital until 8PM. I then had to get gas and a few groceries so I didn't get home until 9PM. I then had to do a load of laundry so I have something to wear tomorrow. It has been a long day.

Just one random thought. I used to tape Dr. Phil but I just can't watch his show much any more. I think it is because I am sick and tired of whinny people. There are just more important things in life than "dealing with annoying people" or "I'm a B*^%ch and I am proud of it." Whaaa!! Just thought I'd throw that out there.

**What kinds of shows are annoying to you? Any good ones I should be aware of??**

Great Day...Long Night

2006-03-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a great day for me. Trav and I checked off one of our spring projects. To say that we are not very handy around the house is an understatement. So, it was a big deal for us to replace our shower head...by ourselves! It took two trips to BJ's Plumbing Supply, but we did it. We love it! Taking a shower now feels like we are in a luxury hotel (well, not really, but it is pretty great). We took Trav's truck in but some mix-up left us with only the LOF complete but not the rotors fixed as we requested. That will have to be done on Monday.

After our Saturday chores and our sweet success with the shower head, I met my sister Linda, my niece Karina, and their friend Lisa at the mall. We had fun shopping and I found a few "necessities" for our cruise. Okay, so I didn't NEED the cute sweat outfit or cargo capris, but they will be a nice addition to my cruise wardrobe. It was fun hanging with my sis and cool niece.

I come home just in time to pick-up Travis and we headed to the theatre and saw "Failure to Launch." After some bad reviews, and two thumbs down from Ebert and Roper, we weren't expecting much. We were pleasantly surprised. We cracked up! The acting wasn't stellar and I could have done without seeing Terry Bradshaw's bare backside, but it was really funny.

After the movie, I turned my cell phone on and saw that my mother-in-law had called us at about 8:20PM. This was a bad sign because she is usually in bed by 7PM. We got home and there were 5 messages from Ma. By this time, it was 9:45PM. We called Ma and she told us that Trav's grandma had had a heartattack and that she was being taken to UVRMC in Provo. We rushed down to the hospital where we met Gramps, Eileen & Suzanne, Betty & Kent and Rob. Gram was having a tough time but she was stable. Whatever they gave her at the hospital in Delta had helped disinegrate the clot but she did have extensive heart damage - still not sure to what extent. It was so heartwrenching to see Gramps struggle as his wife of over 55 years was suffering.

It was a late, late night so we didn't make it to church this morning. We are going to the hospital in a bit. I have been thinking about Trav's family and I am so grateful I married into this family. They are all pretty great and I love to see how they all pull together. In true "Gram" fashion, she had baked some pies earlier yesterday and invited some people over to eat although she never tasted them (she was feeling nauseous and dizzy, but without chest pain most of the day). What a lady!

Happy birthday Mom...I love you!

2006-03-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today is my Mom's birthday. She left just yesterday and flew to London with my oldest sister, Jennie. We celebrated last week but it just isn't the same, not having her here to wish her "happy birthday." My mom is pretty cool. I remember coming home from school and finding her (most likely) in the kitchen. I'd drop my backpack on the floor and we'd talk. Although I have four sisters, I never felt like I had to compete for her time. She always seemed to be able to make me feel like I mattered the most.

This photo is circa 1974. Isn't that a riot! I am the little girl in the striped shirt in between my Mom and Dad. Mom always had great fashion sense.

Sweet Success!

2006-03-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

The goal for today was to "spring clean" the kitchen. I spent about 5 hours total in the kitchen. I pulled everything from the cupboards and drawers. I cleaned EVERYTHING. I think having our uninvited furry friend around for a few days prior to his timely demise, I wanted to feel like everything was sanitized. Besides the cleaning part, I wanted to go through all the kitchen accoutrements and figure out what we don't use. I now have a huge pile for DI or yard sale. I am exhausted but it was so worth it.

When I told my mom that I had spent all day in the kitchen, she asked "your kitchen?" You see, it doesn't look all that different nor was it dirty to the naked eye, but I certainly can tell and I am tickled pink. I am ready to have some hot cocoa and put up my feet. Oh - I even used my new photoshop skills to remove the camera flash from the refrigerator. Sweet!!!

"Target"ed Therapy

2006-03-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

I set a date with Jill and Jenn for last night. We met at Target and spent 2 fun-filled hours together. Travis wondered what on earth we'd do at Target for a whole 2 hours. Well, we'd go down an aisle, stop and chat a bit. We'd then stroll to another aisle, and start the process over. We started in the dollar section and found some cute things. We then visited the fabulous stationary aisle which was filled with tons of cute clearance items. We strolled to the purses (which I gladly partook) and then the wrapping paper. On to the outdoor furniture, stopped by the clothes and finished up in baby.
More than purchasing great stuff, we laughed, philosophized, shared deep and meaningful thoughts and feelings. I am so grateful that I have friends who are WAY better than any therapist. Here is to you all!!

Back to School

2006-03-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

I graduated from college in April 1996. I went to school for my Real Estate license in 1998. That was the last time I studied for anything of substance. Last Thursday, I was talking to John (works with me at CID) and he said that he was teaching an Intro to Photoshop class beginning that evening. I said that I wanted to learn how to remove red eyes from photos and he said "well, come take the class."

So, that's my story. It is interesting the timing of opportunities and I am so glad I jumped at the chance to do this. I have been talking about how I should take advantage of the free tuition benefit from working at the university. I know this isn't rocket science, brain surgery or even rocket surgery, but I was nervous about taking a class again. The whole idea of being graded is a shock to the system which seems pretty ridiculous since I always feel the need to perform on my job. I think this one class will help me get past any nerves/fears of pursuing other subjects. I just gotta figure out what there is out there and take advantage of this great benefit!

We have had 2 classes and I have already learned a few things that will save me a lot of time and frustration when I play around in Photoshop or try to print pictures for Primary. John promises me that I will be a pro (relatively) by the end of April. I will keep everyone posted!

Spring Projects

2006-03-06T21:40:00.000-07:00

This was our move-in day on March 28, 2003. We have done a lot in the front yard (i.e. pulled out those horrible pygmy trees, reworked the lawn, curbed, barked and thinned out the decorative areas.

Hmmm...
All I can think to report here is about our FHE tonight. Trav and I discussed the household projects we want to accomplish this year. They are as follows:

1 - Backyard (add tree, shrubs, flowers, bark)
2 - Paint (indoor)
3 - Lawn maintenance
4 - Power wash house
5 - New Shower head (Main bathroom)
6 - Buy Grill
7 - Toilets repaired (Don't worry - they work but they make noises)
8 - Kitchen faucet replaced (just don't like the one we have)
9 - Closet Doors (The downstairs bedroom doesn't have doors)
10 - Hot water spigot fixed (Rewiring fix)
11 - Stain yard fence
12 -Add fence gate
13 - Hardwood floors
14 -Finish Laundry room in basement (rest of basement is finished)

Now, you may say "wow! that is a lot of stuff." We won't be able to do all these things this year HOWEVER, we have chosen to do #1 - 10 this Spring. We are so excited to get going on this list. We did receive a nice tax return which will cover (hopefully) #1 -10. Now, my task is to get bids on the painting and some of the minor repairs. If anyone knows a trustworthy painter, let me know.

We also reviewed our debt reduction plan and we were both happy with how it is diminishing before our very eyes. One thing I do is "virtually pre-pay" our set costs at the beginning of the month. I use Microsoft Money and list out all the set costs in the check registry as if they have been paid. I know I have actually paid it if I put a note in the "number" column. This includes all debt payments (i.e. credit cards, Harvard loan, car payments, mortgage) plus household bills (telephone, utilities). I also pay bills once a week and record any debit card payments amounts that have occurred that week. These few things help keep me on top of the financial situation and keep away any unwanted surprises. The other thing I LOVE to do is set-up the actual plan in a spreadsheet. We know what we are paying off first and once something gets to zero, we roll that payment over and add to the next debt.

Oh, how I want to get to the point where everything is ours! I feel good about the decisions that we've made (well, mostly) but it is still debt and I HATE that!

Hey - does anyone want to buy our really nice oak entertainment center???

Reverence

2006-03-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

Primary was quite amazing today. I often find that I have to work really hard to feel the Spirit in Primary. I wrangle children, I shush them, I run around making sure teachers are all there, etc, etc, etc. Today was different. The children were so reverent! Junior Primary is first in Sharing Time and although they are small and wiggly (usually), they were all sitting up straight, with their feet on the floor and folding their arms. They were actually singing today too!

Senior Primary was just as reverent. I was conducting today and I was thanking them for being so reverent when I was overcome with emotion. I was grateful that I felt that Spirit at that moment. I also told them that they could be reverent and still smile. :)

Sharing Time was about prophets and we had a panel of three who spoke about the influence of prophets in their lives. The children listened intently and asked really good questions. One question that touched me was "How does it feel when a prophet dies?" I appreciated that question and I reflected on how I felt when each prophet has passed away. I am so grateful the Lord has provided a plan (that makes so much sense) that provides a peace and a surety that the Church will go forward without interruption. I have always felt that peace when a prophet dies and immediately feel the love and affection for the new president of the Church.

In Memoriam

2006-03-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

We received news today that a dear friend past away this morning. Judy Brackett was an Admissions and Financial Aid Counselor for many years at BYU. I met Judy when Travis went to a conference in Las Vegas two years ago April. Judy, Travis and I traveled by van to Vegas. From the moment I met Judy, she made me feel special. She had an incredible knack for focusing on the person she was with and truly listening to them. We talked throughout the long drive and by the end of the trip, I felt I had made a true friend. Shortly after returning from that trip, she got sick. She grew weak and fragile and eventually retired from BYU.

I recall visiting Judy in the hospital at the very beginning of her illness. She wanted to make sure that "her students" were taken care of. She was so intent on helping as many students as she could. She was an incredible example of love, kindness, selflessness, and dedication.

The last time I saw Judy was at the SAAS Christmas Dinner. Travis was out of town but I went to his Division party alone, in large part, hoping that I'd see Judy. I had a few minutes to sit with her after the dinner. She held my hand and we cried together. I knew that would most likely be the last time we'd see each other. She asked about Trav's and my health. She focused on me and I felt as if she was looking into my soul. She said that she would be my angel and that if she could do anything to help bring a child into our home, she would do what she could to make that happen.

I am so grateful to have had the chance to know this fine lady. She is going to make an incredible angel!

Snap! Gotcha!

2006-03-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed my absence the past few days. We have had an unwanted visitor and he has been hanging out in my office. I just have not felt comfortable working at my desk with my feet down.
I first heard some scratching in the kitchen on Saturday afternoon. I kept yelling out to Travis asking him what he was doing. When he didn't respond, I walked into the kitchen and knew we had a mouse. ICK!!!! We ran out and got 6 traps. We laid them out and sat back. We didn't catch it the first night. We actually saw it the next night. We watched it jump right over the trap! We realized we had a smart mouse which (it seemed) was laughing at us! We bought 6 more traps on Monday which made a total of 12 traps we set out throughout the house. On Monday evening, we found my earring, which had been moved a good foot, under a pillow. The grossest thing was that the little bugger had chewed the earring backing and bits and pieces were surrounding the earring. EEWWW!!
When two of the traps had peanut butter licked off but not snapped, we thought it time for the Orkin Man. My friend, Maria, told me that as a general rule, for every one mouse you see, there are 6 more unseen. WHOA!!! Well, the Orkin man came and did a thorough inspection of the house. There were no obvious signs of mice activity (a few droppings). He also said that our house was immaculate so that wasn't a problem (WHEW)! He also couldn't find anyway that mice could get in. He set a bunch of traps and that was it.
I checked traps upstairs after work today and the peanut butter was licked off (again). But, when Trav went downstairs....YEE HAW! The wicked mouse is D E A D. Thanks to Michelle Azanar who wanted a photo of any dead mice.
Hopefully, this was one random mouse and he/she didn't have time to procreate, but we are keeping the traps out just to make sure. I am back blogging, hoping for some peace in my own home!

Dreams

2006-02-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

I have a recurring dream. Undoubtedly, this dream causes me to wake up in fear that I have lost my wedding rings. "My rings! My rings!" is my cry. This is one dream that I have over and over. My outburst wakes Travis up and he has to soothe me back to sleep, assuring me that my rings are safely on my fingers. Is this strange or what? What am I afraid of losing? I think I am ready to open it up for discussion and psychoanalysis. Besides having the dream where I am at school and have forgotten my locker combination or the dream that finds me at work without clothes, this ring dream is the most common. Anyone want to try their analysis? Oh yes, I also have to endure Trav's laughter the morning after. I need help!

Ready for the Weekend

2006-02-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Take two steps forward, one step back. That is the story of my life it seems. That statement has so many applications. One example is that I pray each day that I will "think before I speak." Not that I am a gossip, but I want to be assured that no one will be hurt by things I say. I'm just glad that I get to start over every day.

Another example where this statement rings true is that I will love my job and everything that I am doing and then some days I just struggle. Today happened to be one of those days. There is no way I'd share details on this blog but it feels good to admit "publicly" that today was a not so great day. Sometimes I wonder if I am allowed bad days. I think most people would be clueless to my bad day 'cause I can hide it quite well but I should think I am allowed one bad day every so often (that is my "one step back" reference).
I am just glad today is Friday. We have no set plans for the weekend except a haircut for me, clean the house, and finish up our taxes.

Random Thoughts

2006-02-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

Do you ever pick up a book and want to quit reading it but feel obligated to finish? Obligated to whom, I don't know, but I feel that way much of the time. I just completed "The Eight" by Katherine Neville. It was a 598 page book so that is probably why I felt compelled to finish. It must be that darn reading contest! I wouldn't categorize it as historical fiction - it was more of a fiction with LOTS of fictionalized real historical figures. A little Napoleon, Washington, Robspierre, Richeleau, Wordsworth, Delacroix and the list never seemed to stop! It felt really forced and I hate that! It was also centered on the game of chess of which I have absolutely zero understanding. I am glad it is finished so now I can read "Patty Jane's House of Curl." I need a uncomplicated book so hopefully I won't be disappointed.

Completely different subject - I was in a 2-hour meeting today at work. I ended up skipping out a bit early because the people around me were talking/whispering and speaking out of turn. The meeting was a group of over 120 people. Have you ever been in a meeting like that? They all should know how to be polite and all the components of proper meeting etiquette. These people are supposedly professionals and many had been there for eons. It was driving me up the wall! I left so frustrated.

Topic #3 - I raided my folks CD's and have spent the past couple days downloading them to my iTunes. It is fun listening to music that I haven't heard in a long time.

What is the WORST that could happen?

2006-02-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

Interesting experience today. I had an all-day training for work today. I was in charge of all the logistics and such. I didn't get much sleep last night for whatever reason. In the past, if I have been nervous about an event, Trav has been able to "talk me down." He asks, "so what is the worst that could happen?" This gets me thinking about all the possible scenarios and I eventually see that if any of those things occur, I can handle it. Well, one of those worst case scenarios happened. Here it goes...

We were scheduled to use three conference rooms at a Provo hotel for the training. I had reconfirmed just yesterday and all was in order before I went home last night. This morning, I got to the hotel and I peak in the two rooms that we had reserved and there was another group in there setting up food, materials, etc. My heart sank. I went to find the manager with whom I had been working. She was freaking out. Somehow, she had double-booked the rooms. She found out the night before when she had sent the custodial crew into those rooms to set up for our group when the group that had been there all week stated, "we are here for two more days." The poor manager didn't sleep a wink as she tried to figure out what to do. She told me right up front that I could yell at her and that it was all her fault and that there would be no charge. She had set up an area under the stairs and also had cleared out a suite of its furniture and set up tables.

So, what was my reaction? My first thought was that we could handle this. I told her that I had been yelled at enough in business so she was not going to get a yelling from me nor from my boss. We proceed to scramble a bit but eventually got things squared away. I noticed that as people arrived, I was able to calmly share the situation and then assign people to their "rooms" as if this set-up was normal. No one seemed to have a negative experience. The hotel staff handled it as best they could and we rolled on, only about 15 minutes behind schedule.

I have been reflecting upon this all day and what I took away from this experience. Although not ideal, everyone handled it well. The hotel staff could have said "Whatever" and "Sorry, but we can't accommodate you." (Yes, that would have been stupid on their part, BUT they could have reacted that way.) I could have freaked out, cried or completely panicked, but I was so glad that I remained clear-headed and calm. I was also impressed with my entire department. They could have complained about a number of things but they were champs.

I reflected on my own leadership style and the choice that I had to either hinder or help the success of the day. I learned that even when the worst scenarios become reality, I can handle it.

St. George Post II - The End

2006-02-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

I love coming home! We had a great time in St. George but there is nothing like coming home!

Sunday: We neglected to take church clothes so we tried to make up for slacking. We read our scriptures. We napped, read, and watched "Work and the Glory." (Doesn't that make up for not going to church??) We drove out to Apple Valley where my father had just sold some property. It is about ten miles from the infamous Colorado City (polygamous community). It was a cold but beautiful day.

Monday: We got up this morning to another cold day. We visited 6 more homes. The above photo was taken at a 10,723 square foot/$5.3 million dollar home. This was one of two pools. It was quite the home. I think there were at least 10 televisions throughout the house. Notice in the 2nd photo, a "TV appears as if out of nowhere" (that is a Friends reference). I have never seen a TV embedded in a bathroom mirror. Wow! Most of the homes today were in the Anasazi/Southwest genre. Not our favorite style but interesting nonetheless.

Overall, great trip!

St. George Post 1

2006-02-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

So we made it to St. George at about 9:00 last night. Uneventful drive. We stopped in Fillmore for dinner. It was a diner called "Larry's". I should have known! It took 25 minutes to get our food. I ordered a cheeseburger, no pickles and no onions. So, what did my burger have on it? Huge pickles and lots of chunky onions. So disappointing.
We are staying at the Ramada Inn by the Outlet Mall. It is very comfortable and centrally located. I woke up at 6 AM and couldn't sleep because of my cough. I went into the lobby area and read for about 45 minutes. I came back to the room and slept until 8:30. This hotel has a really good continental breakfast so that was yummy.
After getting ready for the day, we headed out to visit homes. I would say the overall theme this year in design is Tuscany. Lots of browns, yellows and greens. I also think that most of the homes we visited had a lot of wasted space. Who wants a 1.5 million dollar home with only 3 bedrooms? I believe all the homes had pools and outdoor grill areas. Most also had outdoor fireplaces/pits which is a great addition. We hit 7 homes today and we'll pick up about the same number on Monday.
I know some people don't like to go to the Parade because they don't like coming home to what they own. After all the years we have done this, I don't believe I have ever felt that way. I like my house because it is "home" to us. We still enjoy being legal voyeurs though!
We spent a brief time at the Outlet, but didn't buy anything. I remember when it was the place to shop, but it has gone downhill. Finally, we went to Ruby River for dinner and it was delicious! I love their cinnamon yam and the steak was perfectly seasoned!
Until tomorrow...

Chronicles of Feeling Blah

2006-02-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I thought I'd chronicle my sick day. You already know that I woke up feeling sick and decided to forgo the work thing. I stayed in bed until about 9ish. I came downstairs in my PJs and posted a blog entry. I then balanced our checkbook and paid some bills. I then checked out drugstore.com and found that they have an FSA store. They have compiled a list of all items that are approved expenses for Flexible Spending Accounts. Due to the fact I didn't have LASIK, I needed to spend about $200 before March 15th or I'd lose the money. I got a lot of things for our emergency medical kit plus miscellaneous healthcare items. I was pretty excited about finding this resource. I checked email and checked in at work (all fine, nothing falling apart due to my absence).
I finally took a shower at noon. I even shaved my legs and deep-conditioned my hair, activities normally saved for Saturdays. It helped me feel better. I read for awhile and then decided to watch/delete some of my taped DVR shows. Some Dr. Phil, some Oprah. I also went through my magazines (recycled a huge stack) and organized a drawer by my nightstand. I then caught up on my correspondence. My mom and Jilly checked in on me today. We had dinner (I had cottage cheese and tasty bell peppers) and Trav had burritos. Leftover night. I packed for our weekend to St. George. Oh, and I did three loads of laundry.
I feel better (2nd day of antibiotics) but I am still coughing and my throat is still sore. So that is it! I hate being sedentary thus the organizational type activities.

Feeling blah

2006-02-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

I am home sick today. Sore throat and cough and just generally feeling lousy. I always feel like things are going to fall apart if I am not at work so it is hard for me to stay home. I worry about work so I tend to not really "enjoy" being at home. So what to do today? I always think I will get caught up on my list of projects but I never do. Bills, reading, napping and getting caught up on my taped shows is probably the agenda for the day.
**So, what do you do on sick days?

Will you be mine?

2006-02-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!
The day started out with the delivery of 3 beautiful red roses to my office. How sweet BUT, we specifically said we weren't going to "do anything" except go to dinner at Macaroni Grill. Of course I love the flowers and was certainly giddy. Trav and I went to lunch and when I came back, there was another delivery. This time, it was an additional 3 fire and ice roses. I immediately called Travis and asked him if he had forgotten that he had already sent flowers. It was all part of the plan!
We had a delicious dinner and then we went to Interior Elements and I picked out this darling black ladder shelf. I love it! I also bought the cute salad plate and bowl, the black easel (on the bottom shelf) and the glass jar with cute stuff in it. This purchase was made possible by my gift certificate from Amy, Jenn, Jana, Michelle & Jill. The shelf sits at the top of my stairs. Thanks gals! I am sure I will reorganize it all the time and it will look different every few weeks.

What to say?

2006-02-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

I have the itch to write but not so sure what to say. Well, let's see where I go...

I had a good day at work. Mostly meetings. Trav and I had appointments with the eye doctor. No surgery yet for Trav. The doctor wanted Trav to try some new eye exercises and he'll return in 6 weeks. I received my 2nd opinion on the LASIK thing. Jury is out but more promising than the first doctor I saw. Speaking of jury, I have been released from jury selection for the third time in two months. Anyways, we ran some errands after our appointment and then we came home. I made a yummy dinner - chicken fajitas. I am still licking my lips! Afterwards, we had FHE. We listened to Elder Eyring's talk from General Conference in October. The message that I took away was that spiritual preparedness is not something you can store away or put on a shelf. It was the exact message that I had been thinking about the past few days. I have this drive to continue reading the Book of Mormon and be more thoughtful in my prayers. He stated that inconsistency and procrastination were the biggest hindrances to spiritual preparation. That rang true to me. I did a sharing time on Sunday in Primary on putting on the whole armor of God. It really is the same message as Elder Eyring's. For some reason, I had really struggled in my preparation but I felt that it ultimately went well. If I am being completely honest with myself, I would say that my struggle was whether or not I was clothed in the whole armor. I may have feet shod in the gospel of peace but maybe my breastplate of righteousness is a bit kinked or weakened. I truly want to be a good example to the children and teach with the spirit. I feel a resolve to make better choices and to focus on daily spiritual preparation.

Finishing up the Birthday festivities

2006-02-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned lately that I have incredible friends?? Well, if anyone is new to this blog, let me make that perfectly clear - I do have the best friends!

Last night was another girl-fest! We ate a DELICIOUS dinner at Amy's house. Homemade tostadas (Yummy!) and we had my favorite dessert - Jenn's "Never on Sunday" Sundae. Since it was my birthday, I picked the movie. We watched the 1982 version of The Scarlet Pimpernel (Jane Seymour, Anthony Edwards, Ian McKellen) which is a personal favorite. I was then presented with the best gift - a gift certificate to Interior Elements AND the most incredible "birthday card"EVER (see photo). The "birthday card" description really is way off - it is oh so much more! Each friend wrote about the memories of when we first met plus created an individual page as creative as they are! I still find morsels of goodness each time I pick it up! It is so heartwarming to feel loved and appreciated. I had to bring it in to work and show it around. It is a beautiful thing! I just hope I can be as good of a friend as you are to me!

Well, I have been celebrating my birthday for a whole week now and people are probably saying...whopdeedoo, she's 35! All I can say (to put the birthday thing to rest for another year), is THANK YOU to all those who accept me for who I am, who love me unconditionally, and who support me, no matter what day it is! To all of you, I say "THANKS AND I LOVE YOU!"

My love

2006-02-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

I have thought about this post for two days now but haven't had much time to put it in writing. My thoughts are all about Trav. How many husbands would work along side their wives in preparation of having a girl's night out at their home? Well, Trav is just one of those kind. Tuesday night, after having a long day at work (for the both of us), I was all about cleaning the house for a shindig Wednesday night. We worked side by side for about an hour. He never once complained. I can't tell you how much I appreciated his efforts. To him, it is "just the thing to do" with no second thought. For me, it was another expression of love. We each have different "love currency" and that is one for me. Trav - you rock! LYDLL

Happy 35th to me!

2006-02-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

What a fun day! I really felt appreciated at work and with my friends and family. I was touched that so many people went out of their way to wish me a "happy birthday." My office associates and student employees are the BEST ever! Trav gave me an iPod Nano which I really, really wanted. We went to the Melting Pot in Salt Lake City. We ate for 2 1/2 hours and it was yummy! The Hills and Addie called, both leaving me sweet birthday messages. I heard from my former boss, Susan. I loved coming home to fun mail - cards from Jilly, Suzie, Kris and Ma & Gary. Thanks to Trav's office for remembering my birthday - I was so touched! We also enjoyed a delicious dinner at PF Changs on Saturday night with my folks, Adam, Maury & Abby and Jennie. Trav wants me to also mention that the Utah Jazz won in OT!!! I guess it was a great day for everyone!!

Birthday Lunch

2006-02-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

Wendy(my sis) and Addie (my niece) took me out to lunch at Noodles & Company for my birthday! What a wonderful treat!! We enjoyed yummy food and I felt so special!

What are my favorites?

2006-02-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately. I have reviewed my life and have come to the conclusion that I have been way too ambivalent about many things. A distinct memory is when I spent time at Joanie's house as a kid. When she'd ask me what I wanted to eat, I'd say "whatever you are having." That is the type of thing I am talking about. What if I really wanted french toast? Would I ever say? I am sure I was trying to be polite (although she teases me about this type of thing even today). Does this come from being a 3rd child? I am not saying this is a necessarily bad trait, but as I turn the magic 35 (not so sure if it is magic) I think STOP...Express your opinion and say what you want! So the following is what I like:

Favorite Color: Crimson Red
Favorite Foods: Sandwiches, Jenn's Fondue, Amy's butterscotch cookies, and Jenn's "Never on Sunday" Sundae
Favorite Books: Historical Fiction with a little romance thrown in for good measure
Favorite Car: Ok - this one is kind of hard BUT, Trav has been talking about Jags for so long, that I'd say that Crimson Red Jag at Doug Smith Auto is looking pretty great (He never reads this anyway, so don't tell him)
Favorite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird

The following are favorites that I am determined to discover...
Favorite Restaurant:
Favorite All-time Movie:

From this day forward, I vow to ponder my likes and dislikes and proudly state those preferences when asked. So, what are some of your favorites??

2006-02-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

Ardeth Kapp came to our Stake Enrichment Night. I have always loved her. The topic was "Finding Peace Through Trials". She challenged us to get rid of the 3 Cs and 3 Ds and take up the 3 Ps.

Comparing, Competing, Complaining

Discouragement, Despair, Depression

Ponder, Pray and Prune

I appreciated her realness. She spoke of her inability to have children. She shared her own situation "not for sympathy but by way of testimony." I resonanted with that statement. She encouraged the women present to search out the reasons and lessons behind their trials. "You are better than you think you are" was oft quoted. She also stated that "self-depreciation is a sin."

Life is hard but as my mom always says, "you can do hard things." I am so glad I went tonight! I was one of the first people there because I wanted to sit front and center. It was a much needed spiritual feast.

2006-02-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

I was reading Jill's blog about Whitney's surgery and well, this is our story...

As you well know, our family has had extensive experience with eye stuff. We visited the eye doctor today (actually a retina specialist). It has been 6 months since Travis had his retina reattached and extensive laser treatments. It doesn't seem that the brain is sufficiently doing its job and straightening out the eye. He is going to have to have the same surgery as Whitney! We are going to see a doctor in Provo. I have been seeing him for about 15 years because some medicines I take can cause blindness. I am very good about seeing him twice a year. Anyway, he is the doctor that initially found Trav's problems about three years ago. Looks like he'll be the one to do the 2nd surgery. But to quote Jill, "Argh" on all things dealing with surgery, eye problems and certainly pedantic, chauvinistic, know-it-all doctors. (Trav's retinal specialist is EXCELLENT and so is the general opthamologist we are seeing - only speaking on Jill's post and some past bad experiences.)

2006-01-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

My Toyota Camry turned 100,000 miles today! She (AKA Daughter) is a white 1997 Toyota Camry. I have had her since we came back to Utah from Boston in 2002. She belonged to my manager at FranklinCovey and I believe one other owner. Pretty low mileage for a 9 year old car! So proud!!!
Travis and I had our financial Family Home Evening last night and reviewed our budget and our debt elimination plan. She is 100% ours and we have no desire to have another car payment so we'll probably drive her into the ground. I think she deserves a nice detailing - she deserves it! :)

2006-01-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Some people wonder how I spend my 8-5 M-F. Well, this is where I spend my time. This is my loverly office. Around the cube, I have reminders of my nieces and nephews, photos of our trip to France plus Hawaiian postcards. This picture was taken at the beginng of the day and my desk gets messier as the day goes by. I do need a clean desk at 5PM though so I can come into work the next morning and feel somewhat in control. Jana - notice the cute picture frames on the top shelf!

2006-01-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

We are cruising baby! Mom, Dad, Adam, Maury, Baby Abby, Karen, Bill, Caitie, Travis and I are going to Italy, Cyprus, Egypt & Greece at the end of April. Travis and are so excited! We can hardly stand it. What a dream! The one excursion I HAVE to take is the following. (I'll let the brochure speak for itself.) "A luxurious cruise boat awaits to take you on the same timeless waterway traversed by Pharaohs, Queens and Nobles thousands of years ago. Enjoy a sumptuous buffet lunch in elaborate surroundings as you glide past Cairo’s waterfront landmark. After the cruise drive to the Giza Plateau where the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, The Great Pyramids of Giza are found. A panoramic view of the three pyramids from the Western Plateau affords great opportunities for photographs, before your coach parks near the Pyramid of Chephren where time will be allocated to explore the site. Continue down the valley to visit the guardian of this complex, the mysterious Sphinx. Your next stop will be at a Papyrus Institute where the art of paper making from reeds will be demonstrated and there will be time for souvenir shopping before you return to Alexandria".
That is only one stop on this 11-day cruise. As you can tell by the time of this post, I am way excited! But enough for now...

2006-01-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

I am just giddy about last night's evening. Jenn made the most incredibly delicious fondue (cheese, chocolate AND caramel). I am still thinking about it! Somehow my cheerios this morning just didn't cut it. I know I haven't laughed that hard in a LONG time. Again, (I know, I sound like a broken record)I have the coolest friends. I am grateful that I feel acccepted and loved unconditionally. Yes, Jenn is simply amazing! I have shown my book around the office this morning because it makes me smile. The part I love best is not the skill that went into making the book, but the thought behind every detail, every word. It means more to me than you'll ever know.

2006-01-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Ok - I am hooked. This is fun! I spent last night establishing my very own blog and then it took me a while to get to sleep because it was on my mind. I look forward to journaling (hopefully daily) since I haven't kept a journal for about 10 years. I love looking back on the years before I got married and reading about the boys, the pettiness of youth, and the inconsequential moments that seemed so overwhelming at the time I wrote them. I was just shutting down the computer last night when one of my best friends from junior/high school logged onto messenger. We hadn't talked for a couple of years so it was nice getting caught up on our lives. Suzie, if you are reading this...thanks for your friendship these past gazillion years. You are an incredible person and I believe I am better off because I know you! On the topic of friendship - My life has been so blessed with amazing, creative, positive, service-oriented, awe-inspiring friends. It is because of you that I am doing this blog thing. You (all of you) make me want to be a better person.
That is it for now. Until next time...

2006-01-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

#16 - my newest niece, Abigail
Can I just say how much I love my nieces and nephews! They are all so unique!. Abigail was born to Adam (my youngest and only brother) and his wife Maury. They are going to be great parents. She was born on Thursday, January 19th. She is just the cutest little thing! This picture was taken at about 50 hours old. She is so alert. When I held her, I could just feel her sweet spirit. I am so excited to spoil her!

2006-01-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

What can I say...I am a follower and bow to peer pressure!! We'll see how this goes. I am almost afraid to start this blog because I am afraid I will be tempted to spend lots of time here when I should be working. Well, I'll give it a go!!