I've Beeen Tagged!

Ten Years Ago...

Well...here's a fun little trip down memory lane. Ten years ago this week, to be exact, I was putting together a surprise anniversary party for my parents and leaving my husband. Huh, you say? Yes, both in the same week. My parent's anniversary is on St. Patrick's Day, and no, we aren't Irish, and it just happened to be the day that worked for them. It was their 25th anniversary and I decided that it was a great time to celebrate their love, so I planned, and successfully executed a wonderful surprise party for them. It was beautiful! Two days later I left my husband Paul, but that's a story for another day. It was a crazy week. Haley was six months old, I was running a before and after school daycare program at a local elementary school, and moving back in with my parents (whohoo!) Needless to say that it was a rather tumultuous time in my life. I'm glad to say things have smoothed out rather nicely in the last ten years.

Snacks I enjoy...

1. Ice Cream
2. Really good bread and cheese (That's the french side of me coming out!)
3. A good veggie plate
4. Good fruit
5. Chocolate

5 Things on my To-Do List...

1. Go to the Chiropractor
2. Start planning a company picnic
3. Put together a menu for the week and go shopping
4. Finish my rag quilt
5. Organize the house

What I would do if I suddenly became a Billionaire...

I echo Christene's "tell no one" and invest most of it plan. Then I would...

• Buy a new house, nothing garish, just something with nice living areas, a gourmet kitchen, swimming pool, and plenty of storage space.
• Buy a couple of new cars.
• Travel, travel, travel.
• Retire my parents.
• Travel to third world countries and provide humanitarian aide, especially for women who are in need.

3 Bad Habits...

1. I am a master procrastinator
2. I don't prioritize well
3. I spend to much money

5 Places I have lived...

1. Littleton, Colorado
2. Rexburg, Idaho
3. Dillon, Colorado
4. Aurora, Colorado
5. Las Vegas, Nevada

5 Jobs that I have had...

1. Kindergarten Teacher's Aide
2. Daycare Director
3. Corporate Account Manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car
4. Vice President of Operations for Healthquest International
5. Technical Writer and Event Planner for Unique Communication Solutions

What people don't know about me...

• Well, let's see...I used to love to perform when I was younger. One of the plays that I was in won a national competition. Now, I hate to be in front of people in a performing kind of way. Weird huh?
• I was kicked out of Ricks College, not one of my proudest moments. Let's just say that I majored in socialization. I scored really well in that area, to bad it wasn't a college approved major.
• When I was younger I wanted no part of being a wife, mother and homemaker. I wanted to go to a top ranked business school and move to New York and climb the corporate ladder. Needless to say, academics weren't my strong suit. My sister still laughs at how crafty I have become, because I was sooo not like that when I was younger. I still hate housework, I really don't understand when people say that they like to clean when they are mad. I don't get that at all! I am lucky that I have a understanding and very helpful husband. He is a much better wife and mother than I am.
• Someday I would like to go to art school and get my degree in graphic design or photography, or maybe nursing school and become a labor and delivery nurse, or go on the Amazing Race with my husband. All rather random I know. I don't think I will ever know what I want to be or do when I grow up.

Thanks for the tag Christene. I now tag...Andrea, Jeff & Valerie, Elizabeth and Anne.

I Need a Shot of Adrenaline, STAT!

Have you ever had one of those days, or even months where you feel like you are spinning your wheels in mud? I have, and am experiencing one right now. I don't know what it is. Maybe it is the impending summer (110-115 degrees is not my idea of fun,) the fact that my Husband has been traveling a lot, the kids have been sick, I haven't been feeling myself either, no great "thing" to look forward to, my job takes to much of my time, or all of the above. Don't get me wrong I am not depressed, just stagnant. I feel like if I just had a good shot of adrenaline I would be just fine.

Here's Emily with a 103 degree fever. I have got to come up with something to get out of this funk! Any ideas?


On a lighter note I decided to put The Food Network to the test and see if I could make a gourmet meal, you know the ones that they make look so easy! Haley and I were watching "Tyler's Ultimate" last week and she had been begging for the meal all week. It was "Fontina and Prosciutto Stuffed Pork Chops with Grilled Polenta Squares and Roasted California Grapes." Sounds daunting, huh? Well, it didn't take a quick and simple 30 minutes like Tyler does on his show, but after a few hours I think I had something pretty good. I think even Chef Ramsay would be proud! Here is the link if anyone is interested in the recipe, http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_116702,00.html
It was a personal culinary triumph!

Memory Lane

Oh, I would love to say that I have something wonderful and profound to share...but, I don't. Mike is out of town again, and while I have gotten more used to his traveling over the years, it's still not very fun. It's always a toss up as to how the girls are going to behave. Sometimes they are great, they work really hard to make the time go smooth. The vast majority of the time they make me want to hang them upside down by their big toes. This time has not been too bad, but being in North Carolina on a marine base with my honey still seems better at times.

A few weeks ago Mike was in Buffalo, New York for a job and he took some pictures of Niagara Falls. Maybe I watched Superman too many times and they digitally enhanced the falls (although I don't think they had that back then,) but they didn't seem all that great to me. Granted it is Buffalo in February, and I'm sure it's much better once the snow melts.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel with Mike on occasion. One of my first trips with him was to Hopewell, Virgina. Hopewell is how shall we say...where Emily came to be. That is why her middle name is Hopelyn. He He, my Mother has now gone about fifty different shades of red! Needless to say it was a great trip. We saw wonderful historic sites, and I was finally able to see the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. Up until this point in my life, the furthest east I had ever been was North Dakota!

Ok, so it's late and I will finish this little trip down memory lane later. Seeing how I am new to this blogging thing I am still working out all of the little kinks. So...click on the pictures above to see them in a larger format. Signing off for now, chat with you cool cats later!

Let's give a shout out for blogging!

I don't want to sound like a dork or anything, but I love blogging. I especially love giving and receiving comments. I think in our society we tend to always look for the negative and never voice the positive. Especially as women (I am not trying to exclude my male readers, but you guys don't tend to do this to yourselves) we tend to tear each other down rather than building each other up. With blogging I can really put myself out there into the blogging universe and my favorite part are those positive comments I receive. They are like little pieces of chocolate in my email inbox. They always make me feel so good. So, thanks to everyone who takes the time to give me a little boost everyday. You guys are awesome!!!

True Happiness

I have been thinking about what it means to be truly happy. For so long I have felt like happiness was a destination and I was still on the road working really hard to get there. Well, I don't know if it is getting older or what by I finally have realized that happiness is all around me, but only if I choose to see it, taste it, embrace it and drink it in. Here are a few of the little daisys that I have found on the road of life.

• I love getting older! What!?! Don't get me wrong I'm not crazy about the wrinkles, gray hair and all of the yucky stuff that comes with aging. What I love is how much more comfortable I am with myself now. I look back at high school and my twenties and I remember loving being there but you couldn't pay me to go back.




• I love that Mike and I have been together for 8 years. With Valentine's Day just passed I saw several people become engaged and while I was happy for them, I was also grateful that I wasn't back there with them. I loved being engaged and getting married. I loved the first several years, but again there is something to be said for the ticking of the clock. I love that Mike and I have figured out how to work well together. All of the drama of two people trying to figure out how to live together is gone. And I love that!! I can't wait for the next eight years, I am sure it only gets better.




• I love that I have my own home and I can make it whatever I want.




• I love having three girls! And I love that they are all so different. I love watching them grow up. I love the funny things they say and do. I love the snuggles and their unconditional love. I love that they look at me like I know everything and they don't have any idea that I am totally faking it!!!




• I love being able to be who I really am, and I love that I have friends that let me be that way. Friends who accept me warts and all. I love that we can be silly together and cry together. I love what they teach me with their examples. They help me to be a better wife, mother and woman.
• I love reading a good book, Cafe Rio torilla soup and salad, snuggeling with my honey in bed on those mornings when we can sleep in, I love creating works of art (at least in my eyes,) I love when the girls are playing well together and they leave me alone for a little while, I love listening to loud music and singing at the top of my lungs, I love spontanious fun, I love good hair days, I love a clean house (I wish I could make that happen more often,) I love guilt free shopping, I love watching cooking shows, I love a great movie, and the list can go on and on.
  

GRRRR!!!

I just have to say that mean people suck! I am so over people who think that they are "all that" and treat others like dirt. Why can't we all be nice to each other? Let's STOP the madness, stop the backbiting and put an end to the belittleing comments. Let's build each other up, think happy thoughts and even be nice to the guy who is trying to cut us off on the road. I had a nasty experience today with someone that even hours later is still making my head spin. I have a pit in my stomach and I just can't move forward. Why do people need to be like that? I realize that I work very hard to keep my life positive and I really feel sorry for people who live such a negative life. I realize that those of you who read this don't have this problem, but my husband is out of town and I just need to vent!!

We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet

With the passing of President Hinckley last Sunday we have closed a special chapter in the history of the church. With the end of the chapter we have the honor of starting a new one. The Thomas S. Monson Chapter.

As a little girl I was always mesmerized by President Monson. His talks always held my limited attention span even as a child. His wonderful stories and lessons on excersising our faith have been a mainstay in my life. I look forward to this new era and I am excited to learn from this wonderful man.

CNN's Glenn Beck's Tribute to Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

Ok this will be the last thing about President Hinckley. I love what Glenn had to say.

President Gordon B. Hinckley dies at 97

This is a wonderful tribute to President Hinckley! Before you view the video scroll down to the bottom of the blog and pause the music player. Scroll back to the top and click on the play button.

Vote for Mitt Romney!!

I would have to say that I am a closet political junkie, and I am totally jazzed about the Mitt Romney campaign. My family and I had the chance to meet two of his son's Josh and Matt, so I thought I would share the pictures. Matt talked about some of the things that Mitt did while Governor of Mass. I won't go into all of the specifics but I would have to say they were rather impressive. I hope America is smart enough to elect him to be the next president.

Haley was totally excited to meet Matt Romney. Now that she is 10 and in the 5th grade it is really interesting to hear her opinions on the candidates. It's fun watching her develop her thoughts and opinions, taking in all sides and coming up with her final position (which changes every five minutes.) She came home from her dad's house in Colorado a big Obama supporter and now that she is with her more conservative mom she is heartily in the Romney camp.

Before Christmas I went to a meeting with Josh Romney. He had some great stories to tell about his family growing up. All of them really show what kind of character his father has, and what a great president he would make.

I would really like to encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote during this political season. Remember, many have died to give us the opportunity to voice our opinions and voting is an easy way to do that. Take just a few minutes to cast your ballot! For those of us in Nevada, our caucus is on Saturday the 19th at 9:00 am. If you need to know where to go visit this site, www.silverstate08.com

Happy New Year!!

It's the new year. Time to reflect on the past and look forward to the new year. My hope for this year is for simplicity and joy. If you know anything about me the simplicity thing will be a challenge. Along with everyone else I have dreams for good health (that's code for losing weight), financial prosperity (eliminating debt) and renewed spirituality (growing closer to my Father in Heaven.) Along the way I hope to have many adventures with my little women and my best friend and husband. I will do my best to chronicle it all and hopefully this time next year I will have told a wonderful story.