random thoughts...

do you ever have a day when you just feel down? sad? lonely?

man... i am feeling it today!

i am not sure why...

i just feel so alone and not important!

i know that tomorrow will be better... it always is, but tonight...

i am struggling tonight...

just need sleep probably...

sweets and sours...

good morning friends!

i haven't done "sweets and sours" for quite awhile... so here you go!

sours:

* it snowed a few times this week! yuck! i am so sick of it! come on spring! we need you!!

sweets:

* it is saturday! i love the weekends! i don't have tons planned, which i love! kevin is off today too, so we will get some time together too! ya!

* i have been working out at curves the last couple of weeks. it is awesome! i signed up to do a free survey for them... and in doing so, get to work out there for 3-4 weeks! pretty cool! i am really enjoying it so far!

* this has been a roller coaster week for my friend jami. monday she was taken back to huntsmans cancer institute because she was getting really sick. but i am happy to say that she is back home again. she had an ulcer that was giving her lots of trouble. she is feeling much better... what a relief!

* i have blue nails! i got my nails done and they are a very pretty blue! it is funny... it took me forever to add some color to my life... nails... and now i don't want to go back to white! lol!

* i was able to attend 2 girls lacrosse games this week! 3 girls that i work with from church are on the logan high girls lacrosse team. this is a brand new team that was created by 2 of my girls that were interested in playing. the high school won't sponser them because they are so new, so the girls had to come up with all of the money and equipment on their own! they are learning more every time they play! it is so fun to go and cheer them on!

* in 3 weeks i will be going to the scrapbook expo with a few friends! i am so excited! we will have a great time! wahoo!

* my mom came to visit last weekend! we had such a great time! i love her so much!

* monday i went to a funeral for a good friend of mine when i was growning up. believe it or not... this really is a sweet. i had a wonderful visit with his family. what a great tribute they are to such a great man. here is his obituary:

Melvin R. JarvisOur loving husband and father, Melvin R. Jarvis, passed away at his home on Thursday, March 20, 2008.Mel loved his wonderful parents, Lehi and Claire Jarvis. A veteran of the Air Force, he was a Flight Radar Technician and was fond of telling stories from that period of his life. After his military service, he attended BYU, where he met his wife, Neomi. Over the 47 years that followed, they weaved a beautiful fabric of family and faith. Their eight children estimate that nearly 17,500 days of Mel and Neomi's marriage produced eight children, 20,000 diapers, 312 severely burned meals, and only a handful of trips to the emergency room. Their children are deeply grateful for Mel and Neomi's love and guidance. Mel has 24 grandchildren that he simply adores and who adore him.Mel's life was devoted to serving the Lord. He served countless people both in the LDS Church and in the community. Mel was awarded the Silver Beaver for lifelong service to the Boy Scouts of America. Because of his influence, his six boys are all Eagle Scouts. The troops he led only caused one fire beyond their own ability to control.Mel never met a strawberry pie he didn't like. He loved woodcarving and appreciated the great outdoors. Mel's wife and family will miss him and thank God for his love and exemplary life.

i was really close to 2 of his sons. when i think of people who made a huge difference in my life, i think of them. this whole family actually. i can honestly say that i wouldn't be who i am today if i had not known them. brother jarvis will be missed...

* kevin got a new muffler put on his truck this week! wahoo for him! it sounds really good! varoom!! (that last part was added by him.... typical boy! lol!)

i hope all of you have a great weekend!

funny...

FORGET REDNECKS;

THIS IS WHAT JEFF FOXWORTHY HAD TO SAY ABOUT UTAHNS!

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there,

you live in Utah.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time,

you live in Utah.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number,

you live in Utah.

If 'vacation' means going anywhere south of Salt Lake City for the weekend,

you live in Utah.

If you measure distance in hours,

you live in Utah.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once,

you live in Utah.

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day,

you live in Utah.

If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked,

you live in Utah.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching,

you live in Utah.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit,

you live in Utah.

If the speed limit on the highway is 75 mph - you're going 80, and everyone is still passing you, you live in Utah.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow,

you live in Utah.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction,

you live in Utah.

If you find 10 degrees 'a little chilly',

you live in Utah.

If you actually understand these jokes,

you live in Utah.

Don't ya just love Utah!?

hoppy easter...

these are funny!

thanks...

thanks to everyone for sharing your wonderful ideas! i really appreciate all of it.

in talking to jami and her mom, i have decided to do a pancake breakfast at sam's club on a busy saturday morning. i am still figuring out all of the details, but that is my plan!

i am also going to set a couple things up in the break room to allow the other associates to help too. we are going to do a little bake sale and a "souper" friday. these have been done before and are done on a honor system. they work pretty well!

on other news... my mommy is coming today! i am so excited to spend the weekend with her! she is starting to sell marykay and is going to give me a facial! so fun! we will just hang out and have a great time!

kevin and i bought a couch and bed this week! we are so excited about them! we need them both very badly! it sure is nice to have a little money from taxes and a bonus!!! :)

a very good friend passed away on thursday and his funeral is on monday morning. ann and i are going to go down for it. this man and his family were in my home ward growing up. i had crushes on at least 2 of his sons most of my teenage and college years! :) we all are still great friends, even after all of these years. he has been pretty sick the last few years, so this is a blessing. it is still hard and we will miss him.

i love easter! it is such a peaceful time of year.

i hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!

the big give...

have you seen this show? i think it is great! and it has really got me thinking....

i want to give big!!!

ok.... so i want to give big to my friend jami and her family. she was in 3 different hospitals within 4 weeks. lots of medicine, tests, doctors etc...

how can i raise money to help them? any ideas? let me know what you think!

scrapbook stuff...

ok... so as i mentioned yesterday i have been in the mood to scrapbook! well! i am on fire! lol!

remember i told you that i ordered stuff from scrapbookpal.com? well, it came today!!!! how great is that! i tell you! they rock! you have to check them out! they have the BEST prices and the shipping is amazing!

and... i got this email the other day about free fonts! so i wanted to share the love! there are some really cute ones!

it only takes a minute to download them!

i have to admit... i am a font addict! love them! lol!

ok... there is my craftiness bug... passed to you! enjoy!

random thoughts

ok... so i know that i haven't been very good about posting regular... sorry... i am trying to be better!

my mind is going a million different directions right now, so here are my random thoughts for the night!

* i have green nails right now! the tips are a fun green with glitter! i love them! very st patty's day!

* we have bunco on tuesday night and i am very excited about it! i am hosting this month and i am doing a st. patty's day theme. i made fun green invites, bought green plates, napkins and cups.... we are going to have an irish dinner of corned beef sandwiches, potato salad and some kind of fun green dessert! i am doing a "pot of gold" theme for the prizes with gift cards from all over the valley! it is going to be so fun! i will try to take lots of pictures!

* my friend jami is doing much better. we are all hoping that she will be able to come home next week! ya!

* one of the girls that i taught in church (from 2 years ago) is getting married tomorrow! i am so excited for her! she is one of the sweetest people i have ever met. she is a great example to me.

* we are actually getting money back from our taxes this year! wahoo! this is the first time in 5 years that we have gotten money back! we are so excited!

* my best friend, ann, has been sick all week. i feel so bad for her... and so helpless... i just want to do something for her so she will feel better! get better annie! i miss your perky self!

* i have been in the mood to scrapbook this week... i think i have made over 50 cards... i got the bug! and i can't help myself!

* because i have been crafting so much this week i am running out of my favorite adhesive! ok... so let me tell you about the best website to get adhesive for the best prices! go to scrapbookpal.com! they are amazing! they have the best prices for adhesive, tools, chalk inks, chipboard albums etc! pretty much everything they sell is discounted! plus they offer free shipping for all orders over $25 and... they ship same day! i placed my order today around 4:30 or so and got an email saying that they shipped it today too! i love it! i totally recommend them!

* i have been working out! i am so proud of myself! i have done it for over a week! i am hoping this habit sticks! i am having fun with it too! that is the best part! i actually look forward to it all day! wow! that has never happened before!

* i am so ready for some new shows! i am missing moonlight! i love that show and i can't wait for it to be on again!

well, my friends... have a great weekend!

the happenings of life...

hi there! so, my pampered chef party was a dud... but i got lots of orders and that made it a huge success! i am so excited about all of the free stuff i am getting!

and... i started working out again! wahoo! i know it has been a long time, but i am so ready for it! i am using the biggest loser workouts! love them! i have the cardio max and the power sculpting! watch out world! here i come... the new and improved me...!


things are good here... i am finally getting back to normal with all of my craziness with my friend, jami. let me do a quick recap of what is going on...


last friday i went down to the huntsman institute to visit her for awhile. she looked amazing! so much better than she had just 4 days earlier! amazing what the hope to live can do for a person! she was alert and back to her quick-witted self! i brought her a couple of cards that i made and had friends from sam's club sign. she really liked them and kept thanking me for them...


i had been there for about 45 minutes when tons of family came to visit her. it was fun to see jami and jeff interact with their family... the jokes, the laughter and especially the hope... what a great sight! jami's mom came over and talked to me for a bit and i thought it was very nice. she wanted to make me feel comfortable... again... this family amazes me!


after her family visited for a bit, a friend of the family came too... he used to be jami's boss. it was fun to meet him and her family too... they all told funny stories and the evening was filled with so much laughter! i loved it!


i was able to have a little bit of time with her... just she and i... before i left. i wanted her to know what an impact she has made on me in such a short amount of time. i told her that i had been very sad when i found out that she might not make it. for several reasons... but one of them because i hadn't gotten the chance to know her very well. when we first me last fall, i felt a connection to her. and i wanted the chance to explore that relationship! i told her that i loved her and that i was very grateful for the opportunity to be there for her and be her friend. true blue... that is what i was for her! she said that she was excited to become better friends too!


when i left that night i felt a little sad... not sure why... maybe it wasn't sadness... maybe it was overall gratitude for the miracle that had occurred for this girl and her family. as i walked out of her room a little solemn... i was hoping that jeff would walk me out... i wanted to hug him and tell him all that i had learned this week. he didn't... but his dad followed me out and chatted with me a minute... jeff came out a few minutes later and so i had the chance to hug him. i think it was more for me than for him this time...


i headed to my wonderful friend's (kris) home. she was so great to let me stay at her home, very last minute, instead of going all the way back to logan that night. i am so blessed to have kris's friendship! the next day (saturday) i went to pick up my mom bright and early! we had a fun drive and a great visit with my brother! he looked great and we stayed for a few hours! i love him and i love every chance i have to see him!


we got back into slc about 6:30, so i headed back to the hospital after dropping my mommy off. this time jeff was on his way out when i got there... at first i felt a little awkward being there without him, but jami made me feel very welcome. after he left his mom and sister wanted to go get something to eat too... jami's aunt, who is also a massage therapist arrived to give jami her daily massage. we offered to stay with her while her mom and sister went to eat.


i was pretty excited to have the chance to bond with jami a bit more. during her massage we all chatted and laughed. it was so much fun! i felt like i was making a difference to her and that was awesome! her new nurse for the night came in and introduced herself and when she left the room jami looked at me and said that she was a little worried... the nurse wasn't very friendly. i kinda chuckled and shared a story about when i was in the hospital a few years ago, i had a terrible nurse too... i understand her frustration and nervousness...


ok... so in my 2 days of visiting with her i found there were some definite pro's and con's as to what was going on with her...


pro: she was getting better!
con: she had lots of restrictions!


pro: friday she could drink water (and a couple of sips of sunkist... shhhhh! )
con: saturday she could only have ice chips


pro: her tumor was shrinking... very visibly!
con: she was still in lots of pain

ok... now with these pros and cons was the no drinking rule! that is really hard for jami! she is a coca cola girl! loves the stuff! she wanted it so bad, but couldn't have it! she was joking with us saturday night as to how much she wanted a coke... she didn't dare ask her aunt for one because she knew that it would be hard for her to say no! lol! she asked me what i would do and i told her that i would NOT get her one... i wanted her to get better fast! :)


so we started practicing saying no! NO! NO! we will not get you a coke! lol! jami said we were gonna be "tough b****** (broads)"! lol! i told her i was going to buy black bandannas cuz we were so tough!

oh... and her nurse came in and told her that she was not supposed to eat the ice chips... just suck on them until they melted and then spit the water out! man oh man!!! you should have seen her face! she was not a happy girl! the good part was that her nurse did turn out to be pretty nice! lol! while the nurse was changing one of the bandages jami looked a little uncomfortable, so i went and held her hand. she thanked me again, but i was just happy to help. it felt good to be needed.

overall, it was a really wonderful night! i felt so much closer to jami and that is what i really wanted! i can't wait for her to come home so i can take her to lunch and buy her a coke!

she is doing much better now... they have moved her to a rehabilitation center where she will be for a few weeks... i can't wait to see her again!

i know that i have talked about the life lessons that i have learned through this whole ordeal, but let me share them again...

#1

never take things for granted... friends, family, relationships, laughter, rice crispies (another of jami's fav's!), coke... the list goes on!

#2

if you have a "prompting" to do something... do it! you may never know the difference it made by doing it, but you will probably notice when you don't...

#3

live with no regrets... live each moment to the fullest and make sure that you have done good things with those moments...

#4

tell your loved ones that you love them. if they, or you, were taken suddenly make sure that you know where each other stands...

#5

laugh every day! you never know what will happen. enjoy each day as it comes and make the most of it!

honestly, 2 weeks ago i had no idea what an impact this would have on me... i am grateful for the experience and the insight i have gained... but most of all, i am grateful for jami. her strength, her health, her life and her smile. it somehow makes everything fall into place...

pampered chef!

hi there! i am having a pampered chef show! do you need anything?

let me know by friday 2/29, what you would like...

check out the catalog here...

more..

jami is doing well. she is back on her meds and strict diet and routine. yesterday she was able to get up and for for a short walk and get her hair washed! she feels like a new woman!

i am going down to see her tonight. i am bringing cards that everyone signed from work. last night 3 of my managers were able to go and see her too! i think it was very nice. they said she looked good.

on another note! i am going to visit my brother tomorrow and i am very excited about that!

have a good weekend and i will update when i get back!

an update...

ok... so many of you were asking about my friend, jami. she has gardners syndrome. it actually is a genetic thing that was passed on to her and her siblings. because of this syndrome she developed a desmoid tumor. a desmoid tumor is a benign growth that typically occurs in the belly. the problem with this tumor is that it can grow rapidly and when cut into can increase its growth 3 times as fast. the key is to shrink it and then remove it...

jami found out in october that this is what she was experiencing. she was treated by some of the best doctors in the state and given medication to reduce her tumor. her health slowly was deteriorating, but her spirits were high! she was told that if her tumor could not be reduced it would crush her organs.

all was going well until last friday (2/15). she was having a hard time breathing and her family took her to the emergency room. quickly they realized that they couldn't do anything to help so the life flighted her to university of utah hospital in slc. she was in icu for about 20 hours and then saturday night they told her that she may not make it through the night.

jeff, jami's brother, and i are really good friends. he had been texting me the whole time telling me what was going on. when he told me that she may not make it i immediately called him. we talked for quite awhile and my heart was breaking for him. he and jami are very close.

sunday morning i text him to see how things were going and he said that she was stable. what a relief. we text all day and again i was hurting for him. they took her off of her meds and were just waiting for her to die. they were told that nothing else really could be done.

sunday afternoon i fly home. i was at a layover in phoenix and it was delayed about 3 hours. during my layover we text back and forth. i left phoenix at midnight and arrived in slc about 1:30am. got to my friends house in centerville about 2:15, showered and went to bed. my alarm went off about an hour later (4:30am) and i left for layton at 5:30... crazy night/day!

anyway the inventory in layton went well and afterwards my team (ann and colleen) and i went to lunch. i had told jeff that i wanted to come and see jami after we were done, so he told me how to get to the hospital. she is beautiful! her eyes have a light that is so inviting! we visited for a bit and then her massage therapist came in. i was able to finally give jeff a hug and visit with him too.

my heart goes out to all of them, but jeff especially. he is so strong and being there for everyone. i want to be there for him! he is like a little brother to me, and i just want to go and hold his hand and help him get through it all.

jami has just been getting more and more tired since she is no longer on her meds. so, last night her main doctor from the huntsman cancer institute came and talked to her (he had been out of town over the weekend and hadn't seen her since she was admitted into the hospital). he said that her ex-rays looked better than they did 2 weeks ago when he saw her!

her tumor had been shrinking! the other doctors that had worked with her just weren't familiar with the situation. her main doctor told her that she isn't out of the woods, but if she wanted they could push forward and fight it. he told her that it wasn't a sure thing, but there was a bit of hope! who knows... in 2 months she might be right back where she was on friday... but then again, she could be on her way to recovery too!

so, she is going to be moved to the huntsman cancer institute within the next few days. it is going to be a long, hard road... but she is strong and i know that she will do well!

it has been a very emotional week, somewhat of a rollar coaster ride... but i have learned the importance of friendship and i am determined to be a better friend. i have been so sad this week wishing that i had had more time to get to know her, wishing that we could have explored the connection that i felt to her.... now i have that chance, and i am going to do everything that i can to do it!

i love her... i love her brother... and i am grateful for the things that they have taught me this week.

the good, the bad and the sad...

i am finally home after a long and eventful weekend.

i went to orange county, california for my first scrapbook show of the year and it was great! we were so incredibly busy! that is a good and bad thing... our bodies weren't too happy with us.

while i was there i learned that a good friend of mine was hospitalized and not expected to live much longer. this news was very upsetting and kinda shook me to my core. this girl is 25! i am very good friends with her brother and have become even more close to him this last weekend with all of our phone calls and texts. today i was able to go down to the hospital in slc to see her.

i have to say that i was surprised to see her look so good and bad... you know... hard to explain. she is a very funny gal! always has a witty comment. even today...

she may not make it through the week. i am so grateful that i was able to see her. if i have learned anything from her it is to value each day as it comes, tell those that you love and care for that you love them, make life the best it can be, and laugh as much as you can...

jami! i love you! i will miss you!

bring on...

the new episodes!

the writer's strike is over! wahoo!

bring on the new episodes of:

moonlight

ghost whisperer

how i met your mother

without a trace

cold case

can't wait!

quote of the day...

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

recipe bug...

every now and again i get the urge to "cook". i love to cook, just never really am in the mood to do so! well, lately i have been a cooking fool! my new favorite website is allrecipes.com. they have amazing stuff!

my new favorite thing to do is type in whatever i have... such as ... ham or chicken... and it will generate a million recipes with that ingredient. i love it!

last night for dinner i made: (mine didn't look like this... but it was still good!)

Tater Tot Casserole III

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound ground beef
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4 fluid ounces skim milk
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can French style green beans
1/2 (32 ounce) package tater tots

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef and drain fat. Stir in condensed cream of mushroom soup, skim milk, garlic salt and green beans. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish and layer with the tater tots.
Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until tater tots are browned and crispy.

i needed to use my leftover ham, so i added it instead of ground beef. i wanted a cheesy flavor, but i was out of cheese, so i added a cheese chip dip... very yummy!

then today i needed to use some whipped topping i had in my fridge before it went bad and found this delicious recipe!

Citrus Mousse

INGREDIENTS
2 (12 ounce) containers frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup grapefruit juice

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, beat together whipped topping and condensed milk. Gradually beat in lemon and grapefruit juices, until evenly blended.

i didn't have grapefruit juice, so i added pineapple juice instead! oh .... my .... gosh.....!!! so yummy! it tastes like a key lime pie without the crust! so good!

ok... there you have it! dinner and dessert ideas for tonight!

enjoy!

one of the best days...

ok... i want to tell you a great story! i have been waiting all week to tell you!

last saturday while i was taking down my christmas stuff (yes, i did finally take it down) i got a phone call from some very dear friends of mine... danny and kristy smith!

ok.. let me tell you a little bit about them! i met them on my mission. danny was not a member of the church and my companion and i asked him if we could share a video on families. he said that lots of missionaries had come to his home to "share a message", but he never had let them in. i told him that we were different and he would let us in... and he did...

i have to tell you... i went on my mission for lots of reasons, really good reasons... but the minute i met the smith family my life changed forever! i know now that the reason i served my mission was to meet danny and his family.

i met danny the end of august 1995 and he was baptized march 1996... it was a long hard road for all of us! lol! he challenged me at every turn, allowed me to learn just as much as he did. he forced me to be a better missionary, to learn to rely on my Savior every day for answers and guidance and taught me that patience is one of the greatest virtues of all...

ok... back to my story... in this phone call i was told that danny was being called to the 2nd counselor in the bishopric. wow... i was amazed! i always knew this man was meant for great things... and i was feeling grateful for the small role i have played in his life.

i, of course, wanted to be there. so i drove 150 miles the next day to see them! what a wonderful day! i was able to spend quality time with kristy and her parents... get to know their 2 (very handsome) sons better and visit with danny about life and what comes next... i have to say, it was one of the best days in my life.

i have had many life altering days in my life... sunday... was one of them...

i know that Heavenly Father has a plan for us. i know that i feel peace when i pray to Him. i know that He is mindful of me and the things i go through. and, i am grateful for it all.

smith family! i love you all!

another tribute

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

a moment of time...

i have so many great stories to tell...

~ a quick trip to idaho falls to see some great friends

~ fun young women's activity

~ cleaning success story

~ cell phone drama

so much to tell... so little time tonight! i promise i will fill you in soon!

Gordon B. Hinckley

June 23, 1910 - January 27, 2008

"There is nothing as energizing, as confidence-building, as sustaining the power of love."

-Gordon B. Hinckley

"Let us from this day forward be a little better, love one another a little more, treat one another with greater kindness and look to God and live."

-Gordon B. Hinckley

This great man, a Prophet of God, has been one of the greatest examples we will ever see.

Thank God for Him and the love he taught us all.

I will miss Him...

sweets and sours

i know it is a little early for sweets and sours... but i wasn't sure if i would have time tomorrow...

sours:

* i have to put away my christmas stuff tomorrow... i was supposed to do it a couple of weeks ago and just wasn't "feeling" it... so, i have to do it now... i love my tree and am very sad to put it away...

* my cell phone died this week. i am surprised as to how much i rely on it!

sweets:

* i get to put away my christmas stuff tomorrow... it will be nice to have my house back! :)

* my cell phone died this week... luckily i still have my old one. so i am using it until i figure out what happened to my phone or get it fixed/buy a new one.

* i just got back from a movie! my best friend, ann, and her roommate went with me to go see 27 dresses. very cute! could have done without a few of the swear words... but it was a really cute story line and the leading man is very cute!

* i found a really amazing quote/story this week:

"James Michener, author of Hawaii and The Source, declined a dinner invitation at the White House during the Eisenhower administration, but his explanatory letter to the president made full amends. "Dear Mr. President," wrote Michener, "I received your invitation three days after I had agreed to speak a few words at a dinner honoring the wonderful high school teacher who taught me how to write. I know you will not miss me at your dinner, but she might at hers." Commented the understanding Ike, "In his lifetime a man lives under fifteen or sixteen presidents, but a really fine teacher comes into his life but rarely.""

-Richard Lederer

this hit home for me... mainly because it reminds me of my priorities and the things in life that really matter. how many times have i blown something off for something "better"? was it really all that "better"? i am not sure... but i am trying to balance things more efficiently. that is for sure.

* i heard today that paige davis is coming back to trading spaces! how cool is that! i used to watch it all of the time! and when they changed the format and took away the cute host, paige, i just didn't find it that fun anymore... well apparently everyone else thought so too... so the new management of TLC is bringing her back! the first one with her is on saturday 1/26 after the live miss america pageant! be sure to check it out! i know i will!

* for my birthday kevin gave me a $15 gift certificate to seagull book. well... the new anita stansfield book just came out and i got it today! she is my favorite author. i own every single book she has ever written. i am so excited to start reading it! i am going to have to tell myself

that i can't start reading it until my christmas stuff is put away! lol!

* as most of you know, i travel to scrapbook shows for scrapbookpal.com... well, this week i found out that i will be going to michigan in may... and... i am going to extend my trip a bit to see my dad! how excited am i?! it will be almost 2 years since i have seen him! i can't wait!

(thanks again kris! i love ya!)

good night my friends! have a great weekend!

love is in the air!

Today is the 6 year anniversary of Kevin proposing to me... how exciting!

i found this fun MEME on What defines me, and i thought it was perfect for today!

i love these kind of stories...

1. Where did you meet your husband?
we met at church... in utah, for the singles wards, they have what is called "ward prayer". basically it happens on sunday evenings and is a time when the ward gets together to say "family prayer" to start the new week. i saw him there and thought he was really cute, but he had a girl with him! darn! however, the next week there was no girl! so i got the courage to talk to him. :)

2. What was the first thing you said to your husband?
i think i asked him if he was going to join the ward choir. i got a resounding "NO". i was bummed because i love to sing... i later found out that he plays the piano though... good enough for me!

3. Where was your first date?
once we started talking to each other i invited over to my apartment for a big luncheon. once a month my friends and i would invite a bunch of people over for dinner. it was a great way to get to know others (and have my friends check out the cute boy i invited... had to have their opinion!) our first official date was a week or so after... we went to dinner (golden corral) and a movie (jurassic park 3)...

4. Did you have a short or long engagement?
i think our engagement was perfect! he proposed january 21st, 2002 and we were married april 9th...
i did, however, pick out my ring in october... so we knew then...

5. Where did you get engaged?
in my apartment! i had a feeling that kevin had picked up my ring that afternoon... especially when he told me to come home as soon as work was over! i was getting so excited that i left a little early! when i got to the apartment kevin was talking to ann (she was living with me at the time), and they both acted really strange and nervous when i walked in! ann went straight to our room and kevin told me to stay where i was...
he then came over and put on one of our favorite songs... "dance with me" by tonic... and asked me to dance. this was a big deal because kevin just doesn't dance. not even if it is just the 2 of us in the kitchen!
when the song was over he got down on one knee and pulled out the ring box... so exciting! i felt silly standing over him... so i got on my knees too! he asked me to marry him and of course i said yes! when he opened the ring box the ring was not in there!!!! how rude! lol! he led me into the kitchen where there was a dozen red roses with a single white rose in the middle of them all... my ring was sitting in the middle of the white rose... he told me... " i would love the spend eternity with you, surrounded by love!" oh ya! me too! :)

6. Where were you married?
we were married in the Logan Utah Temple

7. How did the reception go?
wonderful! very laid back! and we loved it! we had a luncheon and a reception. my colors were navy blue and silver. we didn't stand in a line because we didn't really have a wedding party. just my maid of honor (ann) and kev's best man... both of kevin's parents have passed away and my parents were seeing each other for the first time in 27 years! so... needless to say, there was no need for a line... lol! actually i hardly spent any time with kevin at the reception... we were both mingling with our guests! someone even joked that i didn't even really get married or have a husband... he was just a myth! what a great way to get presents! lol!

8. How was the honeymoon?
wonderful! we went to louisiana! that is where kevin grew up and his sister and brother in law were still there. i hadn't met them yet, so it was a great time to see where he grew up and meet his family. we were there for 10 days! loved it! so incredible!

my sweet husband is a great man! i love him more and more every day!

new truck!

we bought a truck yesterday!!!

ok... so we have been talking about getting a new truck in the spring, but kevin has been thinking about it a lot now...

matter of fact he went to a dealership in ogden on tuesday and test drove a 2000 chevy s10... whatever that is... lol! he really liked it and wanted to know what i thought!

well, since i wasn't there to drive it with him...

and that it was the first truck he has test driven...

and that is was the only truck he had driven...

and that it was red...

and that it had tan interior...
(red and tan... not my idea of a perfect combo for a vehicle... at least for us...)

so, as my list got longer and longer i told him to hold off for a bit... you know... drive a few more trucks! we decided that we would pray about it on wednesday and come to some sort of decision on thursday.

thursday morning came and kev called me at work to ask me how i was feeling about it and what i thought. i told him that i felt like we needed to try a few more things out... test drive more trucks... even if we went back to the original truck, at least we did our homework.

now, one of the things we liked about the first truck/dealership was that they were willing to offer us $1500 trade for our little piece of crap... i mean, other car... that was very enticing to us, because we knew we wouldn't be able to get that much if we sold it elsewhere!

ok... so he decided to go drive a couple more.... he called me on my lunch break and said that he was out in the parking lot... "come and see!" ann and i went out and there he was! he was driving a white 1998 dodge dakota... very nice! it is great condition... inside and out! it came with a little truck box (which we would have needed to get anyway...) decent gas mileage, and 4 wheel drive! so great!

his friend was with him and he gave the thumbs up too! kevin wanted to go talk to the dealership (the truck was from the same dealership that we bought our beautiful new buick!) and see what they could offer us.

i said... good, go talk to them... so... he did...

they offered $500 for the trade in and we were thrilled with it!

we bought it! wow! that was fast! but we both feel really good about it! it is a great little truck! wahoo! we have a truck again!

bunco!!!

today is bunco! i am so excited because we weren't able to have it last week...!

anyway... i just wanted to share!

Sweets and Sours

i love saturdays! they are truly one of the best days of the week!

here is this week's sweets and sours...

sours:

i just finished the final episode of dawson's creek... it was a great series and i am sad that it is over... i realize that it has been "over" for almost 6 years... but today it was over for me... and i am sad...

i am taking down my christmas stuff today and that always makes me a little sad too...

sweets:

bunco is this week! i missed going last week and i can't wait to play on tuesday!

i have been working on my personal progress in young women's and am really excited about earning my young women's medallion for church! i am going to try and complete all of my requirements by the end of the year! wahoo!

this last week i have had the opportunity to continue a relationship with a friend from high school! sue and i met through mutual friends in high school and then went to the same college... we got back in touch with each other over christmas and have been emailing back and forth this week. i am thrilled to have this contact again!

just love this time of year... lots of motivation for me... i want to be better... in everything... better wife, friend, sister, daughter, leader, employee... you know... overall better...

happy saturday! hope yours is great too!