ANDY & ERICA

Hello!

2009-10-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hi! No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, I am actually updating this blog! The past 6 months have been a little on the crazy side, and to be honest with you, we do a lot of fun things, but we are AWFUL at remembering to bring our camera. I think blogs can be a lot more entertaining to read if they have pictures to go along with them, and since we don't have any pictures, I don't want to bore you all of the time! Here is an update on some of the highlights from the past 6 months:

For Memorial Day my friend Katrina and I went up to Idaho for the long weekend. It was a fun girl's road trip! It was fun taking her to Idaho, she had never been there before. We drove up to Salt Lake, spent the night, then did some shopping in Park City (what's a girl's trip without shopping? seriously!), then we headed up to Idaho. We got to spend two days with my family. We met up with my extended family in Swan Valley to help clean out my grandparents home, and then on Sunday we drove up Jackson Hole. Very quick trip, but it was good to be in Idaho, even if it was for just a few days!

July was fun, my little sister, Brett, landed a job down here and so her and my mom came down to get her moved in and settled into her new house. It's fun to have her down here, and it is so nice to have some family here again. It's been just Andy and I ever since Dave and Trin moved to Nebraska. :(

In August, Andy and I got to go home to Idaho for some more family time! We got to spend a few days with my family, then we got to go up to West Piney, and spend a week with his family! It was so fun to see everyone and spend some good quality time with them all. We are so lucky to come from such good families. I am so lucky to have married into such an awesome family, I'm looking forward to more reunions in years to come!

While we were in Idaho, in August, Andy celebrated his 30th birthday! My mom made him an awesome lasagna dinner, then Aaron, Keyli, and kids came over to celebrate with all of my family (excluding Brett and Zane). We had awesome homemade ice cream!

We hit another milestone in September, my 30th birthday! We are getting old, but I am glad to say that I will always be younger then my husband! We went out to dinner, Brett made a delicious chocolate cake, and I got some good presents! Low-key, but perfect.

October was fun too! Andy had to go to Orlando, Florida for a week for business and I got to tag along! The first two days there he had to work, so I just hung out at the hotel. I read, watched movies, and slept. It was awesome! When he got home from work we would go explore the town. The Friday we were there we went out to Cocoa Beach. We stayed just long enough for me to get a serious sunburn, but it was still fun. The water was so warm! After we got done with the beach we went to Andy's oldest brother's house, Evan and Ruth and family. They made us a fantastic steak and shrimp dinner with all of the fixings! Then they took us out to the marsh to watch the sunset and look for alligators. We didn't see any alligators, but did come across two water mocassins. It was my first time meeting them, and they were so great! We both loved them and are looking forward to seeing them again, hopefully soon! ;) Saturday of our trip we made it to Walt Disney World! Wow! What a place! We decided to get the 1-Day hopper pass and so if you can only imagine, it was a crazy day! We managed to make it to 3 of the parks: Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom didn't close until 1:00 in the morning, so we utilized the Fast Passes and made our way to all of the good rides! So fun! I flew out that morning at 5:00 am, so basically zero sleep for me, while Andy stayed 3 more days for work! Very fun last minute trip!

A few days after we got back, Andy had a job interview for a manager position at Walgreen's. We found out last week that he got it! I am so proud of him! He has really worked hard and his hard work is really paying off. Now he is one of the top guys at Corporate! He has had several promotions now in the past 6 months, wow! (Ok, I am totally bragging right now, but I think that a proud wife should have some bragging priviledges!)

The next 2 months are going to be low-key at home, maybe a house project or two. We are staying here for the holidays and are hoping that some family will come see us! :) Work is about to get hectic for both of us, so we are looking forward to a easy agenda on the home front!

To end this post, I managed to pull a couple of lame-o pictures off of my phone's camera from Disneyworld! Yes, we totally forgot our camera when we went to Florida, I told you we were pathetic!

Let's Hear It for the Boy!

2009-05-08T13:36:00.001-07:00

Congrats to ANDY! He just got a new job at Walgreen's as a Corporate Trainer!! I am so proud of him. He really does deserve this and he will be very good at this new job. It's been fun too, he has normal work hours lately, so we get home the same time everyday now! I have been loving the extra time we have had lately to hang out.

The Best Day EVER!

2009-04-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been awhile...again! The reason I don't post much is a combination of things, 1. We are kind of lame, Andy and I, we go to work, and that's about all. 2. When we do something that is fun, we always forget our camera, and a blog without pictures is boring. Yes, I do admit that my blog is boring. 3. It's just Andy and I, no kids, unless you count my brother who has been living with us, but I don't think that counts! 4. I don't ever feel like I have anything interesting to share, I really need to get Andy on the scene of this blog, because he is HILARIOUS, and he always has some kind of opinion, or something to say. I will work on that!

As my post title says, this past Friday WAS one of the best days ever! We woke up Friday morning (both Andy and I had the day off) and went and picked up these two beauties:

That's right! Our vehicles were in serious need of replacement so we bit the bullet and bought two used Kias, a Spectra for me and a Sportage for Andy. So I guess we are a Kia family now, kind of funny! They are very fun and we don't have the stress of breakdowns anymore since they both have good warranties on them! Yeah!

After we got home we got ready to go out to Florence, AZ to.....COUNTRY THUNDER! That's right, Andy bought us tickets, still a miracle in my eyes! He had to work the rest of the weekend so we only went on Friday, but that was ok because I got to see one of my all time favorites, Timmy McGraw! Andy was a trooper, even though at one time during the concert he said that he was thinking that he would rather be at the dentist...RUDE! Seeing Tim did make me a little homesick for all of my good friends in Idaho. I have so many good memories of Tim McGraw concerts with my friends and sister while we were in high school and college.

Anyways, thank you Andy for the awesome present! You are too good to me!! Not a bad day, huh?

Good news!

2009-02-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

I think that I almost have Andy convinced to take me to this for our anniversary!

Those of you who know Andy will know how amazing that is.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

So I guess it's time to post something!

2009-01-07T07:19:00.000-08:00

My, it has been awhile! Here is a little update on Andy and I. First, I would like to apologize, I thought I was going to be so good, and take tons of pictures of our trip, however, I forgot our camera everytime I wanted it, so we didn't get any pictures. Sad huh! I need to be better.

Our Christmas started off a little rocky. After finals were finished, Andy and I took off early for Idaho. My sweet grandma had a heart attack the weekend prior and we went up to be with the family. She ended up passing away on December 19th, the day that we arrived in Idaho Falls. Grandma Jacobson was a kind, loving grandmother. Grandma was always interested in every aspect of our life. She was such a caring lady, we always got Valentine's in the mail from her, so cute. She used to always have something good for us to eat when we were at her house. She was talented at so many things. One of her passions was sewing, I love the quilt that she gave me for my wedding. My mom, a few of my aunts, and I got to finish her last quilt for her. I felt honored to take the already threaded needle that she had been using and follow her lead on it. What a wonderful, strong example for me.

The day after Grandma passed away, my cousin Cody was killed in a car wreck. See story here. Cody is my dad's nephew. He was eighteen. Cody was one of the kindest, funnest kids that I knew. He was always so fun at our family reunions, playing Rook with. A few years ago, a bunch of my family hiked Alaska Basin in the Tetons. Cody came along and it was so fun to see this 14 year old wide eyed kid be so excited to see that beautiful country. I have some good, good memories of him and I am so grateful that my family has the knowledge and testimony of forever families. I know that we will all see Grandma and Cody again. We were all in shock those few days before Christmas, but being together and supporting one another made all of the difference. I am so grateful for my loving family and their goodness.

My uncle spoke at both his mother and son's funeral. They were on Monday the 22nd and Tuesday the 23rd. He did an amazing job. He shared a poem that was perfect at both of the funerals. I think that it gave a good perspective on the Christmas season.

My First Christmas in Heaven

"I see the countless Christmas trees, around the world below.
With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tear.
For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear.
But, the sound of music can't compare, with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you the joy their voices bring.
For it is beyond description to hear the Angels sing.

I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart.
But, I am not so far away, we really aren't apart.

So be happy for me, dear ones, you know I hold you dear.
And be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift, from my Heavenly home above.
I sent you each of memory of my undying love.

After all, Love is a gift more precious than pure gold.
It is always most important in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do.
For I can't count the blessings or Love He has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear.
Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year."

After some very emotional days, on Christmas Eve, Andy and I drove over to Boise and got to spend a week with his family. We had a wonderful time eating, playing games, going sledding, hockey games, long visits, High School Musical 3 with cute nieces, a flying monkey, grandparents, seeing old friends, and sleeping! Heber and Karen spoiled us with a wonderful Christmas. We so loved being with all of them and miss Boise again already, one day we will be up there and we will stay!

On December 30th, we drove back to Idaho Falls and spent the next few days with my family. We went up to the lodge at West Piney for our annual reunion. There was tons of snow, but Andy and I mostly stayed inside, reading, relaxing, and playing many hands of Rook (I managed to win, too!). My aunt, Yvonne, taught me how to make these cute hand towels, I became addicted to that too, very fun! We loved being up there in that beautiful area, I miss it. We also got to spend some time with my sister Jill, her husband Ben, and Miss Brooklyn, always a good time. We miss all of you guys already!

On January 3, we headed back to Arizona, my brother Zane driving. He is going to stay with us again this winter. We stopped in Mesquite to stay the night. We stayed at the Casablanca Hotel there, very nice, and excellent buffet! :) We made it back to Mesa late Sunday night. It is good to be home, but we loved the time we got to spend with our family. Anyways, there is an update for you. Sorry for the long novel! We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

My Saturday...

2008-11-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday I wanted to be ambitious and get a lot of stuff done around the house, namely things that both Andy and I have been putting off, because neither one of us wanted to do them and we were both hoping that the other would get to it. :) The biggest of those being our deep freezer. Andy insisted that I blog about this, even though I think it's disgusting and won't do the incident justice by trying to write about it.

A few months ago, I believe it was in June, our garage started stinking one day. We couldn't figure out what it was. The next day it was really stinking, like gag-you stinking. It smelled like something had died in there. We were pulling into the garage that day and I noticed that the light on the bottom corner of the freezer was turned off. That's when we figured out our smell...Andy went and opened it up and just imagine opening a freezer with about 40 pounds of thawed, raw meat, fish included. Andy was the brave one and cleaned out all of it, however, we had no idea how to dump out the 2 inches of blood that had settled into the bottom of the freezer (our freezer is bolted into Andy's workbench, so you can't move it out). Well, we had plans that night, so we just turned the freezer back on so that the blood would freeze and not stink and we would take care of the when we got a chance.

Well both of us had put it off until Saturday. Friday night I decided that I was going to get it done! I unplugged the freezer, so that it would start to thaw, and got geared up mentally for the next day! :)

When I opened up the freezer Saturday morning, it still hadn't completely thawed, there were big blood blocks in it, so I pounded on those with a stick to try to break them up. I cleaned out my car while it continued to thaw. As it started to thaw, the flies came in, like hundreds of flies, so gross. When I was done cleaning my car, the freezer had basically all thawed out, except for a few big pieces. I got the brillant idea that I would wet vac out all of the nastiness. We have this little two gallon wet vac, which is very handy. You can lift it and move it around, it's not too big to handle. I cranked up that thing and started to suck out all of the blood. It was working pretty good, except some of the big ice chunks would get stuck. I got a bucket for them and as they got attached to the bottom of the hose, I would pull them off and put them in the bucket. Well, my attention was completely focused on the hose and ice bucket. I was happy with how things were going until I looked behind me and noticed that the 2 gallon little shop vac was now completely full and was spitting all the blood right back out into my garage, it was literally spraying it, all over our shoes, tools, water heater, etc. etc. In a panicked state, I turned around quickly and also got covered in the nastiness, I mean COVERED! I was gagging and trying to get things under control at the same time. The flies were having a hay day, now even more of them, all over the garage!

I had to dump out the shop vac. I didn't know where to dump it, so I figured the best place to do it would be done the kitchen sink. I figured that if I dumped bleach down too, it wouldn't be a big deal. It dumped well, and then I started the process again. The second time I went to dump it the sink decided to clog. The disposal decided to be broke, and all of the nastiness wouldn't go down the drain...AHHH! Now I was covered with blood, my garage was covered with blood, and my house was soon to smell just like my garage did.

Anyways, it was quite the sight if you can imagine. I ended up having to plung the sink, which then got a extremely nice bleach bath, I then got out all of my Lysol products and the whole garage got a good scrub down, each individual tool and shoe included. This took me hours, if you can imagine. Finally, I was done, all the flies were gone, and I was able to shower too. It was awful! When Andy got home I told him and he thought it was HILARIOUS! It is, now that's it's over. Believe me, I've learned my lesson on procrastination. I think the really funny part of it was that night I was craving steak for dinner, go figure, who would of thought after all of that! Funny huh!

One of my first loves :)

2008-11-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was about five years old I have LOVED George Strait! My sister, Jill, and I used to always sing along with him in the car with my mom while she was running errands. One of the best times of my life was going to the George Strait Festival with Jill and a bunch of my friends, the year I graduated from high school. SO FUN!

Anyways, one of the biggest nights of the year for Jill and I, as kids, was the night of the Country Music Awards. Let me say, it was always a party! This year was no different, of course! My grandpa and I watched the award show together (luckily, Andy had to work, he is anti-country music)! George performed, was nominated for several awards, and won two awards: best album of the year, and best single of the year. I had to chuckle at myself because when he came out to perform I automatically got a huge grin on my face, I guess some feelings never die! :)

Here is his most current album: "Troubadour", very excellent!!

Kartchner Caverns

2008-11-14T09:29:00.000-08:00

On Veteran's Day, Andy, the grandparents, and I went to Kartchner Caverns on our way down to Tombstone. Let me tell you, they were AMAZING! This is a must for any of you local Arizonians, if you haven't been already. Spectacular!

VOTE!

2008-11-04T06:56:00.001-08:00

1 MORE WEEK!

2008-10-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky, my grandparents are coming to visit Andy and me in a week! I spoke to them this morning, and it made me so excited for their visit. They will be spending almost two weeks with us, and it is going to be so much fun!! They are some of my all time favorite people, I am so lucky that I can claim them as my grandparents! While they are here we have a few activities planned including a trip to Tombstone, the Bison Museum, several trips to the vegetable/fruit market, and the most exciting flea market! I am also going to have my grandma show me how to cook some of her awesome food, ex: chicken and dumplings, yum! My grandpa is geared up to spend some quality time with Andy watching some western classics (Andy: you are supposed to call him to get together a list of movies to watch!:)) Good times all around!

Seek for the Virtues Within

2008-10-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hi all! It's been awhile since I posted anything. We have a pretty simple life going on right now. My day basically consists of waking up, driving to work, working, driving home from work, hanging out with the husband, and then going to bed. Pretty much everyday that's the schedule. Last week it was a little different on Thursday night. We had Enrichment in our ward. The theme was "Seek for the Virtues Within: You ARE Beautiful!" It was a night filled with sweet sisters testimonies on living up to your potential and also testimonies of visiting teaching. I had the opportunity to gather a bunch of visiting teaching experiences from the women in our ward and we compiled them into a video. I just want to tell what a special experience that was for me. Every home that I visited had the sweetest spirit in it. I was able to listen to these amazing women bare their testimonies. It was so neat to visit with them and feel their love, they are all AMAZING! I was so lucky to get to do that! I also had many sisters send emails to me with their experiences. As I read all of those emails, my eyes were filled with tears, I realized just how important visiting teaching is. What an great organization Relief Society is, it is truly a organization planned by our Heavenly Father. As I was reading all of these experiences, I reflected on my own. The one that stands out to me happened two years ago. I was going through a rough patch in my life, even though I was pretending that I wasn't (that's kind of how I operate!), anyways, my visiting teacher came over and knew everything that I was going through, even though I didn't tell her one thing about it. She was so in tune with the Spirit that she just knew what I needed. She took my hand and helped and comforted me. I will always be so grateful for her for that and since then she has become of of my closest friends. After she left that night, I went up and told Andy what had happened. He was too grateful that I had a friend had taken the time to show how much she cared for me. I hope that the other women in the ward also felt the importance of visiting teaching from this night like I did.

For dinner that night we had salads, Costa Vida style. Yum! A few of you have asked for the recipe for the pork, so I thought that I would just post it here. I got it from my friend Kellie. (Thanks so much, Kell, it was a hit!) Enjoy!

Café Rio Sweet Pork
4 pound pork roast
2 – 15 oz cans tomato sauce
2 cups brown sugar
1 can coke
1 garlic clove, diced
¼ cup cilantro, minced

Cook roast at 275 degrees for 6 hours covered in a pan half filled with water. Shred. Cook 3 more hours in crock pot with the above ingredients.

It finally happened!

2008-09-30T09:37:00.001-07:00

This weekend was my birthday. That's right folks, I have one more year to enjoy the twenties, crazy! It was a great, relaxing weekend. Saturday I got to attend the Women's General Conference. Actually, I attended our ward's luncheon prior to the conference, then I watched it on our tv at home while I got ready for my date! Andy took me to one of my favorite restaurants here in Arizona. http://www.firebirdsrockymountaingrill.com/ It was AWESOME! I had a prime rib, yum.
Sunday was my actual birthday. We went to church, I got to help Andy teach his primary class (hilarious!), Andy cooked me dinner, and then I got my birthday present!! Guess what he got me? He saved for months and hid it well from me, I had no clue. I am now the very proud owner of this: I have wanted one of these for so long! Those of you that know me well can only imagine how out of control I already am with this little guy! I have been baking like crazy, I am going to have to slow down, though, or I just might double in size. Believe me, we don't want that! Anyways, thank you Andy! I love you! You treat me way better than I ever deserve!

Palin and Clinton

2008-09-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Last week Andy and I were watching the National Republican Convention. Andy mentioned how much Sarah Palin looks like Tina Fey. We were laughing about how fun that would be if SNL used Tina to portry Palin. Sure enough this last weekend after our wish came true! Very fun!
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

200 things

2008-08-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

I found this off of one of my friend's blog and I thought it was pretty fun. You should do it too! If you'd like to take up this challenge, simply reprint this list on your blog, and highlight in bold the things your have accomplished.

Have and Have nots!
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking.
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival (does the Renaissance Festival count?)
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hotel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Post this to your blog. I would like to see how you respond.

Beijing

2008-08-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics online, can I say AMAZING! We were in this place last Friday when they originally aired and I am so glad that I was able to see them online. They were so fun to watch, I loved the drummers and I thought that it was interesting what the commentators said about them. They said when they were practicing, the director kept urging them to smile when they were performing, they said it would be too intimidating if they were serious. I would say so! Thousands of those guys beating drums, that is kind of intimidating!

We have loved watching the games this week. My favorite has been the beach volleyball. I keep missing the mens volleyball, I can't pinpoint their schedule. If you happen upon one of their games, look for player #9, Ryan Millar. When I was in high school he used to come and coach our summer volleyball camp team. He is amazing, and very fun to watch. It makes me laugh when I see him hit and think that he used to try to make me block him! LOL!

Making bread!

2008-08-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Numero uno on my wishlist:

For the past few months one of my friends in my ward has been teaching breadmaking for an mini enrichment. (Thanks Amy!) I finally got the chance to go last night. I was introduced to the wonderful world of electric mixers! A Kitchenaid (or Bosch) is the number one thing that I want in my kitchen, and really the only thing that I lack. I bake a fair amount, and I am totally used to doing it all by hand, which has been fine. Maybe not anymore...last night I got to be a modern baker, and man does it make a difference! My bread was mixed in no time, and I didn't have to get all messy, covered in flour and dough. The bread turned out fantastic too! It was HUGE! (I think that I let it rise for too long). Anyways, yeah for the modern kitchen appliances! Maybe one day I will get to join the crowd!

Happy Birthday ANDY!

2008-08-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

Andy and our fun and cute niece Korynn!

This weekend Andy will turn 29! WOW! Last year in the twenties! I can't really give him a hard time, though, it will be my turn in another month, unfortunately... I have been thinking a lot about my husband this week, mostly just reliving all of the wonderful memories that we have so far in my mind. On his birthday 4 years ago, I was standing on top of "The Wall" in the Grand Tetons. I called him on my cell phone from on top of there to say Happy Birthday. He was in Phoenix, and I was really missing him, the long distance deal was awful for me. I can remember that during that whole 3 day hike I just daydreamed about him, wishing that we could one day be together. I am so happy that we made it, we got married, and he is the most important person in my life!! Love you Babe, I am one lucky lady! Happy Birthday!

View from on top of The Wall. I wish I was there right now!

I thought that I would throw this picture in just for fun! This is of me and my friends/cousins from that hiking trip standing in front of my dad's famous "circus tent"! (If you are wondering about Jessica, she was trying to keep the mosquitoes off of her, reason for bandana over face! :)) Good times!

LOOP 202 COMPLETED, HOORAY!

2008-07-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, this may be kind of geeky post for some of you, but for me this is a BIG DEAL! This morning my commute to work took me only 25 minutes, instead of the usual 50 minute commute!! Loop 202 opened this morning at 5 am and I sailed to work! No more backroads, traffic lights, and construction detours! Yeah!! I have been waiting for this day now for about 2 years. When we moved into our house, we always talked about how great it would be when the 202 was completed, now that dream is a reality and I am a very happy person!!

So excited for this...

2008-07-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

TROUBLE...

2008-06-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Guess what just opened right by our house?

We made our first visit this weekend. I tried the "Protein Style" burger (lettuce instead of the bun). I was trying to be healthier. It tasted ok, but just not as good as a normal burger, dang it!

Workman Creek Falls

2008-06-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend we finally got out of the valley and into some mountains! We went camping with the Justesen's to Workman Creek Falls. Tieg and Trisni showed us an awesome campsite, it was perfect! Thank you guys! It was such a great time, and very relaxing. Here are some pictures:

This was our little off roading adventure. It was pure rock, and we had no four wheel drive. Our gutsy Chrysler made it up this little patch the night before this picture was taken (I know, not so smart of us)!

The cute Justesen family, our camping buddies!

Erica on top of Workman Creek Falls.

Moore for President?

2008-06-24T17:00:00.001-07:00

Superstition Ranch Market

2008-06-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

This post is for my mom and grandma! When they come down to Arizona, they love to go to the market with me. I went there on Friday and the produce was beautiful, and so were the prices! I just had to post this for them! Guess how much I paid for all of this? $11.26!! Some examples of the pricing were: watermelon was .04 a pound, peaches were .44 a pound, cucumbers were 7 for a dollar!

IS IT REALLY OVER ALL READY?

2008-05-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that tonight is already the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. The writer's strike just messed everything up! We got just a few new episodes this season and now after tonight we will be back to the reruns. Sad, very sad. At least I've got this to tie me over through the summer! :) (I know, very, very, very pathetic of me!)

BROOKLYN

2008-05-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

I stole this picture from my sister's blog. This is my niece, Brooklyn. Isn't she adorable? Last week was her first birthday. I know that all of my family really hates that we are all so far away from each other, we all missed the big celebration. Very sad. :( She is such a cute addition to our family! Happy late birthday Brooklyn, maybe we can make next year's party!

TETRIS ANYONE?

2008-05-19T15:55:00.001-07:00

2008-05-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Oh, good grief Jill! I just barely finished the last one!! :)

The Five Tag

5 years ago: I was living in Boise, Idaho working at the Boise Public Library. I was hanging out with all of my cousins and friends, and meeting tons of people. It was a fun time in my life.

5 Months Ago: (January) I was doing what I am doing now, working at SCC. Not much has changed.

5 Things on my to do list:
1. Work out.
2. Go visit a friend.
3. Finish my work day.
4. Fix dinner.
5. Hang out with the hubby.

5 Snacks I enjoy:
1. Popcorn
2. Sugar cookies
3. Shaved ice (Tiger's blood)
4. Otter pops
5. Chex mix

5 Things I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire:
1. Retire (both Andy and me).
2. Travel, maybe a world cruise first kind of as a sampler!
3. Pay off all of the bills!
4. Go shopping.
5. Help out family and friends.

5 of my BAD habits:
1. Not putting things back where they belong.
2. Forgetting to empty my pockets before I do the wash.
(So sorry about your shirt, Babe!)
3. Being too laid back.
4. Leaving leftovers in the fridge too long.
5. Forgetting to return movies.

5 Places I have lived:
1. Idaho Falls, ID
2. Rexburg, ID
3. Pocatello, ID
4. Boise, ID
5. Mesa, AZ

5 Jobs I have had:
1. City of Idaho Falls Parks and Rec. Employee (flower girl and tree waterer!)
2. Circulation Librarian at BYU-Idaho
3. Reference Librarian at ISU Library
4. School librarian at Northstar Elementary in Eagle, Idaho
5. Executive Secretary at Scottsdale Community College

5 things people don't know about me:
1. I love to make quilts and sew, something I need to do more of.
2. I can drive just about any kind of truck (thanks to my city work days!)
3. I can waste A LOT of time reading, like non-stop for 24 hours.
4. Terrified of bears. I have really bad nightmares about them.
5. I don't really like water, especially in my eyes. The ocean really scares me.

5 people that I tag:
1. Abbey
2. Niya
3. Sharon
4. Katrina
5. Jessica

MARSHALL'S COMMERCIAL

2008-05-12T13:11:00.001-07:00

Here is a funny little commercial of Marshall doing a little acting. This was for a promotion that he did last month. I can remember when these guys came to film it in the office, they were crazy!

Tag about ANDY!

2008-05-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

I can always count on my sister Jill to tag me on these things, but I don't have anything else to blog about, so this could be good!

A -ATV of choice? jet ski? Is that even an ATV?

B - Born? August 10, 1979

C-Cookies or Candy? I would have to say cookies, especially peanut butter Oreos!

D-Date of Choice when you go out? Out to dinner.

E-Essential Item? wallet

F-Favorite Foods? Rib-eye Steak, Salad bar (funny huh!)

G-Gas or Diesel vehicle? Gas, he doesn't like the loudness of diesel

H-Hobbies? Fishing, camping, hiking, art, me!

I-Ice Cream Flavor? Anything with chocolate and peanut butter in it.

J-Job? Pharmacy technician

K-Kids? Nope.

L-Last Vacation as a couple? Las Vegas in March with Tonya and Josh. It was a quick trip, and Andy went in the hospital right after we got home, so it wasn't a great vacation, he was sick.

M-Morning person or night owl? Most definetely night owl, and we are opposite, sadly.

N-Number of Siblings? 9; 5 brothers and 4 sisters.

O-OCD or sloppy? A little of both, more OCD though.

P-Pet Peeves? When I leave my stuff around the house.

Q-Quiet or Loud? Loud!

R-Restaurant? Any steak house. Famous Dave's BBQ.

S-Sports? Football.

T-Tight wad or spender? This is a toughy, I would have to say that he has now become a tight wad, but he wasn't in the past.

U-Unknown Fact about him? He is a really good artist. He can sculpt and paint very well.

V-Vegetables? Corn on the cob.

W- Worst Habit? Leaving hair all over the sink after he shaves, I should talk though, my hair is all over the house! :)

X-Xtra Curricular activities in high school? Football, student government, friends, probably girls!

Y-Your favorite things about him? Wow, there are so many! I never get tired of being with him, he is so fun to be around. He is hilarious and makes me laugh all of the time. He is a very goal oriented person, he keeps me going on goals that I want to accomplish, I love his motivation!

Z-Zodiac Sign? Leo.

Tag three people: Abbey, Katrina, & Kaila!

HERE WE GO...

2008-04-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Today is supposed to be the hottest day of the year for this year, 97 degrees! UGHH! I am so not ready for the heat. The sad thing is that it will only get hotter from here on! I envy everyone who is still in the winter/spring season, I guess the grass is always greener on the otherside...

TOMORROW!

2008-04-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

"Juno" comes out on DVD tomorrow! This has been by far my favorite movie that I have seen this year in the theatres! I am way excited to see it again on DVD!

BLOOMS IN THE BACKYARD

2008-04-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

It has been fun to see our backyard grow with all of the new plants this spring. It is so fun to have "tropical flowers" when you walk out your backdoor. Yesterday while Andy was grilling, I walked around and was amazed at all of the new blooms. Our Passion Vine is in full bloom (see picture) and our Jasmine Vine is just about to bloom! Very fun!

ARTIE MADE THE NEWS!

2008-04-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Before:

After:

Yesterday, Artie the Artichoke (the school mascot where I work) was interviewed by Bill Geist from the Morning Show on CBS. They came to my school a few weeks ago and did a whole segment on him. Very exciting! I work in the Administration Department with Dr. DeCabooter, the president of the school. It was neat to see them here on campus interviewing Dr. DeCabooter and Artie! Andy and I both are proud to be Fighting Artichokes!
Check it out here: http://www.azskateboarder.com/Artie.wmv

Scottsdale Community College hired editorial cartoonist Brian Fairington recently to toughen up Artie’s image a bit - give him an artichoke make-over.
The story is to air tonight during the CBS News/Katie Couric broadcast before the start of the NCAA college final playoff. Another moment of fame for Artie!

2 YEARS TODAY!!

2008-04-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Babe! What a lucky girl I am!

FLASHBACK!

2008-04-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun pictures that I scronged up! I was kind of disapointed, I could only find a few old pictures from high school. The rest are missing in action, I guess!
Top, left to right: Erica Jacobson, Alissa Valentine, Morgan Diest. Middle, left to right: Rachelle Hart, Sam Wilcox, Allisha Gneiting. Bottom, left to right: Courtney Daw, Diana Marshall, & Melissa Bennett.
The above picture is from the High School Lockdown Night. Kind of embarrasing, I guess we were trying to look "tough"! I can remember this was pretty hilarious to me. We were locked in the school all night long with our rivals, Idaho Falls High School. They had a girls wrestling match. They went all out, WWE style, with all the lights right on the wrestling mat. Courtney Daw and Melissa Bennett tagged team. I can remember how nervous Court was, I don't blame her!

Left to right: Aubrey Wilson, Jessa Jahn, and Diana Marshall
This is a fun picture taken in our hotel room when we went to the Boy's State Basketball Tournament over in Boise. This was me really branching out. My parents were pretty strict, and it was the first time that I was able to "travel" with just friends! It was good times!

Top row, left to right: Russell Jensen, Rachelle Hart, Trent Jensen, Stephanie McFadden. Bottom row, left to right: Brian Stewart, Erica Jacobson, Andy Stoddard
This picture was taken the night of graduation at the Senior All Night Party!

Left to right: Alissa Valentine, Rachelle Hart, Diana Marshall, & Steph McFadden.
After graduation a group of us went camping up at Lower Mesa Falls. Here are a few of us chillin in the tent. Fun, fun! (I was taking the picture.

I hope that people aren't too mad that I posted these! They brought back some good memories for me at least!

10 YEARS...

2008-04-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

I got an email today from one of my friends from high school, Sharon Hunt (now Jarvis). She sent me a link for our upcoming 10 year high school reunion. I am really amazed that it has been ten years since high school, not possible!! After checking out the site, and getting updated on lots of my old classmates, I have spent the majority of the day thinking about old high school memories. I was really lucky in high school. I had AMAZING friends. I can't remember having any worries, it was just a good time! The most AMAZING thing about all of my high school friends is that probably 98% of them are still programmed into my cell phone! I think that it just might be my security blanket! I was telling Alissa (one of my best friend, since the third grade) the other day how comforting it is to know that whenever I need to get in touch with any of these lifelong friends, they are just one phone call away. The greatest thing is that when you call them or receive a call from them, it's just like no time has gone by at all! So awesome! Tomorrow I will try to remember to post some old pictures from high school, good fun for everyone, I'm sure!!

So all of you SHS '98 Grizzlies, check out this site and be sure to register! http://www.classreport.org/usa/id/idaho_falls/shs/1998
(you will have to copy and paste it into your browser, I can't get the link to work, sorry!)

BOOK TAG

2008-04-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

I've Been Tagged! Thanks a lot Jill! I guess it at least gives me something to post! : )

On page 123 of my book I have read one page in (The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova), the 5th sentence reads:

"In a dazed moment I had taken in not only my glimpse of the librarian's wounded neck but also the name of the library patron who had beaten me to Dracula."

To complete this tag on your own:
1. Pick up the nearest book (at least 123 pages)
2. Turn to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the 5th sentence on your blog
5. Tag 5 people

I tag Katrina, Abbey, Tafi, Trinity, & Amy

UPDATE ON ANDY

2008-03-24T15:07:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I thought that I would give a quick update on my hubby! He was finally released from the hospital last Wednesday. If you would of told me that we were going to be in the hospital over a week, I would have never believed you! What an adventure it has been! He has made progress every day and is doing good. I was able to take work off the rest of last week, so that I could take care of him. Today is my first day back to work and luckily Zane is still here and has the next days off to help him around the house, if needed! We have been taking walks around the neighborhood, and have taken little trips close to the house to try to build up strength, mostly in his lungs. I am sure after this week he will have major cabin fever being inside our house, poor guy. It will still be a few weeks until he is totally back to functioning, but he is doing good!!

SPRING BREAK?

2008-03-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Home, Not So Sweet, Home...

I thought that I would send an update on Andy on the blog, so that I don't have to write this over and over again!

Little disclaimer: I hope this makes sense. I am a little tired and not all there! Sorry in advance!

First off, Andy is doing great, it seems like he makes progress every hour!
In case you haven't heard, I will fill you in on what has happened over "spring break" here at the Moore household! Last Tuesday I was walking out to the car after work and I get a phone call from Andy. He asked me how my day was, and if I had any plans for that night. I told him that I didn't have any plans and asked him why? He then asked me if I would mind meeting him at the Emergency Room and sit with him. Oh brother! Of course I would meet him, it's like I had any other things that were priorities! I wasn't too surprised, his back had been hurting him for about a month, and then he had been going to the doctor to see if it was something besides his back. We were still waiting for the results of those tests on Tuesday. Anyways, the pain had reached the point that he couldn't stand it, so he took himself to the hospital.

They admitted him on Tuesday night, and ran tests on him Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Friday they FINALLY found out that his gall bladder was only functioning at 17%, pretty much dead, so on Saturday he went in to surgery and they removed it. There were some minor complications with the surgery, so instead of scoping it, they had to make an incision. This will make his recovery a little bit longer.

He has been in a lot of pain since the surgery. They finally put him back on a liquid diet last night, so he can at least drink water now, and I don't have to swab his mouth every few minutes, like I was doing before! Last night we were able to walk around the hospital a little bit, but he is still very medicated. I am hoping that he will make some good progress today.

This has been a crazy experience for me! Even though this was somewhat of a minor surgery, I was not prepared to have Andy in the hospital for at least a week, it's very strange! I have never been in hospitals for an extended amount of time, and I have never had to witness surgery. It has made me so grateful for so many things. First, it makes so grateful for friends and family. I have learned about compassion this week. I have been the compassionate service leader in my ward twice, and I never understood how much people appreciate the service that can be provided. It has meant so much to me (and Andy, once he comes off his pain killers) to have people express and show their concern. It makes me want to reach out and do more for others around me. I have received so many calls from family and friends wanting to know how they can help and just being a listening ear. My brother, Zane, has been living with us the past few months, and it has been so nice having him here too. I was so happy to go home from the hospital to a house that was clean, he even did all of my laundry, which helped me out SO MUCH! He was there in a minutes notice to help give Andy the blessings that he needed. I am also grateful for our friends for that same reason, I know that if we need anything we have people close by that would be there as quick as possible.
This has also made me grateful for health. It has been a wake-up call to me on the importance of staying healthy. It is such a blessing to be healthy and to be capable of doing anything that you want to do. I have now witnessed how it is to be restricted and it amazes me on how easy it is to take being healthy for granted.

One other thing that I am grateful for is good insurance. I would be SO STRESSED OUT right now if we didn't have insurance and I was wondering what kind of hospital bill this would be. What a blessing!

We will just take it day by day and go from there! I think that I might sleep at home tonight. I have been sleeping at the hospital, and I think that I am ready for a good night's sleep!

Thanks for all of your calls and prayers! We love you all!

CONGRATS ABBEY & ADAM!!

2008-03-11T09:35:00.001-07:00

My good friend Abbey got married this weekend here in Mesa. I met Abbey in Boise, we grew really close there, and have managed to stay good friends even though we now live in two different states! It was so convenient for me that she married a guy from Mesa, no traveling required! Seriously, how lucky is that! The wedding was wonderful and Abbey looked beautiful. I also loved her bouquet, very fun, and her dress was gorgeous! I am so glad that she found such a great guy. I hope to see them more, since all of his family is here in Mesa.

VEGAS BABY!

2008-03-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we actually managed to get out of Phoenix, thanks to are good friends Tonya and Josh!! Our friend Abbey, got married down here in Mesa, and we thought that it would be fun to have Tonya and Josh fly into Las Vegas on Thursday (since Josh had never been there before) and meet them there. We had good fun Thursday and Friday there. Friday night, after we were all exhausted, we took the four hour drive back to Phoenix just in time for Abbey and Adam's wedding the next morning. The weekend went too fast and was also very tiring, but all in all a great time!

ARIZONA SUNRISE

2008-02-15T09:49:00.001-08:00

Yesterday morning as I was driving to work, there was the most beautiful sunrise. I just couldn't get over it, so I took a few pictures at the traffic lights! I wanted to get a picture of the Superstition Mountains because they looked gorgeous with the sunrise behind them, but I would of chanced getting into a wreck in order to get that shot, I was probably pushing my luck as it was!

A SWINGING GOOD TIME

2008-02-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

Before Jill and Brooklyn left to return to Denver on Wednesday, we stopped at the park for a quick picnic, Krazy Subs and all. Brooklyn was NOT impressed with the playground, we lasted about five minutes there.

Even though Brooklyn hated the playground, someone else had a good time! The pictures below are proof of that!

Goodbye Jill & Brooklyn :(

2008-02-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

Today is a sad day because our visit from Jill and Brooklyn is coming to an end. It went too quick! We are so glad that they got to come visit us, though! We missed having Ben, maybe next time! Thanks for coming you guys!

On a happier note, we still have guests! Dad, Mom and Brett are here until Saturday, and then Dave, Trin, Gracie, and Tatum are flying in today!! Fun times in Phoenix!

"THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE"

2008-02-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

This weekend my family came into town to thaw out a little from the Idaho cold. My dad, Zane, Andy, and I took a trip down to Tombstone, AZ where the infamous Earp-Clanton shoot-out took place at the O.K. Corral. It was a quick trip, but we did get to see a lot of fun stuff including the O.K. Corral, and my very favorite thing in Tombstone: The Birdcage Theatre! The Birdcage Theatre opened in December of 1881 and closed it’s doors in 1889. During it’s short business life, the Bird Cage was the wildest place in the west! The Bird Cage is named after it’s thirteen little cribs that hang from the ceiling where ladies of the night plied their trades. Also, the longest single poker game in history was played in the basement. Eight years and four months of one continuous poker game! The fun thing about the Birdcage is that everything in it is original and authentic. The curtains, the piano, the tables, the bullet holes! Very fun!

President Gordon B. Hinckley

2008-01-31T07:24:00.000-08:00

I have spent the past few days reflecting on President Hinckley and the impact that he has had on my life. I know that he was a prophet of God. When I was Ricks College he came and spoke at one of our devotionals. After the devotional got over, I was walking in back of the Hart Gym, headed to class and I literally almost ran into him. He was just leaving the building. He stopped, looked me in the eyes, and gave me the biggest smile! I could feel his spirit radiate off of him. At that moment my testimony was confirmed that he really was a prophet of God. I am so grateful for his faith and testimony. There have been many times in my life that his words and guidance have strengthened and uplifted me.

We have FRESH oranges

2008-01-18T07:21:00.000-08:00

This spring Andy planted two orange trees in our backyard. I didn't know this but apparently a lot of orange trees will bear fruit in their first season. Sure enough, we have oranges on our trees! It is fun to see such a little tree have big oranges on it! We were very excited, and yes, they were very delicious!!

One of our cute little orange trees!

Andy enjoying the fruits of his labor!

Ok, Ok, I guess I will post something...

2008-01-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been awhile since I have posted anything and my sister finally gave me a little motivation. I have other things to post as well, but always seem to put it off. Sometime soon hopefully! Ok, I got tagged so here I go!

A - Attached or Single: Happily married or attached!

B - Best Friend: It would have to be Andy for sure! I have a lot of other close, close friends too. I have been very blessed in that regard!

C - Cake or Pie: Cake is definitely my favorite. I don't know why, but sometimes I crave Costco cake. And no, I don't go out and buy one to satisfy my craving, I would eat the entire thing!

D - Day of choice: Saturday. The only day I get to sleep in.

E - Essential Item: Lip gloss or chapstick! Something for my lips, I go crazy if they start to feel dry.

F - Favorite Color: red

G - Gummy Bears or Worms: worms, the red and white ones especially (I don't really know why).

H - Hometown: Idaho Falls, Idaho

I - Indulgence(s): I think that my new indulgence is going to be pedicures. I went and got my first one ever last Saturday. I loved it!

J - January or July: Before I moved to Arizona, I would of said July hands down! Now I have to say January. The weather is gorgeous right now and July is miserable here.

K - Kids: Nope, not yet, but some day for sure.

L - Life is incomplete without: My family, friends, church, and laughter.

M - Marriage Date: April 7, 2006

N - Number of Siblings: 3: 2 sisters, 1 brother

O - Oranges or Apples: Oranges

P - Phobias or Fears: We have huge roaches at the place I work. I think that I am afraid of them. Oh, and bears.

Q - Quotes: "Trust in the Lord, be believing, be happy. Things will work out." Gordon B. Hinckley

R - Reason to smile: All of my blessings!

S - Season: Same thing as other answer, summer in the north country, but definitely winter here in AZ. For all of the same reasons, ex: we grilled hamburgers last night, and I was outside in my bare feet!

T - Tag Two Friends: I choose Katrina and Abbey!

U - Unknown fact about me: I can't think of any right now, I will get back to you!

V - Very favorite Store: I have a few: H&M, Ulta, Steve & Barry's, Target, Costco, Barnes & Noble.

W - Worst habit: Picking my nails is all I can think of, but I'm sure that Andy could come up with some better ones for me.

X - X-ray or Ultrasound: I am sure that an Ultrasound would be the better one, but I haven't experienced that yet.

Y - Your favorite food: popcorn, prime rib, sugar cookies, pizza.

Z - Zodiac: Libra

THE OFFICE

2007-11-23T17:58:00.001-08:00

Andy and I both love "The Office" on NBC. Here are some fun clips from it. I don't think that this season is as good as the first three, but it is still entertaining!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I am about to tackle the turkey here in a little bit! We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday!

Carrot Cupcakes!

2007-11-13T09:30:00.001-08:00

I made some carrot cupcakes for my little beehives on Sunday. They were very yummy, thanks to another Paula Deen recipe. I know, I am a little obsessed with that Paula Deen! I used parsley for the carrot stems. Funny story, I had some left over after Young Women's. I was out in the foyer of the church building, and one of the young men came up to me and asked if he could have a cupcake. I said of course, and right after he picked it up, he took a huge bite of the cupcake, parsley and all! I told him that I really didn't think that he should eat the parsley with the cupcake, bad combination. He just grinned and said that it tasted great. Whatever!

Empress Avenue

2007-11-13T09:18:00.000-08:00

This posting is specifically for Alissa. She has been bugging me for months and months to send pictures of our house. Lis, these are for you! I think that they are kind of boring, but I guess they might be fun for those of you who haven't visited us down here in Arizona yet. It does look better in real life, because I'm not much of a photographer. Feel free to come and visit our house for the real affect! We would love it!

I have included some close up's of some of our furniture. When we first got married and moved into this house we owned a few pieces of furniture. Our mattress was given to us by Andy's sister and her husband, Kiersten and Lee, and we were lucky to get the awesome couches from my parents/grandparents (I believe that my grandparents were the ones that bought them originally, then my parents used them, then they went back to my grandparents, and then finally we got them!) They have had a long life, and even if they aren't the most gorgeous couches, in their old years, they are very comfortable. They make me feel at home, because they were the couches that I was raised with. Anyways, enough of my ramblings about that, back to the topic! Besides the couches and beds, we had to buy the rest of our furniture. I am bragging here. We spent under $200.00 to furnish our house! We bought everything at Goodwill, and then my extremely talented husband labored in the hot Arizona summer garage and refinished all of the pieces that we bought. I love them because they are the work of Andy. He is the one that made our house look like a home!

2007-10-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

I found some fun family pictures of both Andy and I. We were going to use them for a wedding video, but never got around to it. They are good times so I thought that I would share! I am sure that both sides of the family will be thrilled to see them on here! Ha! :)

Marshall Trimble

2007-10-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would give a shout out to one of my favorite cowboys. Marshall Trimble is a big celebrity here in Arizona. He is Arizona's "Official Historian," and is also a famous cowboy poet, author, and folk singer here in the western states. He has a true love of American West history, just like I do! As far as singing goes, he has opened for Waylon Jennings, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Marty Robbins. I am so lucky because I get to work with him everyday. After many years of singing, he finally produced a cd of all of his music. He presented me with the first copy today! Check him out at www.marshalltrimble.com

2007-10-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Idaho versus Arizona

2007-10-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

Since raised in Idaho, I think that I am used to the cold weather. I have found, though, after it finally cools down here in Arizona,I do not envy the people up in Idaho. The weekend before I went up to Idaho, for my visit, I planted my flower beds. Also, my flowering bushes are in full bloom right now. While we are enjoying the beautiful 75 degree weather down here, the snow has already arrived in Idaho!! Here are some pictures of my flowers and also of the snow that I found up North.

Idaho Falls

2007-10-08T14:49:00.001-07:00

This weekend I went up to Idaho Falls. I met my sweet little niece, Brooklyn, for the first time. Growing up, my sister Jill and I loved Cabbage Patch Kids. I found a little newborn named Tricia Jillian and just had to get it for Brooklyn. I was excited to see that Brooklyn really loved her! When we pulled the doll out of the box, she was jumping and smiling. I thought that she would be too young to care about it, but I was wrong!! It was great seeing everyone and cooling off a bit (it snowed)!

2007-09-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

Here is Andy with the Superstition Mountains in the background. This is about five minutes from our house. This picture was taken last February. Note the snow in the back, not normal!

TWO VERY WILD WOMEN

2007-09-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Our niece, Brooklyn and the famous Lena Daisy!

Artie the Artichoke

2007-09-19T13:33:00.001-07:00

This is our wonderful mascot, Artie, the fighting Artichoke. He is the mascot for Scottsdale Community College, and is the coolest mascot ever! With both Andy as a student here, and me as an employee, we are big fans of Artie!

BEAR CANYON LAKE

2007-09-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

LABOR DAY FUN

2007-09-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my first official posting…so we will see how it goes! This last weekend was Labor Day weekend. Andy and I have been stuck at home all summer because of work and summer school, yuck, so we finally took the chance to get out of the hot Phoenix Valley for a long weekend. It has been over 110 degrees here for the past month, and I believe that it set the record. Anyways, we went camping at Bear Canyon Lake. We went with our friends, Dave and Ayami. We also took our dog, Austin, with us. This was an adventure because it was his first road trip with us, and unfortunately for him, maybe his last! We started out with me driving the truck, Andy shotgun, and Austin in the extended cab (we had all of our camping gear in the back). By the time we got to Payson, Austin and Andy were basically sharing shotgun. For those of you who know me know that I am not a fan of dogs in the house, and that goes the same for dogs, or any other animal, riding in cars. So just imagine my temperament!

It rained most of the weekend. It was refreshing to me to get cooled off; we had good gear and for the most part kept dry, except for our crazy dog. Andy tied him up to a tree next to the truck, so that he could have shelter, but he is not so smart, and got drenched. He was spooked the rest of the night with the lightening and thunder, and poor Andy was up all night making sure that he didn't run away (he can chew right threw his rope). The next morning we just relaxed. Andy and I took the dog for a hike down to the lake and just tried to enjoy being outdoors finally.Even though the weekend was hectic with the crazy dog, I really enjoyed being up away from the city. It is a funny thing, when I am here in Phoenix; it is almost like I am in survival mode. I was raised in a small town, which is very different from the city life. It is crazy… everyday, you have to battle 2 hours of intense traffic, work your 8 hours a day, and then go home and try to live a normal life. The pace in a big city is so fast, and you just get wrapped up in it. When I was up camping this weekend, my world slowed down to almost a halt. I had time to think, relax, and I felt like myself. I felt normal and at home. I know that both Andy and I are looking forward to the slow lifestyle again. Maybe someday…