Everyday Roos.

Baby Showers Take 2 & 3!

2011-04-25T20:27:00.000-07:00

I was very fortunate and loved enough to have 3 showers for this baby of mine! The first you have already read about and the second was one thrown by the girls (and boy) at work! Everyone was so sweet.. but I only have a couple pictures.

My baby tub and goodies!

And this was my favorite. A client gave me this box filled with chocolate nuggets...haha get it? And a little baby rockstar onesie and tutu with a matching shirt for me. We were joking about all the funny and inappropriate things people could put their babies in, but she decided to give me something tame. (Although she did tell me she looked everywhere for baby size leather chaps hahaha.) I love it!

My 3rd shower was a family shower! The Roos' and Grows came together and we had a fabulous time.

I am overly obsessed with this little nautical outfit.

A quilt! A real live quilt! If you can't tell, Im very excited about this. Rebekah made it and she's super talented and I feel super lucky to have gotten one of her creations!
I need to take more pictures of the other handmade goods I have been given, because really, it's amazing. These women's talent and skills are off the charts and I am glad I (ok, the nugget) is benefitting from it!

Thank you again to everyone who came/hosted/gifted at my showers! We feel very fortunate to have you all in our life!

Baby Shower Take 1!

2011-04-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

Well..that was fun. Apparently I'm really good at finishing what I start. :) Me thinks starting a challenge mid-pregnancy wasn't the best idea. Maybe one day I will finish those topics..but for now I will just blog about life. Lets see here.. I'm pregnant. Oh you didnt know? I've only got about 3 more weeks left.. and I might pee my pants. Not because I've lost control of the bladder, just because I feel completely unprepared and still in total denial. I think a wakeup call is coming my way. I did have a fabulous baby shower though with friends and family and our nugget got seriously spoiled! Here I am! My friend Shiloh and her sister made the cutest cake ever.. And a few of my talented girlfriends made this adorable diaper cake that I refuse to take apart yet! Jackson was a ham that day apparently... and Andee's twins were loved by all.

When I got home and unpacked and laid it all out...my nursery had turned into a mini Babies-R-Us! We got so spoiled and I am so grateful!

This was all the handmade items we were given.. we are lucky to know so many talented women! A big thank you to Becca and Shiloh for hosting! It was such a great day...until afterwards..haha.

Thank you so much to everyone who came! And thank you for taking care of us and the nugget! We sure love you all! And thanks to Erica for taking pictures for me so the day could be properly remembered!

Blog Challenge: Day 19+

2011-03-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

Life is busy these days. Good thing I like it. Let's continue with my blog challenge!

Topic: Disrespecting Your Parents

Ok. Some might say I'm not the ideal candidate to talk about disrespecting your parents. I suppose I went way against the cause when I completely disrepected their wishes and married someone they were 100% against. Here's the thing. I don't think of it that way. I was an adult and made my own decision and I'm quite happy with it.

I did however follow the basic concepts of respecting your parents. I never talked back. If they gave me a curfew or a house rule, I followed it. I had manners and showed appreciation for the things they did for me, even if it was just thanking them for buying my dinner when we went out. I would never speak to my parents the way I hear teens talk to their parents these days. I've never called them names. I still won't even swear in front of them (much..haha), let alone directed towards them. I won't disrepect the things they believe in, even if I believe differently.

I guess that's just being..polite? I just hate the way some people talk to their parents (or adults in general). I also hate the entitled attitude a lot of kids have towards their parents. My parents birthed me and raised me..they don't really owe me anything after that. I would never expect a car or a phone just because I was their kid. I worked for those things myself and I'm grateful I was taught the value of working for what you've got. I appreciate the things my parents have done for me.

Having respect for them as people.. that's a different game. You can be very polite and treat your parents with respect without actually respecting them. That part, I'm working on. :)

Blog Challenge: Day 18

2011-02-20T18:33:00.001-08:00

I took a little break from blogging if you hadn't noticed. There have been lots of projects going on at my house this week so I was much more focused on those. On the plus side, those projects give me lots of things to blog about soon! Get excited.

I'm determined to finish my topic challenge though, so my next topic is: My Beliefs. It doesn't clarify what kind of beliefs, so I will tell you my basic life beliefs. :)

Life is meant to be enjoyed.
If french fries are wrong, I dont want to be right.
Having good girlfriends makes a woman's quality of life better.
Family is what you make, not always what you're given.
Laughter is the cure to pretty much everything.
Babies cheeks are meant to be eaten. Or at least kissed profusely.
Money isn't everything.
Snow should last only through December.
Exercise is critical for mental health.
Everyone should be married to their best friend.
Sunshine and warmth is good for the soul.
If you're going to do something, do it right.
Having bad manners tells me you have a crappy character.
Women can do anything men can do, and sometimes, do it better.
If you're not willing to do the work for something, you're not entitled to complain that you dont have it.

I think that's a good start. I think that's a healthy manifesto to run my life by. Until next time my friends.

Blog Challenge: Day 17

2011-02-12T21:24:00.001-08:00

Well hello friends! I'm glad you are reading..even if you're not commenting. I will keep on keeping on!

Today's challenge topic: My Highs and Lows of the Past Year
(I will try and remember the year chronologically haha)

Highs:

Feb: We bought our first house!!
April: Enjoyed an awesome vacation with my hubby to Arizona
April: Got to watch my beautiful nugget niece McKenzie be born into the world
July: Ran a 10k..which is something I always wanted to do but never thought I would
August: Found out I was pregnant!
November: Went on a bucket list vacation along the California coast
All Year: First year of my life I have felt pretty much completely satisfied. I felt like things were moving in the direction I wanted them too, whether it was settling into a home, getting my weight and health on track, loving my job, enjoying a great relationship with my hubs or building our family together

Lows:

Struggling with my parents not being a real part of my life.. this is forever ongoing I'm afraid
Struggling with being in a parenting role that I have no control over the outcome or decisions made...also forever ongoing
In June my Aunt died after a long battle with breast cancer
Had a corneal ulcer..that was the most miserable 3 days of my life.
Lilith Fair got cancelled at last minute...total heartbreak.

All in all, 2010 was a pretty great year. I can't complain seeing as I had to search through old Facebook posts to figure out my lows for the year. :)

Here's hoping 2011 is even better!

Blog Challenge: Day 16ish

2011-02-10T18:41:00.001-08:00

I haven't been blogging everyday, but since no one is really reading, no one is noticing! So I'm going to go ahead and state that I may or may not blog everyday, but I will get through this topic challenge!

Today's topic is supposed to be my thoughts on mainstream music. But why the heck would I write about that? I like music, whether is mainstream, indie or other. If it's good, it's good and I support it. That's all.

So how about we talk about this whole pregnancy thing for a minute? I am now 29 weeks preggo. It's crazy to think that in about 11 weeks I will be a mom!! Weird. Luckily, it's been a really easy 7 months for me. I haven't been sick at all, I have no real discomfort, I don't even have cravings or food aversions. The only things I can't get away from is my growing body and the unrelenting exhaustion. I'm tired all the time. Working has been pretty easy. I don't get sore or tired while working, but as soon as I'm done with a long day, that's it. I need to put my feet up pronto and take a nap sometimes.

The nugget has been moving a lot lately and I can finally feel her all over the place. For a long time I only felt kicks WAY down low. Today when I was at the doctor she was moving all over the place while my midwife was trying to listen to her heartbeat. My midwife was like "Is it ALWAYS like this?" But no, it's not. Really that just happens when I lay back for some reason.

We haven't started on the nursery yet. We have been finishing the room in the basement for Jasmine. On Monday the carpet is getting installed and then it's on for the nursery! I can't wait to get all the stuff I have crammed in the office organized. It's driving me crazy.

Let's see..whats else might anyone care about? How about a little picture? We had to get two ultrasounds for safety's sake and when we went back for our follow up the tech put it in 4D mode for us on her face. It was totally unexpected but we saw right away that our nugget has Daniel's nose! We always joked that that was the one thing we could go for him not passing on but it looks like it's all hers! Oh, and the big lips are a given. :) Here's our little girl nugget at 20 weeks!

Blog Challenge: Days 14 and 15

2011-02-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

Hello! I obviously have been AWOL all weekend. I just had a really long, busy, tiring weekend and didn't spend much time at the computer. Rest and sleep trumped blog.

But I'm back! I will write about days 14/15 today.

First: My First Memory

I don't really know. I have lots of memories from when I was a kid but none from when I was REALLY young. I remember most things in groups and can't discern age of when they individually happened. For example, one of my best memories is spending lots and lots of time at the beach growing up. We lived in Southern California, and my mom didn't work so we went to the beach a lot. I have very specific memories of different beaches, showering the sand off before we left, having competitions with my brothers who could pull the biggest hunk of seaweed on shore and so on. That's why I crave the beach so much as an adult.

I also remember spending a lot of time at the park. My Grandpa was very physically active and would go to the park every morning to run or walk laps. This particular park had stations along the outer path that you could stop and do exercises at, with pictures of the exercises at the station. I would run along with him and try my hardest to do the exercises but never could quite do it right.

We lived with my grandparents and every morning they would pick a grapefruit from the tree in our backyard, split it and each have half with a little sugar and a bowl of cereal. I loved it when they let me go out and pick the "best" one for them.

I remember being hit by a car when I was 6. That's the only memory I specifically remember my age. I was on my bike, trying to follow my older brother and his friend on their bikes. They crossed a busy street we were not allowed to be near, and instead of stopping, I tried to follow. I heard a loud screech and turned my head in time to see a car coming right at me, braking so hard I saw sparks come out the sides of the tires. It didn't hit me very hard, but hard enough to mangle my brand new bike and send my arm through the spokes and face into the pavement. I have no idea how I didn't break anything. The nice stranger who hit me carried me home (my house was 2 streets over) and I remember my mom opening the door with a horrified look on her face. I was later so scared of getting an xray they paid me 10 cents to lie still enough for it. Haha. Dimes are in high demand when you're 6.

I remember my mom coming into my room every night and singing a song to me and tickling my tummy before falling asleep. My mom was good to her babies. I miss that mom.

Oh and Patrick Swayze bought a house for his mom at the top of my street. I loved him when I was little so when I heard this I wrote him a love letter and hand delivered it to his mom. She told me I was the cutest thing ever and that she would get me an autographed picture for me, but I never went back. I was upset that Patrick wasn't there. He was probably off Dirty Dancing somewhere.

Is it weird that I don't remember specific things from when I was very young? I think it's a little bit sad...

On to our next topic. The original idea was to list my favorite Tumblrs, but I have no idea what that is, so I'm gonna go ahead and change that. I saw something Emily did the other day on her blog that I will just steal. :)

I am...woman, hear me roar.
I want...to have a healthy pregnancy resulting in healthy baby.
I have...a wonderful life.
I wish...I was lying on the beach.
I hate...bad manners.
I fear...being a bad mom.
I search...ksl classifieds for a dresser everyday..haha.
I wonder...if the nugget will look anything like me. Judging the ultrasound..not so much.
I regret...not being more upfront with my parents.
I love...my husband. And french fries. And chocolate.
I ache...a lot in my feet and a little in my heart.
I always...drink ice water.
I usually...leave my house way later than i should to get to work when I should.
I am not...skinny. i got the wrong genes for that one. thanks Dad.
I dance...in my living room with my husband..and sometimes for clients.
I sing...all the damn time.
I never...do the dishes. I have the best husband ever.
I sometimes...get really mad about things I cant change.
I cry...a lot. Its really annoying.
I am not always...good at faking it. Moods I mean.
I lose...patience quickly.
I am confused...by how my Mom can be so.. just so.
I need...a big deep jetted tub.
I should...start letting go.

Blog Challenge: Day 13

2011-02-03T21:32:00.000-08:00

Today sucks. It was going so well to begin with. It's my day off so I slept in (I've been sooo tired lately) and lounged around for awhile before cleaning up a bit. I thought I heard my doorbell ring but I wasn't sure and I never really answer the door when I'm home alone anyways, so I ignored it. About 15 minutes later I went upstairs to discover some old man walking around my front yard with a long pole in his hand. I had no idea what was going on. I got myself dressed and went outside to find my neighbors out there just about to leave.

Apparently all the sprinklers along the front sidewalk were pouring water out of them, flooding the grass and street. My nice little neighbor was searching for my water shutoff but couldn't find it. They left and i panicked, unsure of what to do. I ran downstairs to the main shutoff, turned it off and ran back upstairs but the water was still running. I called Daniel about 10 times and couldn't get through. I had no idea where else to look for another shut off so I wandered the house and yard. Finally I got Daniel on the phone and he told me it was in the garden in some random hole and I had to get our long metal T-shaped tool thingy to turn it off. I stuck it down in there and turned it, hoping for the best. It's about 5 feet down in the ground so I had no idea if I was doing it right and all of a sudden I hear spraying water, so I freaked out thinking I had now made it worse. But relief! I checked the front and the water had stopped. Crisis averted.

Then I got to spend some time at the Drivers License Division, go to Home Depot to get some money back they overcharged me on carpet and check out the local Rec center since we cancelled our Gold's membership (which I'm very sad about).

On to home where I promptly drop my phone on the kitchen tile, which apparently cracked my touch screen. Now the phone works, but the screen doesn't. Since its a touch screen, i can't do anything. I see these texts and calls come in but I cant even look at them because it doesn't register my touch. Lame.

Are you still with me?

Good. now's the perfect time to daydream about today's topic: Somewhere I'd like to move or visit.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a beach girl. Give me the ocean and I will love you forever. My dream is to live in a little beach town, where my sole purpose in life is to walk the beaches and bask in the glory of the sunshine. However, I married someone with a couple of things that keeps him permanently in Utah. I do love this state, because it's gorgeous and there is lots for me to enjoy in the summer. But... it doesn't have the ocean.

So, I told Daniel he has to take me to a beach every year to make up for not moving me to one. He hasn't made that happen every year, but close. I would LOVE to visit Hawaii one day, but for now it's way too out of my price range. I would love to see Fiji and Tahiti and any remote island with white sand and bright blue water. Ahhh... bliss.

Other than beaches though, my dream is to visit multiple places in Europe, mainly France and Italy. I have a mild obsession in my head with visiting Paris. Pretty much every part of Italy calls to me too. Rome, Venice, Milan, Capri..all of it. Oh and pretty much all the Greek islands need to be seen too. I think I should have been born a European. I would much rather work to live and enjoy the slow life than live to work and watch life tick by without me.

Ok I think that's enough. Those are my top places I would love to see, although really seeing the whole world wouldn't be so bad. A girl can dream, right?

Blog Challenge: Day 12

2011-02-02T21:27:00.000-08:00

Today I'm supposed to bullet list my whole day. Too bad this has been the lamest day ever.

My alarm clock went off until 9:30.
I snoozed until 10:30.
I finally got out of bed at 11.
I ate a bowl of cheerios.
I showered and got myself ready.
I drove to work.
I did lots of hair.
I got off late at 8:30.
I looked at Facebook on my phone before driving home and got really mad for a minute.
I got home and changed into my warm pajamas.
I ate lasagna and garlic bread that my husband had waiting for me.
I ate a bowl of Rocky Road ice cream
I watched Bill Maher on tv while surfing the internet.
I started watching 'Groundhog Day' while blogging.

The End.

Blog Challenge: Day 11

2011-02-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

Today I am to put my Ipod on shuffle and list the first 10 songs:

Good, a mindless one, since my brain is fried today.

1. She's Got a Way- Billy Joel
2. I'll Follow You Into the Dark- Deathcab for Cutie
3. To Make You Feel My Love- Adele
4. Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay- Otis Redding
5. What I Got- Sublime
6 .Two Pina Coladas- Garth Brooks
7. I'm Not Calling You a Liar- Florence and the Machine
8. Manhattan- Kings of Leon
9. Airplanes- B.O.B. and Hayley Williams
10. Lightening Storm- Flogging Molly

I'm actually quite impressed with my shuffle tonight. That's a pretty good example of my wide range of music. I listen to a little of everything. I'm surprised there wasn't any Led Zeppelin or Counting Crows in that mix though...

Blog Challenge: Day 10

2011-01-31T22:13:00.000-08:00

Today I am feeling very...pregnant. Just thought you might like to know. On with the show.

Today's topic: Discuss My First Love and First Kiss

This is so tender. :) I'm pretty sure my first and true love was french fries. I think I came out of the womb asking for them and haven't looked back since.

Oh..not that kind of love?

Ok. My first love was named Devin. He is my mom's best friend's son. We are the same age and were raised together since birth, with our moms telling us we were going to be married someday. I really did think I was going to marry him. We planned our lives through the game of MASH.. you know the one, right? It decides for you whether you're going to live in a mansion, apartment, shack or house..haha. We decided we were going to have 4 kids, drive Jeeps and live in Maine. I was going to be a doctor and he was going to be a policeman. Sounds like a pretty sweet set-up to me.

How romantic.

Maybe that's why I started kissing him when I was really young. I'm not sure how old I was when I kissed him for the first time, maybe 7 or 8, but it continued for years. We didn't live in the same state by that point so it was only on the occasions we would see each other, and I promise it was very innocent. We would pretend we were movie stars and kiss with big theatrics. It's hilarious when I really think about it. We did get in trouble for locking ourselves in a room alone together once. My little brother wanted to come in and we wouldn't let him, so he told our moms, who assumed we were doing something shameful. I'm pretty sure we were just lying on the bed talking about our future in Maine with our awesome Jeeps.

I got butterflies when I saw Devin, even up until the last time I saw him, which was in 2004 I believe. He's super cute and was always so good to me. Every time I saw him he had a cute little present for me, like kissing bears, a bracelet or blocks that spelled "I Luv U". He constantly told me I was beautiful and the only girl for him. Too bad he was raised in Las Vegas and turned into a hot mess. Drugs and hot guys don't mix.

I have kissed lots of boys in my day..some I dated, some I knew 5 minutes. The first time I felt a literal spark when I kissed someone? My Danny boy. Once I loved him I knew he was really my first love and the first kiss that really meant something. So I promptly broke up with him. Like 5 times. Aw, love.

Blog Challenge: Days 8 & 9

2011-01-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

I missed my first day of blogging last night! I worked all day and went straight from work to do dinner and games with some girls from my old salon and our men. It was so much fun but I didn't get home until 1:00 am so I went straight to bed! I will tackle both topics today though!

Day 08: A Time I Felt the Most Satisfied with My Life

I wish I had written this yesterday. Yesterday, I would without a doubt say right now. I'm the most at peace with myself that I've ever been. I'm the happiest I've been in my realtionship. I love what I do and where I work. I have great friends. I have close relationships with almost everyone in my immediate family. I'm really loving being pregnant. I'm so excited to meet my baby girl. I own my own home and love making it mine. I feel overall comfortable. Things are just really good.

Today though, I'm in some unfamiliar territory. My steady, peaceful foundation is feeling a bit rocked. I so hope it stays as great from now on as it felt yesterday. :)

Day 09: How I Hope My Future Will Be Like

I swear I talked about this already on Day 2 when I listed where I'd like to be in 10 years.

I just hope my future is happy and healthy. I want to be years and years down the road being proud of where I am. I don't want to look back in regret, wishing I had done more or less of anything. I hope I will still have a fun and loving marriage. I hope I have close, open relationships with my kids. I hope my kids are normal, happy and successful. I hope I have a home filled with love and laughter, not fighting or unhappiness. I hope I'm healthy and haven't gained 100 pounds. :) I hope my husband is healthy (and hasn't gained 100 pounds).

How's that?

Blog Challenge: Day Seven

2011-01-28T20:11:00.000-08:00

My Zodiac Sign and If I Think it Fits My Personality

Well who knows anymore? Some crazy person decided that the signs were changing this year. I think it's pretty funny. You would think Nostradamus was back and predicting total annihilaltion the way people freaked out. I like what Bill Maher had to say about it:

"If you're panicked because your zodiac sign just changed to "Ophiuchus", and
now you don't know what your traits are...let me help: you're a gullible
dumb-ass."

I was born a Gemini. If the changes were true, I would now be a Taurus. Lame. I'm still a Gemini. I suppose the description sounds like me, but I'm pretty sure I could relate any other sign's traits to myself as well. Here's what it says about me (if you actually read this next part..you really are a champion):
Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac, and those born under this sign will be quick to tell you all about it. That's because they love to talk! The driving force behind a Gemini's conversation is their mind. The Gemini-born are intellectually inclined, forever probing people and places in search of information. The more information a Gemini collects, the better. Sharing that information later on with those they love is also a lot of fun, for Geminis are supremely interested in developing their relationships. Dalliances with these folks are always enjoyable, since Geminis are bright, quick-witted and the proverbial life of the party. Even though their intellectual minds can rationalize forever and a day, Geminis also have a surplus of imagination waiting to be tapped. Can a Gemini be boring? Never!

Since Geminis are a mix of the yin and the yang, they are represented perfectly by the Twins. The Gemini-born can easily see both sides of an issue, a wonderfully practical quality. Less practical is the fact that you're not sure which Twin will show up half the time. Geminis may not know who's showing up either, which can prompt others to consider them fickle and restless.

They can be wishy-washy, too, changing their mood on a simple whim. It's this characteristic which readily suggests the Mutable Quality assigned to this sign. Mutable folks are flexible and go with the flow. Further, the Twins are adaptable and dexterous and can tackle many things at once. It's a good thing, too, when you consider their myriad interests. The downside of such a curious mind, however, can be a lack of follow-through. How much can any one person do, anyway?

They are quick-thinking, quick-witted and fast on their feet. Geminis are both curious and clever. Although they talk a great game, they also love to listen and learn. Any social setting is a good one for a Gemini, however, since these folks are charming, congenial and love to share themselves with their friends. At work, they are the clearest of thinkers, looking at a project from all (well, at least two) sides and putting forth some logical and well-thought-out ideas. This quality makes Geminis an asset to any team. It's also the Gemini's literary bent that allows them to offer a useful perspective on most any situation. The Twins also enjoy bringing their objective reasoning and big-picture ability into their personal relationships. While some may perceive all this logical thought as cold and unemotional, it's simply how these folks tick. They want to connect, they just do it their own way. Luckily for Geminis (and their pals), their lightness of spirit and youthful exuberance help them to appear forever young. In keeping with that skip in their step, Geminis enjoy short road trips -- and their agile minds and nimble hands ensure that they could change a tire (if needed) in no time flat.

They love the camaraderie of games and play, which is why they excel at team events. Whether it's volleyball or a game of charades, Geminis are always ready to play. A book club would certainly stimulate their literary minds. In the game of love, Geminis are playful, flirtatious and endless fun. Physically speaking, Gemini rules the nervous system, which is why Twins should practice yoga or deep breathing techniques. The great strength of the Gemini-born is in their ability to communicate effectively and to think clearly. Adventures of the mind are what the Twins are all about. They also love to share themselves with their friends, and they make for charming companions.

Blog Challenge: Day Six

2011-01-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

Ok so last nights post wasn't a hit. :)

Let's turn this beat around!

30 Interesting Facts About Myself

1. I'm pregnant! :)
2. I have a shoe obsession. I covet cute high heels and never wear them.
3. I cried for days when my 5th brother was born because I just wanted a sister.
4. I have a horrible memory, but I'm just beginning to realize it.
5. I'm terrified of heights. Hardcore.
6. I LOOOVE spicy food.
7. I grew up wanting 4 kids, married a man with kids and decided I wanted zero, then settled on 2 being the perfect number for me.
8. I've never been able to do a cartwheel.
9. I want to give my cats away... but I'm not heartless enough to do it.
10. I hate winter. I think snow is great at Christmas but I would love to live in 85 degree weather all year long.
11. I hate bugs and spiders and won't even get close enough to them to kill them.
12. My parents didn't come to my wedding.
13. If I had extra money to spend, it would definitely be used for traveling. Too bad there is never extra.
14. My favorite color is red.
15. I grew up convinced I was going to be a pediatrician.
16. I have no idea what changed my mind and made me think to go to beauty school.
17. A lot of people were upset when I went to beauty school and told me I was too smart for it.
18. I will only let people take my picture on my good side..thats the right.
19. I fell madly in love with running before I got pregnant, then was told to stop doing it by my doctor.
20. I want to run a half marathon by 2012.
21. French fries are my life's weakness.
22. I love Diet Coke, but only from a fountain.
23. My husband is lucky to be married to me.
24. I think I'm hilarious, and I'm pretty sure the huz is the only one who fully appreciates my humor.
25. I'm terrified of being fat for the rest of my life.
26. I've watched Dirty Dancing probably 50 times.
27. I'm allergic to shellfish but crave it all the time. (The allergy was acquired when I was 15.)
28. I have a 6th generation middle name and I don't want to keep it going... but D wants me to.
29. I won't touch feet besides my own. I'm the only person at my salon who refuses to do pedicures.
30. I'm going to try childbirth all natural! Woo hoo!

Ok those might be lame but I just thought of the first things that came to mind. Have a lovely day!

Blog Challenge: Day Five

2011-01-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to wonder why I picked this blog challenge. These topics are pretty heavy for a sarcasm filled blog like mine. However, I'm up for a challenge. I'm not ashamed of the way I feel so there's no reason not to write about it. After today though, it's all love! If there is anyone reading this though, please comment! I like to know who's actually reading my thoughts and feelings! Don't be scared!

This next post is by far my life's most personal story. I am not ashamed of this particular time in my life. Some of you know this story, some know parts of it and others know nothing. There is not one person alive that knows the entire story so there is lots more to be said about it, but by the end you will know more than enough. I don't share it to get pity, because that's the one thing I don't want. I share it so that people realize there are real problems that real kids go through at lots of different ages. I think more people need to talk about it.

Day Five Challenge: A Time I Thought About Ending My Own Life

I was 11 the first time I tried to kill myself. I had gotten to a point in my life that I wanted to be done. I thought I couldn't possibly take it anymore and my only option was to die. Obviously, I wasn't successful at my attempt.

I was in sixth grade. I had somehow convinced myself that I had become friends with the popular group of girls at school. I sat with them at lunch, I played with them at recess and I even had sleepovers with them on the weekends. I suppose some might call that friendship. I thought so. One day, however, they all stopped talking to me. Just like that. I had no idea what I had done, I just felt panicked and afraid. A few days later a boy in my class came up to me and told me he had heard I was a lesbian. I had no idea what he was talking about and he just explained that that's what everyone was saying. Sure enough, it was. The entire grade (and I'm sure others) were talking about it. My so-called friends had been the ones to start the rumors. I suddenly had zero friends. I would walk alone, eat alone, sit alone at recess. People would point and laugh at me. I was called horrible names. The people I thought were my friends laughed about it and pushed the rumors further. I honestly had no idea why it was so bad to be called a lesbian, I just knew that no one wanted to come close to me or be my friend.

On it's own, I might had gotten over this. I like to think I would have been able to handle making new friends and moving on. What destroyed me is what was going on away from school.

For a number of years, including the time I was going through this at school, I was being regularly physically and sexually abused by someone my family knew well. No one knew about it. It was just me and my abuser in a sick little game. I was threatened with the immediate death of both me and my parents if I told anyone. I believed it entirely. I lived my life in terror. I was afraid to be alone, afraid to sleep, even afraid to shower. It consumed me.

I saw myself as worthless. I hated myself, no one else could possibly love me. I didn't know how to lift myself up. I needed something that I couldn't grab hold of. I felt a shadow over me all the time. I sobbed every night as I tried to force myself to sleep.

At 11 years old, I felt I had no where to go. I was alone in my darkest place. Instead of telling my parents and watching them face certain death, I knew my life would be the one less missed. One day, I swallowed a bottle of pills. I uncontrollably threw it up shortly after.

I'm not really sure how I did make it through. A large part of me surviving gets credited to the girls that became my friends later in the year. They took me in and loved me, no matter what the other kids said. I'm still friends with those girls and I can't even express how grateful I am for them.

I know that what I went through at that part of my life shapes who I am today, but it certainly doesn't define me. I feel lucky all the time that I ended up a happy, healthy person. My life could have gone in a very different direction. I do carry it with me, but now I walk over it instead of letting it hang above me.

Blog Challenge: Day Four

2011-01-25T16:55:00.000-08:00

I'm glad I got some of my readers back! Check out the comments of my last post because there are some different views on the maryjane issue and my final thoughts too. :)

This next post is probably the hardest to put words to. I probably shouldn't write about it because I don't want to offend or upset anyone. But, since I told you all I support pot, what more harm can I do..haha. Again, these are my experiences only, but ask Daniel his anytime you want. :)

My Views on Religion

The most simple way for me to put this: I don't know.

Having been raised in a strict LDS household, I grew up believing I knew the truth because I was told it was true. That was that. It just was. My dad is super outspoken about his unwavering faith in the church. His dad, my Grandpa, has held pretty much every calling, from stake president to patriarch to temple sealer. The only time I ever see my dad cry is when he talks about his testimony. My mom is a convert and is equally firm in her beliefs, but less in your face about it.

We didn't have a house that had nightly scripture reading or Family Home Evening though. We knew what our parents believed, we all went to church every week and we knew what we were supposed to believe as well. It was all pretty straightforward. I loved going to Young Womens because I had fun.

I specifically remember when my first issues with church came up. I was 15 and upset because my oldest brother was allowed to go on a mission. He never should have and I knew it, and I hated that they let him go anyways. (I will interject that for both my older brothers, I now believe missions were the best things that happened to them at that point in their lives. They both ended up much better people because of it.) That's the first time I started taking advantage of not being "forced" to go to church.

I did continue going for the most part and even after I moved out, thanks to my wonderful roomate aka Becca, I even tried a singles ward. That might have been a mistake. It was a meat market and I hated the way the people there made me feel. I wasn't pretty enough for the men to look at or talk to and I was young and a threat to the women so they would just give me dirty looks. Church wasn't supposed to feel that way. That's when I stopped going altogether.

Now, even though I didn't go to church, I still believed in it. I fully planned on getting married in the temple. That was the only option in my brain.

Then it happened. I read a book. That book made me read another book and then the more I read the more questions I had. I've never been good at the term "that's just the way it is". I always want to know WHY that's the way it is. I want answers. From questions came issues. From issues came a new way of seeing things. And from that came the end.

I respect religion. I have said many times that if I were to go to any church, it would be back to the Mormon church. I appreciate the values it teaches. I respect where I come from and what my family believes. I won't say anything bad about the LDS church because there is no reason to. I have no problem with it. I think religion in one of the healthiest things a person can believe in. It gives comfort and peace to people.

All I know for sure, is that I don't know. I don't talk about religion only because I can't tell people what I don't know. I do know that for me, it doesn't play a role in my life right now. I am open to the thought that one day I might drastically change my mind. I just don't see my mind changing at this point. I am by no means a radical in any direction.

So there you have it. My vague views on religion.

Tomorrow's post might be the most depressing, but after that, we should be all positivity for the next topics. Love you all! :)

Blog Challenge: Day Three

2011-01-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

(Hi Erica! Thanks for being my one remaining reader! :) This one's for you haha.)

Today is about: My Views on Drugs and Alcohol

*Disclaimer: These opinions are mine alone..for Daniel's, you will have to ask him.

I grew up in a house that was strongly against all drugs and alcohol. It wasn't just because I grew up in an LDS household, but also because my parents had personal backgrounds with both substances. My dad was a recreational drug/alcohol user in his high school days (that's what those stake presidents sons get themselves into). He started dating my mom shortly after high school and she told him she would not marry him or continue dating him unless he cut out everything and became the man to take her to the temple. He did, and obviously, they did.

My mom's experiences are much different. She grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father and from the effects of that, she never got involved with it in her own life. She is the most anti drug/alcohol person I've ever met.

The reason I give those backgrounds is so that you understand how I was raised to view these things. I think the only downfall to being raised in a house that was so passionately against it was that it made me more curious about it. You would think that it would make me never want to touch the stuff, but I think it had the opposite effect. In high school I lived kind of a double life. With my closest girlfriends, I went to young women activities and stayed clean. With a few other friends who didn't cross groups, I experimented with drinking and mild drugs. It wasn't much because I had a constant feeling of guilt associated with what I was doing. I think the main reason I even did it at the time is because I was running from other parts of my life and trying to cover up the problems.

After high school I stopped any drugs altogether, but drinking became something I played around with more. I went to parties and Vegas with friends far too many times.

The thing is, I come from alcoholic blood. It takes A LOT of alcohol to get me drunk. I have never understood why people drink just to get drunk. First of all, most alcohol tastes disgusting. Why force yourself to drink crap just to get sloppy and not know whats going on around you? That's not to say I didn't do exactly that, but everytime I thought it was ridiculous myself. It didn't really take me long to realize I was over it.

So now, I don't drink. I see no need for it in my own life. I don't judge those that do (obviously I can't), but I just don't need it. I will admit to the rare occasion of having a margarita with good Mexican food, or a glass of wine at a dinner party, but beyond that I'm just not interested.

I will say this about drugs. I am 100% against drug use, with the exception of marijuana. Just to clarify, I DONT SMOKE POT. But, I see less problems with that than addictive and harmful cigarettes. I believe one day marijuana will be legal and I think it should be so it can be taxed and regulated.

So that's that. my long ramble about my own experiences with drugs and alcohol. We are still friends, right? :)

Blog Challenge: Day Two

2011-01-23T21:48:00.000-08:00

Two days in a row. Booyah!

Today's topic is: Where I'd like to be in 10 Years

This is a tough one for me. For anyone that knows me, you know I'm not much of a planner. Sure, there are certain things I plan out in advance: vacations, meals for the week, monthly budgeting. That's about it. There are a few things I hope to be true in 10 years though.

1. I would like to have 2 happy and healthy kids
2. I would like to be working a little less and at home a little more
3. I would like to be living comfortably enough that my family and I can travel and enjoy various vacations together (although this might be hard if #2 is to be true)
4. I would like for both myself and Daniel to be healthy and in shape, living as active a lifestyle as we can
5. I would like to have a normal, healthy relationship with my parents and my family as a whole

That's about all I can think of, honestly. I know there are bigger goals I should have for my life over the next ten years but I like to keep it simple. :)

What about you? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Blog Challenge!

2011-01-22T21:54:00.000-08:00

Hello Strangers..aka.. the 2 people that might read this blog.

I'm going to blog this month! I know, you'll believe it when you see it. Well guess what? Along with everyone else I am going to do a 30 day blog challenge. Because I'm not much for following rules or traditional format, I'm just going to start it right now in the middle (almost end) of the month!

Here's the deal. I write about a different topic everyday. Easy enough.

Here's my topic list in case you wanna get all sorts of excited for the days to come.

Aren't you just dying to know my feelings on some of those topics? Cause I am. (Although I will be changing a couple of them (Tumblrs? Huh?) Here we go!

Day One: My Current Relationship

I am married. 4 years now. To a champion. Someone told me today I totally scored in the husband department and I would have to agree. Daniel is my very best friend. My mom has asked me a few times what I see in him and I cant never adaquately explain why I feel so strongly about him. I just love being his wife. I have known quite a few friends and family who ended up in marriages that weren't great. I've heard everything from it not being an equal partnership, to not sleeping in the same bed or being able to hold a simple conversation when in the same room. I feel so sad for those people because that's not how life should be. I feel really strongly that marriage should be based on friendship first. Obviously, there HAS to be more than that, but if I didn't consider Daniel to be my friend, I think we would be screwed. One day my amazing good looks will fade and Daniel won't be such a hot ticket anymore and then what will we do? I truly enjoy my time with Daniel, even the days I want to punch him in the face (and sometimes I ask him if I can..and he lets me). I would never claim to have a perfect relationship. We argue, we disagree on a lot of things and there's always...something. But I also laugh every day, hold my husbands hand every chance I get and fall asleep every night next to a man who I happen to know would do anything for me. My current relationship is good.

Cruisin' the Coast

2010-12-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

Daniel and I decided we needed to take one more big vacation before we have a little baby in our house changing things up a bit. Half of our family was planning an extended trip to Disneyland so we figured that was a good time to go on our own trip. We rented a car and drove from here to San Francisco, from San Fran to San Diego, then back home. It was a lot of driving, especially for my poor legs/hips, but it was totally worth it.

We had never been to San Fran before, so we spent the first 3 days there. We saw all the main sights except for Alcatraz.
Next, we made our way down to Monterey. We had limited time there, but it was gorgeous. We did make sure to get in a trip to the famous Aquarium, which Daniel was all sorts of excited about.

The drive from Monterey to Pismo Beach was amazing. Full of beautiful scenery of cliffs and ocean the entire way. We stayed in Pismo one night.

On our way to Anaheim to meet up with the family for a day at Disneyland, we drove through where I grew up and Daniel saw all the places I spent my childhood, which was nice to share. Disneyland was a blast. Daniel hadn't been since he was a kid and I hadn't been for years so it was a fun day. Since I'm preggo I couldn't ride the best rides, but it was still lots of fun. The park wasn't too busy, the weather was great and it was so cool to see Disney at Christmastime.

Our last stop was San Diego for the Utes' football game. We met up with most of the family again and "enjoyed" half of a very wet, very cold football game. Us women and children left at halftime but Daniel and Boo stuck it out to see the Utes win! The next morning we said goodbye to everyone and made our way home through Vegas, where we were nice and boring and didnt step foot in a casino but just slept to finish the trip home. So that was that! I'm so glad we got to do this together because who knows how long it will be until we can do it again!

An Ode to a Man.

2010-10-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

I married a man 4 years ago. We had a long bumpy road to get there but we made a choice. I love that man I married. I love him more today than the day I married him. I love him more today than yesterday. I'm sure I will love him more tomorrow. Unless he doesn't put his laundry away.

I've been told lots of things about him. I've been told he would never love me the way I deserve. I've been told he will use me and abuse me. I've been told he won't think having kids with me is special because he's already been there, done that.

Well guess what? I know he loves me just the way I need to be loved. I know he thinks I'm the best thing thats ever happened to him. He thinks better things about me than I think about myself. Maybe he has experienced all the first time parent things without me, but he sure hasn't done it with me.

And I've never seen him more excited.

When this baby of ours comes... I think I'm going to love that man more than any day I've had before.

Yellowstone...

2010-06-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Ok so I take full responsibility for for the death of this blog. Life had not a lot of excitement until recently. Now that we have bought a house, are working on making it really our own, taking a few small trips and the arrival of summer, things are looking up!

I will make some posts about our house soon, but I thought I would start with our recent trip up to Island Park for Memorial Day weekend. It was a nice, quiet, cold weekend. We did get a trip to Yellowstone in though, which was my first time going! We saw lots of bison and elk but no bears, which Daniel pretty much cried about.

One guy was excited to see the elk up close and personal...and we were excited to see his impending death, but no luck.

We drove alongside some bison (buffalo?) and I thought about pulling an orange shirt guy move and trying to pet one. Good thing I'm smart.

Then we carried on to see Old Faithful where Jackson was a little...underwhelmed. But adorable as always!

We drove the loop and saw Yellowstone Lake completely frozen and beautiful. Then we finished our visit with a little jaunt to the falls.

It was a nice little trip and thanks to R&V for having us! Next stop.. Denver. More to come on that later.

Everyday Roos?

2010-02-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

I was thinking today...we have this blog called "Everyday Roos" that we never update. So I proposed to Elizabeth that we change the name to "Roos Quarterly" or "Semi-Annual Roos". I think that would probably be more appropriate. So much has happened since the last exciting post involving Boyz 2 Men (I know, I know, You re asking yourself how could there be something more exciting than that?). As most of you have heard, we are in the process of purchasing a home in Taylorsville. Our scheduled closing date is February 25Th and everything seems to be in order for that to happen as planned. We are really excited to have our own place. More space, more freedom & more private (No offense Murphy). It will be so nice to have my own yard and garden to work in. I will even have my own work room to...well, I don't really know what I'm going to do in there, but it will be MY space and I will be able to do whatever I want. I'm thinking it will be my computer repair area and space to keep my house tools in. Now all I need is house tools. Also it will be SO nice to be able to decorate our own space and paint our own walls whatever colors we want. (Again, no offense Murphy, but the Salmon walls just aren't cutting it for us). Also glad there will be more space for the kids. Jasmine will have her own room now and not have to bunk up with her brothers, and the boys room is about twice as big as the room all 3 are sharing right now. They are all excited as well. We have been packing for a couple weeks already, but still have much to do before that day. So there you have it...that's whats going on in the Roos family right now that is blog-worthy. I'm sure we will update again after all is said and done and we get settled in...if not then, I'm sure there will be a Vanilla Ice or MC Hammer concert that Elizabeth can share some pictures with us about. (Just kidding Baby,I Love ya)

Motown Philly's back again...

2009-09-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

So if any of you read my Facebook status', last weekend I posted something about being excited for the best night of my life. Well, it sure was the best night ever. I went to the fair and saw BoyzIIMen in concert! Woo hoo.. you know you all loved them in the 90's, don't deny it.

Becca, Michelle and I got ourselves together, ate some corndogs and I put my social skills to work getting us enough tickets from strangers to get into the concert.

There are now only 3 members of the group, but hey, I'm just glad they are still rockin.

I sang, danced and laughed the whole night. There were women there who obviously were huge fans back in the day because they were crying and screaming the whole time. When the Boyz brought out some roses to throw out during "I'll Make Love to You" there was a gigantic wave of women running from every corner of the place trying to get close to the stage. (Don't worry, I stayed put.)
If I can ever figure out how, I will post the video I took of their sweet moves.

Ok, ok..

2009-09-25T21:31:00.001-07:00

Here is another one.

I have been lucky enough to spend every Monday and Tuesday with my adorable niece, Willow. For the first couple years of her life, I hardly saw her, as my brother only has her on Sundays. He takes her to my parents, which is not where I spend my Sundays, so spending time with her was few and far between. I finally asked her mom directly if I could take her on my own once in awhile and she was happy to hand her over. Now I see her every week and I miss her when she is away. She might not say much, but she is a bundle of love and I tell Daniel all the time I wish I could keep her. Haha, sorry Keith and Aimee.

With her, the other new niece bundles of love, the impending arrival of a nephew and the later impending arrival of a half Brit/half Italian... I am surrounded by babies. I love it. I'm not, however, even close to having my own, so stop wondering. I will just enjoy yours.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-06-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hello! Did you all think I gave up on having a blog? No, no I just gave up on having a life. I just don't have much to talk about!

I did, however, have a birthday yesterday! Now I am at that magic age where if I don't pop out a couple kids soon, the state of Utah will start to wonder what's wrong with me. (Keep worrying, Utah.)

I had to work yesterday but while I was there my very good friend Becca sent me these gorgeous flowers! I love them..she's so good to know my favorite! Thanks, friend!

After work my husband left me for Josh's school play but I continued on with Billy and Becca to the Bees game. We met up with some softball friends and my brother David joined us as well. The best part? The tickets were cheap and it was $1 hot dog night! Everyone knows the best part of a baseball game is the hot dogs and sunshine.

Even though it rained off an on all afternoon, the weather was perfect during the game. It was so nice just to hang out and chat and eat cheap food. Thanks for the good birthday!

Oh and in case you might forget how much I'm loved, go to Erica's blog. She wrote a lovely tribute to me! I love her although I might cry about how horrendous I look in the pictures she posted. How did they let me into beauty school looking like that?

Oh Sun, How I Love Thee...

2009-04-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

Is the recent weather not the best thing ever? I can't help myself but want to spend every minute outside. Luckily, I was off early yesterday and took advantage of it! Becca had the day off so we decided to go on a hike! We chose an easy one (the Bonneville Shoreline Trail), packed some water and cameras and we were off! It was so nice to get outside and breathe and get a little sunshine. We did quickly realize we aren't the hiking champions we were in high school. We made it to the overlook though and felt pretty dang proud!
Apparently lots of other people had our same idea because there were so many mountain bikers on the trail. I don't know what the proper ettiquette of hiking is, but no matter who it was, whether it be biker or runner or fellow walker, Becca and I were always the ones to get out of the way. Not always by choice, but because no one else was going to move so it was either us or die. I did make an attempt to test the theory of just keep going and eventually they will move, but I only ended up almost falling in a bush while Becca laughed her head off. Bad call to test that going head to head with a mountain bike.

Thanks for the fun day my friend! Let's do it again soon! Anyone wanna join us?

4/20

2009-04-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

Look, I'm blogging!

On Monday I had the lovely opportunity to celebrate my good friend Erica's birthday! We spend pretty much every Monday together but this one was extra special. We started the day getting pedicures. I told the nice little lady I didn't want any fancy design on my toes and she ignored me and gave me just what she wanted. Good thing it's cute! (Mine are pink.)

After the pedicures, we headed to Chili's to meet Erica's sisters and Mom for lunch. It was delicious as always. Then we headed to the tattoo parlor where everyone but me got new ink. Erica got two, Andee (her sister) got two, Kalie (her other sister) got one, Kalie's husband got one and Andee's best friend Kelly got one. I'm the boring one and got none. It was a fun day and I'm so glad they let me be a part of it! I love Erica and her whole family. They treat me like one of their own people.. I love it! Happy Birthday my old friend! ;) Check out her blog for more pictures and to see the new art collection.

!00 things you probably already know and wish you didn't

2009-04-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

Hola! I keep getting harassed that I don't update my blog enough, so I thought I would make a quick stop. What's new you ask? Well, I have changed salons, cut myself some bangs, spent my first day alone with my adorable niece, had my fellow outcast siblings over for Easter dinner, celebrated Daniel's birthday, paid my taxes, become a victim of knee pain due to working out and all in all have been living a lovely life.

Erica posted this and in a round about way tagged me, so since I have nothing else to say, I figured I would just answer 100 pointless, redundant questions about myself. If you read all of them, you must love me. If you don't, that just means you have a life. Kudos to you, either way.

1. Last beverage→water
2. Last phone call→Danny
3. Last text message→Ben
4. Last song you listened to→Water Runs Dry.. you know you love it
5. Last time you cried→I dont actually remember

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice →or 3 or 4 times
7. Been cheated on? →No
8. Kissed someone & regretted it? → No
9. Lost someone special?→Yes
10. Been depressed?→yes
11. Been drunk?→Yes

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS:
12. Red
13. turquoise
14. black... and yes Stacy and Clinton, I know black is the absence of color

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU:
15. Made new friends→yes
16. Fallen out of love - Nope
17. Laughed until you cried →yes
18. Met someone who changed you→ Yes
19. Found out who your true friends were→ive always known
20. Found out someone was talking about you→when are they not? (oh, I'm so self-absorbed)
21. Kissed anyone on your friend's list→ Yes

TRUTH
22. How many kids do you want to have→2
23. Do you have any pets →not anymore :(
24. Do you want to change your name→No
25. What did you do for your last birthday→um.. i dont remember, i suck
26. What time did you wake up today?10
27. What were you doing at midnight last night?→watching tv in bed
28. Name something you CANNOT wait for→real summer weather!
29. Last time you saw your father→Thursday.. i visited him at work
30.What is one thing you wish you could change about your life→i wish i had a money tree but other than that.. nothing.
31. What are you listening to right now →some tv show
32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom →yes
33. What's getting on your nerves right now? →my back

PERSONAL:
34. What's your full name →Elizabeth Roos
35. Relationship Status →Married
36. Zodiac sign →Gemini
37. Male or female→ Female
38. Primary School→um.. public blog
39. High school →see above
40. Hair color →brown and red
41. Long or short →long finally
42. Height →5' 7"
43. Do you have a crush on someone? →um no
44. What do you like about yourself?→I'm not judgemental.. you can tell me all your stuff and I will still love you, maybe even more!
45. Piercings →just the ears a few times
46. Tattoos →one
47. Righty or lefty →Righty

FIRSTS :
48. First surgery →N/A
49. First piercing →Ears at age 8
50. First tattoo →early 2003.. matching symbols with my best girls!
51. First best friend →Jami
52. First sport you joined →eh.. volleyball and basketball in jr high
53. First pet →Dylan.. our cocker spaniel that my Dad gave away
54. First vacation→probably Las Vegas
55. First concert →Lonestar I think
56. First crush→Devin
57. First alcoholic drink→I'm pretty sure it was a strawberry wine cooler.. good thing Utah took those things out of grocery stores ;)

RIGHT NOW:
58. Eating →Nothing
59. Drink → water
60. I'm about to → blog
61. Listening to →tv
62. Waiting for → Ericas birthday tomorrow!
63. Want kids? →eventually. I have absolutely no desire right now and a lot of people don't understand why. Want to know why? I'm selfish. There, I said it.
64. Want to get married?→already am
65. Careers in mind? →I'm in it.

WHICH IS BETTER:
66. Lips or eyes →Eyes.. but D has killer lips
67. Hugs or kisses →both thanks
68. Shorter or taller →Taller
69. Older or Younger →older duh
70. Romantic or spontaneous →both
71. Nice stomach or nice arms → arms
72. Tattoos or piercings?→tattoos
73. Sensitive or loud →huh?
74. Hook-up or relationship →Relationship
75. Trouble maker or hesitant→Trouble maker

HAVE YOU EVER :
76. Kissed a stranger →yes
77. Drank hard liquor →Yes
78. Lost glasses/contacts →Yes
79. Cried yourself to sleep→yes
80. Danced in the rain→yes
81. Broken someones heart →yes
82. Had your own heart broken →yes, but not by a boyfriend
83. Been arrested → No
84. Turned someone down→yes
85. Cried when someone died → Yes
86. Liked a friend more then just a friend →Yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
87. Yourself → YES!
88. Miracles → Sometimes
89. Love at first sight →No
90. Heaven → I'd like to
91. Santa Claus → who doesn't?
92. Kissing on the first date →I've done it, so I guess I do
93. Angels → I have some

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
94. Is there one person you want to be with right now? I'm content with who I'm with
95. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? →no
96. Do you believe it’s possible to remain faithful forever?→yes
97. Where is your favorite place to vacation? the beach..any soft sandy beach.
98. What's the one thing you cannot live without?→my true support system.. and chapstick
99. What is your biggest pet peeve?→bad manners
100. One thing that most people don’t know about you →I worry about what people think of me. I've been rejected by the people who are supposed to love you no matter what, so now I am afraid everyone one else will eventually find something they dislike about me and reject me too. Pathetic, I know.

Ok, if you made it through that whole thing, you deserve a prize. So now, do it yourself. I do like to read these by the way, so don't think no one will read if you do it. But if no one else does this, I will know no one actually read mine. :)

Sunshine or Bust.

2009-03-17T09:25:00.001-07:00

This weekend while Daniel was enjoying March Madness with his boys in Vegas, I was able to get away for the weekend for some girl time! I went with my sis-in-law Rebekah to visit my other sis-in-law Rachel and her daughter Noelle in Arizona. It was so nice to break out the flip flops and enjoy the weather! We ate a lot, talked a lot, made fabulous jewelry, shopped, listened to Noelle say hilarious things, twirled when wearing skirts, went to the Desert Botanical Gardens and saw the Chihuly glass exhibit, hiked a little and ate some more! I even got to stay an extra day when my flight was all messed up. :) Thanks for the great weekend ladies, we should do it again!

(Sorry for stealing a couple of your pictures.)

Rachel and Rebekah!

Oh, just a little bit of glass.

Me and Noelle.
All four of us at the Hole in the Rock

Jasmine's Baptism

2009-03-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Time to update the blog I think! A few weeks ago we were able to watch Jasmine be baptized. She had lots of friends and family there and it was great to be a part of her big day! She is so special and we love her so much!

Jasmine and her Daddy!
Me thrown in the mix!

The Gymnast at Gymnastics

2009-01-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

On Friday night Aubrie, her daughter Kenna, Jasmine and I went to the U of U's gymnastics meet. It was a breast cancer awareness meet, meaning whoever wore pink got in for free. So we wore our pink proudly and enjoyed the show. It was fun taking Jasmine now that she is doing gymnastics herself. We've gone before and she liked it, but this time she was much more aware of what they were doing and definitely more interested in it! She says her favorite thing was the uneven bars. Her and Kennedei are pretty dang cute together too!
The girls watching the meet.
The little gymnast!

Lame-o

2009-01-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

We are lame. I haven't blogged about anything for weeks, and I still don't have anything to blog about. We just haven't been up to anything exciting. Daniel's been working alot, I've been working hardly at all and that's about it. We did get to go to Becca and Billy's housewarming party last weekend, which was a good time. Here are a couple of pictures.
Me and Becca.
Twinners.
Becca's family, watching the new huge screen. (It's not big screen, its huge screen.)

This really should have been Becca's post, but she's not doing it. And I wanted to look like less of a loser, so it shows we do get out of the house sometimes. Until next month, my friends!

Christmas Day!

2008-12-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day is a hectic holiday. We are only allowed a few hours with the kids on Christmas, so Daniel went and got the kids super early, rushed them back to our house to open presents, then we went to Ted and Kathy's for some delicious breakfast and more presents, then to Randy and Renee's for some MORE presents and some fun looking through vintage Barbie goods and then the kids had to be rushed back home. I think they got some pretty good loot! After the morning madness, I went to my parents for about an hour, then rushed to pick up Daniel and go to the Grow family party, where of course there was more food and more presents! After that, we headed up to Rebekah's for MORE treats and family time. While it was busy, it was a good day and good to be around family. Giftwise, Daniel got a new computer and some clothes and I ordered myself a new compact digital camera (it didn't come in time for Christmas) and Danny got me some perfume and a new karaoke game. Here are a few pictures, unfortunately we didn't take many.

Christmas Eve...

2008-12-28T12:33:00.001-08:00

On Christmas Eve, we joined the family at Ted and Kathy's house for yummy food and good times. We ate, talked, played a game of Imaginiff and later, we even got a visit from Santa!

Noelle wasn't so sure about Santa, until he gave her chocolate.

Boo had his own special moment with Santa.

All the sisters with Santa.

The whole gang, in our natural state. I love this picture!
After the party, Daniel and I went home and got into our coordinating Christmas jammies.
Love him!

Holiday fun...

2008-12-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

I have a few things I need to catch up on! December went by way too fast, but at least we did lots of fun things while it passed! We had Daniel's company party, my salon party, we went to Desert Star Playhouse with our good friends Erica and Joe (and Andee and Kelly!) which was my first time there and I loved it, we had a Christmas dinner with friends and I got to go to Hale Center Theatre with Erica and her family for their annual trip to "A Christmas Carol". (Thanks Kalie for letting me be your date! I love you guys!)

The only thing that was documented was the dinner with friends. We had a big feast at our house and we played Phase 10 all night after that. Here are some pictures, and for more, you can check out Aubrie's blog here.
Shiloh and Michelle.
Aubrie and Ron.
Koy wanted to play too.
Then Koy laughed at us when he beat us. (He's so cute!)

Holiday Cheer

2008-12-23T16:37:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to thank the neighbor children for helping the Christmas deer population grow. Look for a fawn or 2 on our lawn in the coming months.

Movin' on up...

2008-12-18T22:38:00.000-08:00

So, I don't know if anyone has noticed, but snow has decided to finally fall across Utah (and apparently Vegas) over the last week. Well, lucky me, I have been able to do nothing. My tires are completely bare, so driving in the snow is pretty much a death trap. After Daniel's company party on Saturday, we lost all control on 2-15 on the way home. There's nothing quite like not being able to control your car on the freeway with other cars whizzing past you during a snowstorm. We were able to make it home, and I have sworn off driving in the snow since. We thought about getting new tires, but since we have upgraded wheels, the cheapest tire we could find was $130 each. We decided that wasn't worth it. We have been thinking about trading our car in for awhile now, because the Mazda just didn't offer enough room for us, plus 3kids (one of which is Daniel-sized). So after some browsing, research and mad haggling, tonight we traded our car in for something a little more family friendly. It's the Subaru Tribeca. It seats 7 but is still in the "mid-size suv" family. I wasn't quite ready to jump to minivan family status, so the mid size is just right for me. We got a good deal and kept our payment right about the same as it was, which was the only way we were willing to do it. It's fully loaded and I love it!

O Christmas Tree?

2008-12-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

I have an obsession with Christmas. Truly. I have to literally force myself not to decorate or start listening to Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving. That's my own personal rule, since I think its crap that all the stores start pushing holidays before the previous holiday has even happened. Thanksgiving deserves its time. Now that that time is over..it's Christmasland at my house.

Usually I decorate the house with everything but the tree until a few weeks before Christmas. I have had a live tree since I was born and it is a huge symbol of Christmas for me. Daniel has been fighting me on this for the last year. He says he is always the one who waters it and carries it around and then it dies and makes a mess and blah,blah,blah. I recognize that all of those points are true. It just doesn't feel right to call something artificial a freakin' tree.

Well, then came Thanksgiving day when we were offered a really nice, great sized, FREE fake tree. (Thanks Renee and Randy!) Fast forward... I am now the proud owner of a fake Christmas tree. What I love..that I can have my tree up the day after Thanksgiving too. And I have no complaining from the watering husband. I do miss the smell and the uber full branches, but I may not turn back now.

Lovin' is what I got.. I said remember that.

2008-12-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday was Thanksgiving. It was also the 27th of November, 2008.

I just want you who matter to know that I have one word going for me.

Oh, Bite Me

2008-11-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

Twilight. Everyone is talking about it, so I might as well join in. I read the books forever ago. I liked them and I told other people to read them. I never understood the weird obsession girls everywhere have with Edward though... they do know he's a fictional character, right? I don't think some of them do. I got invited by my good friend Erica to go see the midnight showing with her and the lovely women of her family (and two well placed boys). I have never in my life been to a midnight showing of a movie because, frankly, no movie is worth that to me. I honestly wasn't too excited to see Twilight. I knew I would see it eventually, but it wasn't like I had a countdown on my blog or anything (Sorry Andee.) I have never loved a movie I've seen that was made from a book I have already read. DaVinci Code, no thanks. Harry Potter, it grew on me. Twilight... it hurt a little. Some of it was really good, some of it was hard to watch. I thought they followed the book really well considering how some adaptations become an entirely different story. I think for the most part, they chose good actors for specific roles, but some of them WAY over-acted. Overall, I enjoyed it and will watch it again (but not at a theater..definitely not three more times at a theater...Becca). Thanks for inviting me Erica!

I have included a picture of "Jasper" for your viewing pleasure.

Oh wait, I think I'm confused. :)

tagariffic

2008-11-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

I was tagged with this awhile ago and am finally doing it.. here ya go.

4 random things about my husband
1. He is obsessed with sports
2. He wants to have a giant fish tank built in flush with the wall
3. He is just as obsessed with chapstick as i am
4. He makes a killer banana bread

4 movies I could watch more than once
1. Dirty Dancing
2. The sweetest thing
3. Almost Famous
4. pretty much all of Quentin Tarantinos movies

4 TV shows I watch
1. Dexter
2. True Blood
3. Shear Genius
4. House Hunters

4 places I've been
1. Mexico
2. Boston
3. Maine
4. California

4 people who email me regularly
1. uh.. krafts kitchen
2. Aubrie
3. discovery health
4. thats about it

4 places I would like to visit
1. Paris
2. all over Italy
3. Greece
4. Hawaii

4 things I am looking forward to this year
1. Christmas season
2. paying off some debt
3. Obama taking over
4. did I say Christmas season?

4. Christmas4 people to tag
1. Becca
2. Aubrie
3. Rebekah
4. Rachel

Winter Wonderland

2008-11-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

It's hard to imagine that less than 2 months ago we were in the blazing heat of Mexico and today THIS! Goodbye shorts and t-shirts, hello jeans and jackets.

Buzzin around...

2008-11-01T18:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Halloween. I was a bee. This costume was literally made for an 8-year-old probably 8 years ago. I didn't wear the hat part in public. It was really short and really tight across my chest and around my arms (8-year-olds arms are usually smaller than an adults). Good times. Enough said.

Ok..almost enough. My adorable niece was a little witch. Cutest thing ever.

(This is her as a mad witch.)

My Cuppy Cake

2008-10-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

It's been 2 years since we got married, but we have been best friends for years. I just wanted to take a minute to tell my wife publicly that I love her more every day and look foreward to growing old with her (insert "you are already old" joke here). I enjoyed our "Fall Family Fun day" yesterday even if it didn't turn out exactly as planned. Just spending the day with her is fun no matter what we do. In fact, we are going to watch football together all day today and that will be fun too...right honey?

2 years and some cake too..

2008-10-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to us. We have been married for 2 years, which seems so new considering how long we have been together. I know it's regular tradition to eat the top layer of your wedding cake for your first anniversary, but at that time we had no idea where ours was. We thought it had been thrown out, and we didn't really mind. A few months ago however, Kathy presented us with a little gift. Our cake, pulled out of the recesses of the basement deep freezer. Tonight, we pulled it out and cut into it, expecting the gag-inducing taste of freezer burn. Instead, nestled in the cover of a thick fondant, our cake was soft, moist and delicious. The raspberry filling was just as sweet as it was two years ago. Thanks for taking care of it for us Ted and Kathy! (And I love you, Danny! Thanks for being you.)

Our cake then...

Our cake now...

What happens with some free time...

2008-10-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

Awhile back, I posted something saying I was teaching myself how to sew. Well, I pretty much sewed that one seam and my career as a seamstress has been on hold since. Well, Tuesday, my first day of temporary freedom, otherwise known as no job(don't worry I now have another one) I decided to pull out the ol' sewing machine again. Without a pattern or intructions, I cut, pinned and sewed my way to new curtains for the basement. They are pretty damn good if I do say so myself for the first project ever. I have come home many times to seeing our nice couch cusions shoved into the window sill by my lovely husband. Well, not anymore people!

Apparently, I love sewing, because now I don't want to stop. The next day, I took a random yard of fabric I had and made a pillow case for the upstairs couch pillow complete with little ties. Another improv project, but it was a success. I'm now working on two more for the remaining pillows. I know these are pretty much the two most simple things I could have sewn, but I'm still pretty proud.

My Enrichment night specialist (is that what they still call it?) is really coming out full force now. I went into Roberts a few weeks ago ans saw a sign I wanted but wasn't willing to pay $30 for. So what's a girl to do? Make it herself of course. The letters look funky in this picture, but it's pretty much exactly like the one at Roberts down to the weathered edges. $6 is a lot better than $30!

Fall Harvest

2008-10-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

Just a little final update on how the garden went. Carrots, Cucumbers, Jalapenos, Yellow Squash and Zucchini were the top growers. My tomaotes grew like mad, but not till late in the summer (my fault for bad initial planting spot then moving them later)and I have about 30 great looking green tomatoes still on the vines right now...depressing. Green and Red Bell Peppers...not great. One single Cantelope which was good, and one Onion...One. Next year will be a much different garden...this one was a learning experience which was a lot of fun.
This is what happens when you don't pay attention to your squash for a week...not the ideal result.

Update

2008-10-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

Well for the few people that cared, I just thought I would let you know that I am officially somewhat healthy. The cat scan didn't show any cancer or mass, so that was a relief. My blood work did show some kind of inflammation/infection in the body, so they sent me to an ENT specialist to see if he could figure out what my jaw lump is and why it's not responding to antibiotics. After he probed me, he concluded it really is just a swollen lymph node which is more noticeable and more irritated because of the unevenness of my jaw. How ironic. So I guess now I just wait for it to go away, if it does.

And my stripping-induced back injury is now almost back to normal. Life is short people. Live it up!

A Day at the Races

2008-10-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

Actually it was a day at Boondocks with the kids for a work party...but the go-carts seemed to be the highlight of the kids day (at least the highlight of the boys day). As you can see, Jazzy was a little uncomfortable with some of the driving habits of the people around us, John most notably, who liked to bump people off the track. I should probably also mention that it is not so easy to take pictures with your phone while driving these machines, so I'm sure that didn't help her either.
Joshy finally built up the courage to drive one on the beginners track. Once he did it, I think he wished he did it earlier cause he went back for more.
Go-carts were just the beginning of the fun though. We also went minature golfing (which I think Jazzy actually won), a few rounds of Lazer Tag, Video Games and tickets for prizes machines, batting cages and Bumper Boats-even though it was a little chilly, we just squirt the people on the sides watching so WE stay dry. We also had a lunch buffett consisting of hot dogs, hamburgers and some other backyard BBQ type goods. Everyone had a great time and we were all tired by the end of the day from all the running around we did. Thanks to Todd for having a work party that the whole family could enjoy.

I'm falling apart.

2008-10-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Health problems of any kind are really frustrating to me. Is it too much to ask to go through life without ever having to go to the doctor or take a day off for a REAL sick day? Ok, maybe it is, but I'm still too young for this. So far this month I:

Found a random lump

Had an ultrasound

Had horrible lasting migraines (which never happens so it is something)

Had blood work done which came back abnormal

Had a CT scan

Have done something to my back which has made it impossible to move for the last 3 days

Still waiting to get results of CT scan

Don't be alarmed friends. I'm too young (and too stubborn) to die so that's not happening. Right up front they were able to tell me I don't have a gigantic tumor so that's really all I needed to hear. What I DIDN'T need to hear was how big our deductible is and how much this is all going to cost me. That might be my biggest concern right now, other than figuring out how to pee without my lower back spasming in pain.

(This is how I feel and pretty much what I look like when I walk. I'm seriously considering getting the cane too.)

Me? A "Party" girl?

2008-09-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

My loving husband does not support me getting a third job. No, I don't have a second job, but I'm searching as of now. And I have seriously thrown around the idea of a third because well, someone has to pay the bills around here. But D believes too many jobs is one of the reasons that led to his divorce, so he doesn't support me never being home in the name of making money. So what's a girl to do? I have 99% decided I'm going to start selling Scentsy as a not so obvious third job. I had thought of this before only because I wanted to get the product at a deep discount..haha. But now I'm really thinking of doing it as a source of a little extra income. I figure, almost everyone I know uses it, but no one I know has a consistent consultant they buy it from. It's my favorite thing, its a lot of peoples favorite thing..we all win. (If you don't know what it is, it's a variety of products that make your house smell fantastic, by melting scented wax in a cute warmer without wicks or flames.) So I went online last night to sign myself up and get the starter kit. I got to the page where you can download the consultant handbook and I started reading it. That was the moment I paused. It went on and on about doing Scentsy parties, how to handle them, what to say, how to approach people to sign up, etc etc. PARTIES? I've never even been to a Scentsy party. I've just bought the stuff out of a catalog because it pretty much sells itself. I don't really even know how a party is supposed to go, other than what I've now read in the handbook. Can I really be a product-hawking, stranger-friendly, weeknight-donating party girl? Could you really see ME up there in front of strangers talking about how awesome I am and telling them this product "Warms the Heart, Enlivens the Senses and Inspires the Soul"? I would be the girl to say "Hey, this makes my house smell, don't you want your house to smell too? Oh, I mean, smell good. Thanks for coming." I've been to a million different parties for a million different products and true, in the back of my mind, I always looked at the consultant and thought 'I could do that'. Now as it's actually a possibility in front of me, I'm saying 'There's no way in hell I can do that'. Well, you know me, I'm either up for a challenge or as dumb as they get, so I'm going to try. So here's my first plug... make your house smell and buy some Scentsy from me. :)

Kalie... I salute you.

Ohh, Mexico!

2008-09-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

Although it's already like a dream, we got home from Mexico last night. We had a fabulous time. We spent the first couple nights alone at a hotel right in Puerto Vallarta, then met up with the family on Saturday at the resort to spend another week. It was so nice to have a real vacation where I could be exactly where I wanted to be and do whatever I wanted to do. We didn't do much the first few days other than walk around the city, eat and waste time at the infamous timeshare presentation. (By the way... yes, we bought one. Don't ask.) The resort was the good stuff. We swam alot, ate alot of guacamole by the pool, boggie boarded, did water aerobics, played water volleyball, ran from crabs (at least I did... Daniel chased them), enjoyed the views, spent time with the family and just plain old relaxed. We went onto town one day with the fam where I'm pretty sure we were all sweating worse than I've ever experienced. The humidity was deadly. I got the worst massage ever since my masseuse spent half the time text messaging while I was just lying there. We also got to get away and enjoy a day sailing and snorkeling alone. We also spent a day with Rebekah and Victor doing an ATV tour, which was so much fun. I've never 4-wheeled before, and now I'm in love. We went through the city, through pastures and dirt roads to a small town where we took a break and walked around a bit. Then we jumped back on and went up through the mountains to the rocky terrain, which Rebekah really enjoyed. :) After the tour we went to this total local treasure where they cook whole chickens over this open grill. The place has no walls, doubles as a car repair service and had live chickens walking around you as you eat. It was the BEST food we ate the whole time though. So good! We just drove by it a few times while on the bus and decided it an adventure that needed to be tried. Well worth it! In fact, we took another trip back there with the rest of the family.

It was a great week and it was so nice to spend the quality time with Daniel with no distractions. It was good to have most of the family together too! Now I'm just wondering when I can go back. Until then, back to the grind I go.

4-wheeling through the cattle drive.

Us four at the delicious chicken dive!

Out the back of our condo... our private pool over the ocean.

Playing Phase 10.. a family favorite.

Shopping from the on-site jewelry man.

Noelle: adorable as always.

My husband the artist got this using a rock as a tripod.

Made in Mexico

2008-09-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

We made it in alive without any problems and have already had a great first day and made a new friend...well...as long as we show up to the presentation tomorrow. We were offered a pile of loot to go to one of the infamous timeshare presentations and the guy is so cool we couldn't say no. He told US that we aren't interested and that he "Doesn't geev aye Sheet" if we were to buy it or not cause just for us showing up he gets 6000 Pesos (aprox $600 bucks). And to top it off HE is the one who gives the presentation, so no pressure to buy. And we get...a free ATV tour (on our own non shared ATV's) into the jungle, a day sailing/snorkeling trip, free ride to our resort on Saturday (worth about $50) and some other free goods in town. I know it sounds too good to be true so we will see how it goes and let you know...but the free breakfast at the Playa Del Sol and the ride he gave us into the boardwalk would probably be worth it enough for the 30 minutes he said he needed from us to make HIS loot. He recommended a restraunt in town and did not let us down. Some good authentic Mexican food and a great view at a reasonable price. (as seen in the picture from our table). Elizabeth took some great pictures of the sunset from our balcony that we will post later. Here is another friend of ours stealing my margarita. Somebody should cut him off...I think hes had enough.

Garden Update

2008-08-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

Just a little update on the status of my garden. It didnt actually come together as I had planned...but there is a garden with bounty to be had. A few items planted didn't make it, but the ones that did have been thriving...especially the weed people call cucumbers. Those suckers are trying to take over my whole garden, but thats ok cause there are people around me who eat them and thats all that matters (I'm not one of them). The tomatoes have really started to go crazy over the last few weeks. There aren't any ready to eat at the moment, but there are tons on the vines growing. I forgot that I planted bell peppers and they are coming up nicely as are the jalapeno's. I have about 50 carrots growing and 1 onion (yes, one lonely onion) I have about 3 zucchini plants that are doing well and about 10 yellow squash plants going nuts. Also have a few canteloupes that are growing...one in particular that is coming along very nice. All in all, if I had to grade my garden I would give it a "C". I would do a lot of things differently next time as far as where I would plant certain items and how many and such, but I have learned a lot from this years harvest that I can use for next year.

Slow Motion

2008-08-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

"Our destination in September"

Why is it that when you have nothing exciting to look foreward to in your life time FLIES, but when you have your eye on something that you want right NOW the days just drag on...and on....and.....on? Vacation cannot get here fast enough and I think I can speak for Elizabeth on this one. WE CAN'T WAIT FOR SEPTEMBER TO GET HERE! You know what the sad part about wishing it were here right now is, its that we will blink and vacation will be over and then back to life, but with nothing exciting (in the near future anyway) to look foreward to. Actually...Utah football will be here so I will have that to be excited about (not speaking for Elizabeth anymore)

Hospital Field Trip

2008-08-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

A week ago we were having a party at their house, and a day later our friend Dave was in the hospital with much pain and for unknown reasons. Its crazy how fast life can change. The doctors seem to think there is nothing to be overly worried about and that everything will be ok...although some surgery may be in the near future. We hope he has a quick recovery and gets back on the softball field soon. We need our all star 1st baseman back to full health.

Missing our Kitty

2008-08-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

We knew the day was coming (Re: post Poor Little Kitty 4/30/08), but when it happens you really are never ready for it…at least I wasn’t. Last night Mr. Dookie’s battle with kidney failure came to an end. Last week his eating slowed again. Over the previous months he had regained some of the weight he had lost…although he never really looked like he did, you could tell a difference and he actually ate every day, had energy again, wanted to go outside and play and slept in our bed again, but last week he went back to not having an appetite and we would do everything but force feed him. You could see that he was becoming slower and weaker and by Sunday morning he couldn’t walk anymore. It was very apparent that he was in his last hours even though he didn’t complain much. We agreed that if he made it through the night we would take him to be put down Monday morning. I held him most of the day Sunday and at around 8:00 he finally let go and died in my arms. I’m glad we were able to have those few extra months with him and that he didn’t seem to have been in much pain. Thank you to Rachel and Boo for letting us be his foster parents for the last 5 or 6 years or however long it has been. We really enjoyed him and will miss him a lot.

And, they did it!

2008-08-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken me a week to post this for you all.. but I've been recovering! Last Saturday, July 26th, was the epic wedding! I have to say, it took a long time to get here. I am so glad Daniel and I had a great idea and set these two up. We are so lucky to have our best friends married to each other. It has been a great 5 years of trips together, fights together, laughter together and love together.
Billy, thank you for loving (and putting up with :) ) my dear friend. Thank you for helping her see what real love really is. I can't imagine a better man for her than you. I appreciate you in her life and ours so much. Becca, thank you for being my best friend and sister. You have been by my side through every up and down I've had and I'm so glad to have you in my life. I'm so glad you have found the happiness you have always deserved. I love you both and and can't wait for the many more great memories to come!

Ok, ok enough mush..here are some pictures!
The newlyweds!

Billy's got some nice moves...

The groomsmen in their hats from Billy.

Boo and Rachel doing their own cake smashing. Or, eclair smashing.

I love Noelle's face in this one. I equally love Kate's.

My great friends! Aubrie and Ron are up next!

Erica. I love this girl to death. She was such a great help and support that day!

Me and Daniel. The best decision I ever made was marrying this one. (I just had to throw in one more mushy thing ok? I will be back to my sarcastic ways on the next blog, I'm sure.)

Home free!

2008-07-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

I have been asked by some, so I figured I should update everyone. I finally got my passport last weekend! Yay! I am now officially legal and am free to visit my people in Mexico, and be allowed back in to my actual homeland! Thanks for everyone who was concerned.

July Showers bring... Billy and baby!

2008-07-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

Before I have too much else added up to blog about, I decided I would post some pictures of Becca and Shiloh's showers!

Becca's was first, and we had a great time!
We ate some delicious food,

played bridal pictionary,

everyone tried to remember what was in Becca's stuffed apron

and she opened some fabulous gifts!

Thanks for the good time Becca!

Two weeks later we had Shiloh's shower!
We played the ever popular diaper/candy bar game,

she opened some great gifts

and we all tied a quilt for her (which unfortunately I dont have a picture of). Aubrie made her this darling diaper cake!

It's so crazy to think this girl is having a baby in 2 weeks! To me she looks tiny! But she will make a wonderful mom! Congratulations Shiloh!

I'm it!

2008-07-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

My good friend Erica tagged me with this one and I just saw it, thought it was kinda fun, so I'm following through! Pictures of various things in my house...

#1 - Inside of the fridge

Let's see, yogurt, milk, spinach, lots of broccoli for the salad for the shower tomorrow, light everything, and a gazillion bottles of water. We drink a ton of water during the summer.. and we just happened to stock up tonight.

#2 - Kitchen sink

Daniel (the best husband ever) does the dishes. Everytime. I love him. I love no dishes. He just did them tonight.

#3 - The closet

Ok, I might have a shoe obsession. You would never know it since I never wear any of them in public, but I buy shoes constantly. The whole top shelf of the closet continues with more shoes, as does a wall unit at the back of the closet. I've been trying to cut back though and now just giving them to myself as a reward. Oh, and Daniel occupies about a foot of this closet.

#4 - The toilet

This area needs to be cleaned desperately.

#5 - Favorite shoes

It's a toss up. I love these red ones, as I bought them for myself after losing my first 20 pounds. BUT.. I love these crappy brown flip flops becasue I wear them everywhere, everyday.

#6 - Laundry pile

I try to stay on top of the laundry, but I didnt take a picture of the laundry chute. I'm not sure of the status of that.

#7 - Favorite room

I love my bedroom. It's my own quiet little sanctuary. It's no secret I love to be in my bed, either on the laptop, reading or watching tv. Also.. I love the time I get in bed with my husband. (No, not just that kind.) We have our best conversations lying in bed side by side holding hands late at night. Definitely my favorite space.

#8 - Where the kiddos are

Literally, here they are! (Josh wasn't so sure of why I was taking a picture of him.) They love to snuggle up on the couch.. I had a picture of John too, but I think you have all seen his butt crack enough. He is usually right next to them, or on the other couch.

#9 - Self Portrait

Yes, I'm wearing my retainer, and yes, I am in bed.

#10 - Where I'd rather be

Hopefully I will be there in a few weeks if my freaking passport comes.

Good times. I tag you. Becca, Rebekah, Rachel, Kati, Renee and anyone else who might want to join in.

Bachelor Party Weekend

2008-07-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrated the end of Billy's Bachelor-hood by spending the weekend and Buck & Vic's cabin in Island Park. I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was a great weekend of "Manly" good times. The only thing that could have been better would have been spending another day or 2 because it's not easy to fit all the things you want to do into one full day when you are in Yellowstone country with the guys, but we made the best of the time we had. As you can see by the above picture, there is always a joke to be had...and in this case it was on me. As I set up the camera on the tri-pod and set the timer, they all decided it would be funny to all look away at the last second and I didn't have a clue. Still makes me laugh when I see it.

One of our activities was home run derby in the yard. We had 2 separate events. I won the first event, then Billy won the 2nd (more organized) event.

Another event was Ping-Pong. We played A LOT of ping pong starting Friday night as soon as we arrived...and in all the games played, nobody was able to beat Victor this weekend. I got close a few times, but never could finish him.

Another event of the weekend was a trip to Upper Mesa Falls. It is only about 30 minutes or so from the cabin. I saw pictures of it on The Gold Element and thought it would be a cool place to see, and it was. It is about 115 feet high and 200 feet wide and was nearly dammed off to make a power plant in the early 1900's.

The rest of the weekend was spent playing Poker, which Billy won 2 of 3 games, watching Sportscenter-mainly Brett Favre coverage all weekend, and eating a lot of good food. Thanks to Victor for having us up this weekend, and congratulations to Billy on his upcoming wedding.

Seriously

2008-06-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

As if growing this crap isn't hard enough...now I have to figure out the birds. First they eat my first rapberry, NOW they are eating my romaine lettuce. What do I need to do to have some fresh lettuce from my garden...hire a full time garden guard(Dookie is obviously not doing his job)

The first Raspberry

2008-06-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

Ah...you know summer is here when the raspberries are turning red. The first raspberry is always the best of them all...so delicious...so tasty...this one single raspberry I have been waiting for all winter long. None of the others matter as much as this one and I'M going to eat it! Ill let you know just how delicious it is once it is ripe and I eat it.

This Just in.....
The lone raspberry was eaten by a bird. Summer is cancelled and now I need medication to cope with life.

Just kidding...Well...not about the stupid bird...but I have tons of raspberries and they are all equally delicious.

I'M going to Mexico...

2008-06-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

...But I dont know about Elizabeth.
If she gets her Passport anywhere near as fast as I got mine, she will be fine.

So why can't I join my people?

2008-06-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

*Note: This entry may sound bitter, angry or racist. It is not intended to convey such feelings. I love everyone.

Apparently, I am illegal. It's true. Daniel and I went to finally get our passports yesterday. We had to wait to get my new drivers license, had to wait until we had money to pay for them, then Daniel spent hours getting our stupid pictures to the correct specifications, per the passport page on the official government travel website. Well, we tried.

First off, the lady at the office said our pictures weren't on the right paper. Online, it just said it had to be on photo paper (which it was) but lovely hope-crusher lady said it had to be on PASSPORT photo paper. Thanks, government website. So we had to get new ones taken at the office, which is what Daniel wasted hours of his life doing our own pictures for, to avoid paying to have the same ones taken. Then, we go back up to the counter where my new best friend noticed my birth certificate and says it won't work.

Why, you might ask? ITS NOT LEGAL. It's apparently an abstract of birth, which is not a real birth certificate. It was thought up by some guy named Juan who needed to help his cousins. A few counties in California and Texas started handing these bad boys out to people coming over the border, but also gave them to legal babies being born in those counties. I was a lucky one. Maddeningly enough, it's legal enough to give me a social security number, a drivers license, a marriage certificate, a new social security card, a new drivers license and allow me to pay an absurd amount of my hard-earned money to taxes, but not freaking legal enough to grant me a passport.

So now what do I do? I have to get a Certificate of Identity notarized here, then send it to California (with a $17 fee of course), where within 15-20 business days they will send me a birth certificate (HOPEFULLY the right one). Then, I have to go apply for the passport, send that out (with a $100 fee of course), and hope it gets back in time for me to sit in the airplane seat I purchased months ago and fly my legal ass to Mexico. I don't know how much hope to give this, but I will hold on to what I've got. The lovely frizzy-haired lady who denied my passport application said that it has only been taking 2 weeks average for people to get their passports recently. Well, as I wait my 15-20 business days, I will wait and see if Daniel gets his in a reasonable time. We have 11 weeks from today.. let's see how this goes.

Until then, you can call me Rosario.

Patio Time

2008-06-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

Having a yard is nice...Having a yard with a Patio is nicer....having a yard with Patio furniture...well...thats a beautiful thing (at least that's what my wife tells me). And since she feels this way, she requested, and we purchased, a patio set for her birthday even though it was a couple weeks early.
I'm pretty sure she just wants a place to sit when I work on the yard and that's OK because every day I look at my garden...there are 50 new weeds trying to come up so I need to spend every day keeping up with them or I wont know what is supposed to be there and what is a weed.

Lil Johnny Sack

2008-05-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

Since the same people who read this blog also read The Gold Element, I will spare you the story of the 4'11" Johnny Sack, but I will share some of my pictures from the trip to Big Springs since those are the only pictures I took this weekend on our excursion to the Gold family cabin.

>
I took a bunch of Pictures of Buck & Vic that are more traditional, but this one was my favorite.

Don't look too close or you might see Little Johnny Crack. The boys were looking at the Ginormous Trout under the bridge.

I'm pretty sure those fish would put up a fight.

Me and my Boys enjoying the great outdoors together. They also got a dose of Yellowstone with Grandma Nay and Grandpa Randall Clause on this trip when they got to see..as John said "That squirty uppy thing...Old Yeller?"

The many faces of Big Springs

Look! Its a Beaver! Oh actually its a duck. We saw Osprey, Pelicans, Muskrats, Trout and a couple Ducks that were somehow mistaken for Beavers. Thanks again to Buck & Vic for having us up for the weekend. We all had a great time playing Ping Pong(losing to Vic), Went on a 2 mile hike where John and Weed set personal bests, learned a new game called Killer Bunnies and Buck got well practiced (addicted to) Guitar Hero.

Garden Time

2008-05-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten how much work goes into a garden. About 2 months ago I bought a tray of peat moss pellets to start my seedlings. I figured that would only take a few minutes to put together...I mean...how hard can it be to put a few little seeds into some dirt? Well, that little project took like 3 hours cause I wanted it to be just perfect. After about a week or two I started seeing little miracles of life springing up from the peat moss pellets and I knew that my garden had a head start even though it was still snowing outside. I had the seed packets in the container that the seeds were from so that I would know what row had what growing in it. (dont do this...they grew in the packets). I watched and watched as some grew quickly while others took their own sweet time...but almost every pellet had some life in it. Now all I needed was to wait for the weather to be just right so I could plant the little fellas and let mother nature do the rest. Well...As you all know...It has been a frosty cold spring so no early planting this year. Ben and I tilled the garden area a few weeks ago and got any weeds or rocks from the area. We made the kids come help by hauling the weeds or rocks away from the area for us (cheap labor). Last weekend would have been perfect, only Mothers day didn't leave any extra time over the weekend to get that done. I did however get the tomatoes planted last week.
So...the time finally came for the seedlings to hit the soil. Here's where the not as easy as it looks part comes into play. I needed to re-till the area again since it had been so long since we first did it and that is quite the workout. It was hot...I am out of shape and luckily had Jasmines help transporting seedlings to me so I didn't have to make too many trips. I almost blacked out once when I stood up too fast. Jazz asked me why I was falling asleep standing. Its because I was about to collapse is all. We made it out alive and now its back to waiting and watching to see if the labors are rewarded with some salsa fixins (pretty much all I planted). I need to get some more seeds cause I have room for more and have thought of some other things I would like to grow. So far I have Jalapenos, Habanieros, Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic, Cilantro, Cucumbers and Lettuce. Kinda bleak. Oh well...All I wanted was some good Salsa from my garden and hopefully...that is what we will have.

Poor Little Kitty

2008-04-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

So, some of you know that the life of Dookie has gotten bleak. We noticed that he had gotten pretty skinny, and I kept telling Daniel that, but he kept saying it was just him losing his winter coat. Well, I was saying the other day that he has gotten way too skinny because you can see his hip bones. Daniel then noticed, and also noticed he hadn't seen Dookie eat in awhile. We took him to the vet on Monday, where they kept him overnight giving him fluids and waiting for blood test results. Tuesday morning they told Daniel that it all pointed to kidney failure and that there was nothing we could do at that point. So, all day Tuesday, Daniel and I mentally (and emotionally) prepared to have him put to sleep. Then, Tuesday evening, the vet said he had eaten, which was a big change, so we should take him home and see if he keeps eating. So now we are pretty much just watching and waiting, hoping for a miraculous comeback. We sure love the little guy, so everyone say some kitty prayers for him!

Here he is tonight, battle scarred from the night at the vet (shaved/pierced neck and bandaged little paw):

Some of my favorite memories

2008-04-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

For my favorite memories, I’m going with the time the restaurant manager in Mexico brought us each a beer and Paul said” we have to drink it or he will be offended” and I said “I can’t drink this…beer is disgusting…you will have to drink both” So every time the manager would get called away for a minute I would pour mine into his glass and he would chug it and I would pour more…When the manager got back my glass was always lower and Paul’s was still full. Later, Mom said “I saw you 2 drinking beer you bad boys”. I never convinced her that Paul drank them both, but that’s ok...at least the CANADIAN restaurant manager in Mexico wasn’t offended. On a more family friendly memory…Paul and I had the great idea to sleep out on the beach in lawn chairs while in Mexico…BAD IDEA! Not only was it about 200 degrees at night out there with the humidity…but the bugs feasted on us all night. When we woke up we were miserable, sticky, tired and oh yeah…covered with bug bites. I’m glad I had the time I did with Paul. I’m also glad I got to spend some time with him a week and a half before he died. I wish there was a way to know when something like this is going to happen so you can cherish your time with someone knowing you don’t have as long as you think you do…but it makes you realize that life is precious and can change in a heartbeat. We should treat everyone like it is the last time we are going to see them…because it just might be.

Paul, Paul, Paul

2008-04-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows, this week has been a tough one ever since finding out about Paul. Daniel has been trying to figure out his favorite *appropriate* Paul memory. We have talked about it a little bit, and I don't know if he has figured his out, but I know mine! Well, I have a few, but only one was well documented. It was at our wedding, during the Dutch dance. It's time for the couples kissing in the chair part, and here comes Paul, matched up with my lovely married friend Shiloh. Well, she's a cute redhead, had a good amount of cleavage on parade and this is Paul's chance! Not so much. He tried to go for the kiss, only to have her turn her cheek at last second.. and right at that moment "CLICK" went the camera. I love this picture.. it kills me everytime I look at it, just because I know what could have been. (And you can see Riley's hopeful look on his face like, "Go for it man!") :) We miss you Paul!

HSN here I come!

2008-03-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have a new hobby. I'm learning to make jewelry. A couple of my friends have been doing it for a few months and I decided to try it out, only I had to wing it and teach myself. I started with some earrings the other night:

Last night I tried a new kind of earring (thank you Becca for being a fabulous pinky model),

a bracelet,

and a funky necklace.

I don't know about you but I'm pretty impressed with myself, and I think I could make millions on the Home Shopping Network. Or at least I could make 10 bucks and buy some more supplies.

Celebrity look-a-likes.

2008-03-01T23:33:00.000-08:00

I am conducting a survey. Tonight Becca and I were having a conversation about celebrities we look like, and I told her, once again, that she totally looks like Anna Faris. For those of you who dont know who that is, she was in all the "Scary Movie" sequels, "Just Friends", "Waiting" and more! Becca says that girl is ugly and she doesnt look like her and that she looks more like Melissa Joan Hart aka "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" (who has a lazy eye). She just doesnt understand why people think there is any resemblance. You tell me.

Melissa Joan Hart

Anna Faris

Becca G.

Weird isn't it?

more cowbell..

2008-02-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

Ok so I haven't blogged about anything for awhile, and mainly that's because I'm pretty lame and having nothing to talk about. My life is the same, day in, day out. I go to work and take commands, then come home and try to give commands (which never really works). I think I need a vacation. So, yesterday I decided not to make any appointments and I took the day off. I ended up having a rough day ( talk about emotional rollercoaster) so I went on a mini vacation and did some retail therapy. Enter: Taipan. Can I just tell you all how much I love that place? I was in there for what seemed like forever and every magical corner I turned I found something else I wanted. I eventually had to take 6 things out of my cart just so I wouldn't empty my bank account.

Ok so I just sat here for a full minute thinking to myself, "This is the lamest blog anyone has ever written. Why don't you just stop: not while youre ahead, because you haven't gotten there yet, just stop."

The moral of this story:
Go to Taipan, its awesome.
I need to get a life, don't pity me.

LoverBunny

2008-01-29T21:43:00.000-08:00

So I was "tagged" again... a little something about my adorable husband.

What is his name? Daniel Louis Roos

How long have you been married? a little over a year

How long did you date? oh gosh. I like to say 4 years.

How old is he? 35.. crazy i know.

Who eats more? Daniel for sure.

Who kissed who first? I kissed him.

Who said "I Love You" first? he did.. it took me a long time to say it back.

Who is smarter? i would say I am.. but he is way smarter at everything technical.. cars, machinery, computers, etc.

Who is taller? Him by far.

Who sings better? Im going to go with me, but hes not so bad himself!

Whose temper is worse? his but he knows exactly how to push my buttons

Who is more sensitive? I would say me (my feelings get hurt easily), but there are definitely things he is more sensitive about.. like if you question anything he says or does he gets all uptight about it.

Who does the laundry? Both of us... but im the only one who will fold it.

Who does the dishes? he does.. hes pretty much the best husband ive ever had. :)

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? well if youre looking at the bed, i do.

Who pays the bills? I do

Who cooks dinner? We like to switch it up. Recently its just been me.

Who drives when you are together? I do unless I'm feeling lazy.

Who is more stubborn? He is. I'm told its a Roos thing.

Who's parents do you see the most? Ha ha.. his.

Who proposed? He did.. and it was very cute and very special!

Who has more friends? I do.

Who has more siblings? He does, but only by one. He has 6, I have 5.

Who wears the pants in the family? hmm.. thats a tough one. He says i do but he is so stubborn he always gets his way, so i think he really does.

Ok, so now I tag everyone who reads this blog. Renee, Rachel, Rebekah, Kalie, sometimes Becca. (Becca hes not quite your husband but pretty much.. you can just pretend youre already married) :)

Cafe Rio Recipe..kinda

2008-01-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

On Thursday we had some family over to try out my new Cafe Rio wannabe recipe. Everything was great to me, except the dressing, which is what I was most excited for. It just didnt taste right. Thanks to everyone for telling me it was great though. I had a few people ask for the recipes, so here they are!

Rice:

4 cups water
4 cups Minute Rice
4 T. butter
4 chicken bouillon cubes
handful of chopped cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin

Stir everything in but the rice, when water boils stir rice in and take off heat til ready! Easy enough right? You can also add lime but I didnt have any the other ngiht so I didnt. :)

Dressing:

One packet hidden valley ranch mix
1 cup mayo
1 cup milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tomatillo
one bunch cilantro (or less depending on how much you like)
Cholula hot sauce to taste

Just throw everything in the blender and when blended, let sit in fridge for at least 30 minutes. Easy. I used light mayo and skim milk which Daniel thinks is what made the differnece but I don't agree because I use those for everything and never taste a difference. The real reason I think mine was a little different is cause I doubled the recipe but forgot to get two bunches of cilantro so there was only one bunch for the doubled recipe.

So there. For the chicken we just cooked it in the wok with a packet of fajita mix, and the uncooked tortillas we got at Sams Club. Try it all out and let me know how your dressing tastes!

Goodbye 2007... Hello Rock Band.

2008-01-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

Well, the holidays are over once again. I do love Christmastime, even if the thought of Christmas day now leaves me with anxiety because of how overwhelming it is as a Roos. This year wasn't as bad as last year, even though we added an extra stop at Rebekah and Victors. It was good times though!

To bring in the new year, we decided to host a "small" get together. Some of Daniels family came, and surprisingly, some of mine did as well (and that includes Becca and Billy). We rocked our socks off playing Rock Band all night, and even midnight came and went and I've never seen quicker kisses from everyone so they could just get back to rockin! We had a good time and are grateful for everyone coming out.

I'm happy to welcome a new year into my life. Hopefully this year will be a good one for Daniel and I. We don't like to make new years resolutions because they just get broken by February 1st, so we are going to aim to make small goals throughout the year. This year we will definitely be focusing on our health and our money. Hopefully each can get better! We hope everyone else has a great year and nothing but the best comes your way!

Ode to toffee...

2007-12-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

So a few of us girls (Amy, Rebekah, me and Becca) had a candy making night a few weekends ago where I was determined to create, for the first time, my mothers toffee. Rebekah had attempted her own toffee at home not too long before this, and hers apparently had not turned out so well. So, with her by my side, we decided this was the moment to make some work. I decided to follow the recipe, although the instructions were very broad : "use highest heat, stir until light caramel color". It seemd to work every time for my mom in years past, so how hard could it be? I cranked up the heat and started stirring. It never quite got to a caramel color before it started turning to a white, bubbly, surgary, weird substance. Rebekah and I were freaking out a little bit wondering if we had gone too far, so we decided just to pour it on top of the almonds and see if it worked. It didn't. It hardened to the consistency of sugar stuck together with a little bit of water. It tasted like toffee but it wasn't anything I wanted to eat. So, we tried again. This time we decided to cook it past that stage and maybe the caramel color would come later. Oh no. We got past that stage then got to the sight of butter separating to the top. Maybe this would work.. we poured it on the almonds and watched as the butter stayed on the top, forming a lovely layer of toffee grease. Trash. At this point I was frustrated but even more determined. I decided the third time was the charm. I figured maybe if I stirred faster the butter wouldn't separate (not so smart) and if I cooked it longer maybe it would all come together. I mean, come on, it has three ingredients and you just stir it together... it should work eventually...right? Wrong. This fast stirring idea just lead to grease splatter burns on my stirring hand and cooking it longer led to a pan full of black sludge. Literally. It was pathetic.

You would think at this point I would have thought to myself, my toffee-making career had run its course. Not so much. I searched for my problem online, and found out I was making three mistakes. My heat was too high, my stirring too fast ( there went my theory) and I was supposed to be using salted butter. I was not the only one who was surprised by the salted butter thing. So, last Sunday I decided at home to try it one more time. With Daniel and my brother Keith cheering me on, I stirred that salted butter concoction slowly and evenly. Soon, I saw it. Beautiful, glorious, perfectly light caramel color turning to the consistency of a fine taffy. I had done it! I poured that bad boy on my almonds, melted the chocolate on top and TADA!!! TOFFEE!! I've never been so proud of something made in my kitchen.

So now you know... salted butter and slow, constant stirring. I'm gonna make some more tonight.

Christmas, Christmas time is here...

2007-12-10T21:22:00.001-08:00

After my lovely salon party, Daniel and I went to the Home Depot and got our tree. We were in and out in 5 minutes since they were about to close for their Chrstmas party. We got it home, got it up and finished our decorating. We replaced our brightly colored Wal-mart lights and ornaments for more classic hues this year... its a new thing for me but I must say I like it. However, today as I was gazing upon its beauty I noticed that its very oddly shaped. I guess thats what you get for picking the first green tree you see. Also I cannot find anything I like to go on top of the tree.. and its driving me crazy. So.. if anyone has a suggestion... let me have it!

It's been nice having a fireplace to use and decorate but not so much when my house smells like a campfire everytime Daniel fires it up. He says he needs to take a class in fire starting.

Mister didn't quite know what to do with himself when we were setting up the tree.. but whatever he was doing he looked cute doing it.

It's a Festivus for the rest of us!

2007-12-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we attended both mine and Daniel's company Christmas parties. Carson had theirs at Lonestar, whih was delicious. My salon had a Sunday brunch at one of the owners houses. We did a lot of eating, chatting, watching football and gift exchanging. There are some heavy drinkers at my salon and how people get drunk at 11 in the morning is beyond me. But it was fun for us observers!

Frosty the Snowan...

2007-12-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

After the latest storm, the kids (and Daniel) decided to use the foot of snow and make a lovely snowman in the front yard. Apparently Josh was in charge of the head and handed Daniel a softball sized snowball for it. They packed more and more snow and it ended up looking just like Frosty. Tada!

Thanks for the good time!

2007-11-30T21:16:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything and I know Rebekah already posted about our fabulous cabin weekend, but I thought I would just say publicly that we had a great time! Unfortunately I was sick most of the weekend but the games, food and company were fantastic!

Pumpkins, but no pie.

2007-10-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

Daniel in the patch

So Daniel and I decided to have a calm "Fall Fun Day" the day after we got home from Vegas that we both had off work. We went to a pumpkin patch and picked some lovely pumpkins to carve and I watched Daniel not only balance the pumpkins in his arms, but on his head. Then we attempted to see the leaves in the canyon with a nice drive but all we saw were barren tree limbs. Still it was a nice drive. After our pathetic attempt at a whole day of "Fall Fun" we gave up and went home to carve our pumpkins. Daniel decided to get onlince and find some fancy stencil to carve. When he was done I made the mistake of asking if it was supposed to be a stroke victim. I don't think he or Frankenstein were very happy. Mine's not so professional, but I didn't use a stencil, and I'm still pretty happy with it. I love Halloween.

Daniel's balancing skills!

Our finished pumpkins!

Umm... Tag?

2007-10-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

Apparently.. Ive been tagged. I must list 6 Facts/Habits/Embarassments about myself and spread the love on. This kinda reminds me of the first day of school when you sit in a circle and share names and tell some random fact about yourself. I will try to be original and not just say I have 5 brothers and no sisters.

Fact/Habit/Embarassment #1: I am horribly, annoyingly, pathetically afraid of heights. It's something I desparately wish I could overcome, but apparently I cannot. Such was evident last night in Vegas when, in our suite, I was unable to walk out onto our balcony overlooking the strip on the 27th floor without either having one hand securly attached to the door of the room, or just having a panic attack altogether. I blame my father for "jokingly" trying to push me off a cliff as a child just to catch me and laugh. I wasn't so amused.

Fact/Habit/Embarassment #2: I am currently trying to teach myself how to sew. I have a had a machine for about three years that I had never even taken out of the box. I made the mistake of asking my mother to teach me, because she is quite the seamstress, but with very specific, somewhat heartbreaking words, she told me no. So now I continue alone. Im pretty determined though. I sewed one seam.. attaching two 3 inch blocks of fabric and basically danced. Daniel thinks Im overreacting.

Fact/Habit/Embarassment #3: I can read a book and sing along to a song at the same time while understanding each clearly. I never knew this was odd until I realized Daniel was the third person to point it out to me as being just that. To go along with this little fact, I can read 987 wpm or something close to that. Fun stuff.

Fact/Habit/Embarassment #4: I secretly wish I was a lounge singer. Its true. I cant imagine how cool it would be to sit alone with your guitar or piano and just be that raw. Its too bad I cant play the guitar or piano or sing that well. But I can sure lounge with the best of 'em.

Fact/Habit/Embarassment #5: I have a weird urge to punch ridiculously stupid people in the face everytime I encounter them. Same goes for people with bad manners. Say 'please' and 'thank you' or its a punch in the face for you. I swear I try to live my life in a loving, non-violent way.

Fact/Habit/Embarassment #6: I thought Daniel should get a fact of his own. He can play a mean game of Halo 3. There isn't much else to tell about him these days.. but I sure love him.

Everyone that knows I have a blog has already been tagged.. except my good friend Becca. So get started Becca... this one's for you.

So much for minding my own business..

2007-10-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

Its official. I was involved in my first car accident ever and yet I wasn't even involved. Let me explain. I was on my way home from a small concert at the Avalon on 3500 s. State Street, and had just pulled up to the red light at 3300 S. State Street. I was just sitting there, waiting for the light to turn green, minding my own business, when all of a sudden two cars traveling the other direction hit each other and both cars went spiraling and swerving out of control. Well one of those cars just happened to be swerving directly at me. It was 9:30 at night and raining and there were only two cars at the red light I was sitting at.. me and a car directly to my left. Suddenly, as this silver car is heading directly for me, it swerves and hit me on my drivers side, then hit the car to my left, stopping pinned between us. His drivers side window was RIGHT next to my window. I obviously can't open my door because there is a car in my way, but Mister I-failed-to-yield-and-caused-this-whole-mess keeps trying to open his which just keeps hitting my car. I roll down my window in the rain and yell at him to roll his down. He finally gets it figured out and I see him (now Mister I'm-the-whitest-and-skinniest-kid-to-have-ever-worn-a-wife-beater-in-public) and his nice lady friend sitting inside in a daze with all their airbags deployed and not knowing where they are. They are ok, I assess, then a cop pulls up and the fun begins. After sitting there for over an hour waiting for the emergency crews to untangle the cars, get Eminem and his girlfriend out on precautionary stretchers, and tow away the disabled cars, the only people left are me and my other innocent red light associate and a single cop car. We sit there for another hour or so just waiting for the cop to bring us back our licenses and insurance information. He finally did around midnight.
All in all, it sucked. Luckily, my car is drivable, and the damage is amazingly minimal. It was a little traumatizing at the time, but now Im just mad that I have to deal with insurance claims for an accident I should have just been and innocent bystander at. Im glad all the drivers and passengers are alive and well. Next time, Im turning right at that light.

One year and counting....

2007-10-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

I have decided that we too should join the marvelous world of blogging. Aka.. the blog wagon. In about a week and a half, Daniel and I will have been married for one whole year. Its hard to believe that the joyous and stressful event that was our wedding was a year ago. We are going to go to Vegas to celebrate our anniversary in style! We are pretty excited. The other thing we are excited about is our recent move. After many happy (and not to mention BARGAIN) years spent in the duplex, we got an opportunity to rent a house near Foothill Village for a great price. There are a few catches to the situation, but none we aren't willing to work with, especially for the deal we are getting on the place. Its great having extra space and no neighbors to hear fighting all the time! But we will definitely miss parts of the duplex and the memories it holds. We appreciate the amount of time we were allowed to stay there and the amazing deal we were given. The only other real development over this last year is that I finally decided to start doing hair full time and have been doing it from a great little salon near home. Its nice to be doing what I love full time.. even though building a clientele is a slooooow process. It's worth it though! Well thats our recent life, I will try to update this as much as possible.

Our new house!