A Christmas story

Our Christmas was very nice and relaxing, just what we wanted.
For Christmas Eve we went to my brothers house. We had our traditional family junk out and a movie there. It's always so fun to see my nephews. They are crazy silly, and give me a great work out every time. It was nice to see everyone, and eat some yummy stuff. Mmmmm stuff.
It was a tradition when I was little that we all got to open a present (usually PJ's) on Christmas Eve. I have tried to keep that tradition going with Aaron and my celebrations. Last year we both got some PJ's, but this year I didn't want to do that again because I think we have enough PJ's to fill up a whole drawer by themselves. Selfish PJ's, getting their own special drawer and all. Sheesh. Instead I decided I would just buy one thing that we both wanted and have Aaron open it. I bought some tickets to the Brad Paisely concert in January. Can I get a Ye-haw? A few months ago Aaron was saying how he heard that Brad Paisely is really good in concert and that he wanted to go next time he came to town. Little did he know that the next time was going to be this January. I'm pretty stoked. Even though I'm not a full on country girl, I do enjoy a lot of country music. My teenage self would probably be slapping me silly for ever saying that. I don't like the crazy, old, twangy stuff, but the majority of newer country I enjoy. I do like most of the Brad Paisely songs that I know, so I'm pretty excited.
Christmas day we just relaxed. It was very nice. Aaron woke me up around six to go open presents like an excited little school boy. I dragged time out as long as I could cause one of his gifts was hiding outside, and the sun wasn't up yet. We went and opened presents at around seven. I got him a tablet, and a miter saw. Only 2 presents, since he never wants anything cheap. Pricey little bugger. He got me a Kinect, a game for the Kinect, tickets to Wicked, and a book for my kindle fire (Mockingjay! Yay!). The Kinect is so much fun. Such a great work out too! I had sore muscles in places were I didn't even know I had muscles. It can with the Fruit Ninja game. I'm pretty much amazing at it, if I do say so myself, which I do. It's the only game that I can kick Aaron's butt in, and he hates it  :)  All in all it was a very calm, pleasant day.
The day after Christmas we both had off as our paid holiday. That was the day his parents did their gift exchange and lunch. It was so noisy, and chaotic with the kids, but it was a good time. I got to hold my nieces lots, which I always enjoy. So stinking cute.

So basically, all I'm trying to say here is that we had a great holiday weekend! Hope you did too!

Happy New Year!

Loves!

Christmas shoes

I just thought you should know, I am wearing little boy shoes today. Oh yes. I'm not ashamed of it either. I went shoe shopping last night at Famous Footwear with Aaron. We were out to get him some new work shoes, and me some much needed hiking shoes since we are going to Moab on Friday. Well, I have short, fat feet that I inherited from my mother dearest. Most athletic shoes are just way to tight, and they don't offer many wide shoes in my size. After looking for about 45 minutes and trying on every shoe around, Aaron disappeared for a few minutes, I figured he was sick of looking at girl shoes, and went back to the guys for a bit. When he came back he had a box of shoes in his hand and told me to try them on. Oh so very roomy compared to all the others I had tried. He told me they were little boy shoes, and better yet, that they were cheaper than any of the other shoes I've already tried on. Score! The great part is, these aren't even my first pair of little boy shoes I own. Aaron bought me some others when we were dating, and I love them. They were actually the shoes I was wearing when we bought these new little boy shoes. Nope, I'm not embarrassed. Whatever works is fine by me. They have really great traction, and will work splendidly for hiking. They are even a good name brand hiking shoe! Yeah Boy (boy shoe that is)! The only problem is my shoe rack doesn't have any more room for more shoes.... Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn.

Here, take a look at the shoes. They don't look very boyish at all. When Aaron gave them to me he said "I figure a lot of boys dress girly now days." True story.




Well, that will be all for today.

Loves for you, and you, and YOU!

I am from the 80's!!!

I saw the link to this article posted on Facebook repeatedly recently, but I refused to read it. I didn't want to agree with any of it, or claim that I took part in some of it, for that would mean admitting which decade I associate my childhood with. I inevitably decided to glance over it this morning while procrastinating the work that is still waiting to get done. As I feared, I enjoyed, agreed with, and related to the large majority of the article. I do not like to be thought of as a 90's kid. I was born in the 80's. I AM AN 80's KID! Even if the only part of the 80's I lived through I was much too young to remember. But that year, one month, and six days of the 80's that I lived makes me an 80's kid as far as I am concerned, and no one better say any different. I already get the "you're so young" comments all the time. I guess that's what I get for being the youngest in my family, and marrying someone who is nearly 4 years older than me, and is the youngest in his family as well. One day I will no longer be told I am so young, and on that day I will probably long to be called young again. Any way, here is the post. I begrudgingly giggled throughout the whole thing as I remembered the days of my youth....which, I will admit, was mostly in the 90's. In case you ever wondered what I was like as a child (I know you all must have) this was my life. Enjoy. And don't make fun of my youthfulness. :)

10 Things 90's Kids Will Have to Explain to Their Children

 

While most things we experienced as tots in that headiest of eras seems pretty self-explanatory (plaid was everywhere, Leonardo DiCaprio was the molten ball of light around which the solar system turned, and there was no color too bright for your sweatpants) there are some things that will be a bit harder to explain. Here, a primer for when your future children want to know what the hell you were doing with your boxy, multicolored electronics.

1. Topanga was at some point in human history considered not only a legitimate first name for a human being, but the kind of name that would inspire in malleable teenage boys a life-long infatuation. Topanga, in our day, was leading lady name-material. Topanga (pronounced Tah-payne-ga, for those who will have only ever seen in it written down) is the name of the quintessential girl-next-door who will live, along with Feeney, in our hearts forever!

2. At some point, we carried around little plastic eggs with tiny screens on them — in these screens lived our hearts, our pets, our raison d’être, our very own Tamagotchi [Giga pet in my case]. We loved them, we listened to their tiny electronic screams of malnourishment, and we occasionally forgot to pick up their poop for long enough that they died a tortured, poop-filled death. They were, perhaps, our first foray into the life-consuming world of electronics and self-absorption, later to be fully manifested by Facebook.

3. The black Power Ranger was black and the yellow Power Ranger was Asian because…we were so completely ahead of our time and beyond the capacity to even think in terms of something as inconsequential as race that… uh… I don’t know. Casting directors were racist in the nineties.

4. Long before he was spending his days foisting his mediocre children on us, Will Smith was actually the perfect human specimen. He also undoubtedly holds some world record for saving the world the most times while simultaneously delivering flawless catchphrases, and giving cool guy nods to the camera. The Men in Black rap song, at the time, was created and received by the public without the slightest trace of irony. Really, he was that good.

5. In some inevitable shift of the time-space continuum in which James Cameron continues to rob humanity of all that is good and sacred in this world, Fern Gully will be known as that movie that ripped off Avatar. It will be up to us to crusade for what is right. It is up to us to explain that Fern Gully was not only a predecessor to Avatar, but far better, in that it contained both Tim Curry as a singing pile of molasses and Robin Williams rapping about animal testing in the pharmaceutical industry. (As a side note, if you have not recently listened to the full lyrics of the “Batty Rap,” I recommend you do, as they are horrifying.)

6. A neighborhood boy who completely disregards your family and puts a ladder directly under the teenage girl’s window to climb up at his discretion is not only acceptable, it’s charming. It’s the kind of stuff that would make said family take the ladder boy under their wing and into their heart. The nineties were a simpler time, one where we didn’t have to worry about things like breaking and entering. Clarissa today would have steel bars on the inside of her window and her father would continually remind her that the next-door boy with his ladder and his touchy hands have no place in his household.

7. Though, on the surface, they are the exact same thing in every conceivable way, whether you liked The Backstreet Boys or N*SYNC said more about your character than all of the terrible macaroni art you could ever make for your child psychologist. Essentially, liking *NSYNC meant you liked Justin Timberlake, as he was clearly the Seabiscuit in that race from the get-go. You even liked him with his terrible, icy-blond mini-fro. Liking the Backstreet Boys gave you a bit more of a cultured palate, as there was no clear Diana in those Supremes. Nick was kind of the wholesome, if northern-Florida-redneck safe choice (save for his humiliating younger brother, Aaron). Brian was the shy, sensitive type. AJ was the hottt, dangerous meth addict. Kevin Richardson was mute with sexy, sculpted facial hair. No one liked Howie. Choosing between the two groups was like choosing between two beloved children, but once that line was crossed–there was no going back.

8. “I wanna really, really, really wanna zig a zig ahh,” has a meaning, and all true nineties kids know it, but we must never share it. Like the Illuminati, it must remain between us, the key holders. With great power comes great responsibility.

9. Lisa Frank is not the name of a woman; it is the name of a movement, a culture, a way of living! It is a theory, a concept, a belief in something greater than yourself. It is the belief that all girls are entitled to dolphins covered with rainbows, jewel-encrusted frogs, and unicorns in acid-trip colors hugging each other. It is the ideology that no notebook is complete until it literally hurts your eyes to look at from so much color saturation. It is the hope that no school supply, no matter how insignificant, will be left un-bedazzled. It is the knowledge that your eraser cap, and that of your granddaughter’s, and her granddaughter’s after her, will not be some boring little nub–it will be a diamond covered with butterflies in a rainbow of colors. It is the dream of a better tomorrow.

10. Incredibly depressing women in Indiana covered in cats and glass figurines they buy at The Hallmark Store used to troll the web 1.0 to invest thousands of dollars in tiny stuffed animals filled with plastic beans. That happened. Beanie Babies were not just significant; they were the first example most of us had of envy, greed, and wrath. If someone messed up that little heart-shaped Ty tag, so help you God, that was the end of whatever contact you had with that monster of a human being. That tag-less Beanie Baby was now trash, and you had to deal with the consequence. It was at that moment, that de-valued Beanie Baby moment, that most of us accepted the truth… we’ll never have nice things.

Man I loved beanie babies. 

Well, that's all.

Loves!

Oh! Christmas tree?

We got our  Christmas tree up and all decorated, and guess what?! It's a real one!! Impressive right? Okay, maybe not, but I've never had a real Christmas tree before. I like it enough so far. It smells so nice. But, I don't know if we will get a real one again after this year though. It's as much of a hassle as the fake tree is. It's so messy, and it makes me worry about bugs. Ew! Bugs. I haven't found any yet, thank goodness. I hope it doesn't dry out before I'm ready to take it down. It goes through water SO SO fast. Hopefully we're not over watering it... is that possible? I'll probably end up killing it one way or the other. I've never had a green thumb of any sort. I could probably kill a fake tree. Any way, here is our tree for your viewing pleasure: 

[Feel free to commence ooooing and awwwing now.]

Hmmm.... this picture was a lot bigger when I first started writing this post. I'm not sure what happened and it won't go back.... Aw man!

Decorating our new house has been a blast!

I love this place so much!

It makes me smile every day.

:)

That is all.

Much loves!

Good news part 2. Finally!

I finally feel like I can announce the secret I've been keeping. Okay, it's not really much of a secret any more. Most people I know found out one way or another. We were so excited we had a hard time keeping our mouths shut and told too many people who didn't know it was supposed to be kept kind of quiet. Plus, I already announced it on facebook awhile back, I just haven't had the time to update this too.

So, here it is. for the past 3 months we have been working on buying our first house! We were finally able to close on it last Tuesday the 8th! This process had been the biggest mess, and definitely didn't go how we expected. I know, I know, everyone who has purchased a house is going to pipe up and say that it never goes how you expect. We knew it wouldn't be fast or easy, but seriously, it was ridiculous. When even the loan officer says he can't remember the last time there were so many things to go wrong with good loan candidates, then you know it's bad. Most home loan companies have a 30 day to close goal. Obviously we didn't achieve that goal. But no matter, all is well now. I finally have my house. Now I just have to make it into a home.

It's the cutest house ever. We are in love with it. It has six bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Don't worry, they are not all for us. There is an apartment in the basement. They get two of the bedrooms and one bathroom. I think 4 bed 2 bath is pretty perfect for us right now. Everything about this house is perfect for us. It has a huge  fenced back yard with a good sized garden and fire pit. Willis loves it! A dual dog run with 2 dog houses, which is pretty cool. a big shed. A nice deep garage that could fit 4 cars and Aaron's motor cycle if we wanted. A nice living room upstairs, and a TV room downstairs that we are going to turn into a cool theater room eventually. The kitchen has a ton of cupboards, a pantry, and an island. So much more space for storing all my cooking things than I had before. We have a cold storage room, which will be nice for stalking up on all the good coupon deals. The Master bedroom has a walk in closet with more storage than I know what to do with! Okay, I know what I want to do with it, but I can't afford that many pairs of shoes :)  We have a little laundry room, which is awesome cause our washer and dryer were in the kitchen before, and that wasn't fun. All the rooms are painted warm neutral colors, which is nice. They do need a little touch up cause the people who lived there before didn't know what they were doing, but they left the extra paint so we won't have to try and play the matching game. It's so perfect. It has everything that was on our little check list when we were looking at homes. We had to look for a year before we found this one. It's not one that would have been in our budget before, but it is now since we both got big raises with our new jobs. We feel so blessed for that, and know this is all working out how it is supposed to, and that this is where we are supposed to be in our lives right now.

We are still working on moving in. It's been hard since we closed on the day that my grandma died, so we had a busy week already with that. It didn't help that the people who owned it before apparently didn't know how to clean. The place was really dirty at first. It's taken a long time to get it clean. Then this week Aaron got a cold, and ya know, what's mine is yours, so he shared it with me. He's at the worst part right now, and I'm just starting to get it. Not to mention that we both work full time, if not more, so that takes up the majority of our time. (Oh wait, I guess that is mentioning it. haha) One day we will be moved in. I hope. We are to the point of sleeping there, so that's good. We have a lot of stuff though. It's kind of ridiculous. Haha We have already taken a ton to the DI and have a lot more to sort through.

I'll post pictures when I can.

L.O.V.E.S

Grandma Lucy.

There is no one I admire more than you. I've always looked up to your great example. You're the epitome of what a woman should be. You are the classiest woman I have ever known. I would be very proud to become even the tiniest bit like you. You are simply amazing. When I think of the wonderful reunion that took place in heaven last night, it brings tears to my eyes, and joy in my heart. 48 years without your husband, you're only sweetheart. Being apart much longer than you were together here on earth. I can't even imagine. My mom got to give her Gretel a big hug again. Seeing your parents, grandparents, and those siblings who have pass on before you. What an awesome welcoming party you had. I think of those videos of soldiers coming home from war and seeing their families for the first time in so long. I cry every time I watch those. I know your greeting party was even greater than that. When I got that call, that dreaded call that I knew would be coming soon, I didn't cry. I felt your pure happiness that you are experiencing. Of course, throughout the night and the day today I have shed a few tears for the loss I feel, but overall I know you have been letting me to feel a little bit what you are feeling so I can remember to be happy for you. You lived a great long life. All who knew you in that time adored you. We all feel that we love you more than any others could. I feel so blessed to be able to call you my grandma for eternity. The world lost a very special spirit, but heaven just got a little bit brighter. I look forward to seeing you again whenever that time may come. Till then I will hold very dear to the sweet memories I have with you. You will always have a big special part of my heart. I love you forever and always.

PS Give my Mom a big hug from me.

A little ramble here, a little ramble there.

This is something I really needed to hear today. It has been a very discouraging couple of weeks. I have been having an especially difficult time keeping that happy mindset I strive for today. Lately we have been having set back after set back. Disappointment after disappointment. I'm just waiting for something to finally come through and work out for us. I'm not complaining (okay, maybe just a little), I know I have a very good and blessed life. I have a whole lot to be thankful for. Things were just going so perfectly for awhile there. Everything was falling right into place. Then, all of a sudden, it wasn't any more. Sigh. Such is life.

This quote helped me calm down and remember that everything is happening exactly how God intended it to, whether they were in my plans or not does not matter.

It will be okay. It will all work out. Soon enough it will all be in the past. Deep breath. And repeat. That's how I have been getting through this day.

This morning, a coworker was a little rude to me about something I had nothing to do with. I turned and walked away, holding back tears. That small thing had just pushed me to the limit (for the third time this morning) I couldn't handle anything else blowing up in my face. This reminded me of one of my favorite quotes ( I know I've been using a ton of quotes in my posts lately.). "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" - Plato. He couldn't have known his slightly harsh words would push me to the brink of crying. He had no idea of the terrible morning I'd been having, and apparently he'd been having a less than ideal day as well. Let me be clear though, I don't hate my job, or any of my coworkers. It is a great job. I am grateful for it, and blessed to have it. My coworkers are great, and nice 99% of the time. Just one of those days for all of us I guess.

Any way.... I don't really know where I'm going with this. Mostly I'm just rambling, as is typical for my blog. Just a place to get my thoughts out of my head so I can go on with my day with out these thoughts pestering me along my way. So, I guess that's all for now. 

Loves!

There you have it.

Something that truly irks me is when I hear of people saying that Mormons are not Christians. Really? Those who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints not Christian? If believing in and trying to follow Christ is not a Christian act, then please explain to me what exactly is? I just don't understand how they can try and claim this when Christ is in the name of our religion, and in all that we do. As Latter Day Saints, our lives are centered around Christ. We pray A LOT. If we are not Christian, who do you think we are praying to? The prayers are opened addressing Heavenly Father, and closed in the name of Christ. I don't think it gets much more Christian than that.

This sums it up better than me:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/12/opinion/obeidallah-mormon-christian/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

My Fall Bucket List

Here are all the fall activities I hope to accomplish this (and most every) year:

• Corn maze
• Haunted mini golf
• Odyssey Dance Thriller
• Pumpkin walk
• Decorate house
• Pumpkin pamcakes (from VI)
• Carve pumpkins
• Watch Hocus Pocus
• Watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
• Pumpkin bagel/pumpkin cream cheese (Einstein's)
• Logan Canyon drive to see leafs, have picnic
• Make 2 ingredient pumpkin cookies
• Watch all Halloween episodes of The Office :)
• Eat lots of candy
• Hand candy out to the cuties on Halloween night!

I know, not very original. But, I will love every minute of it!

What's on your fall bucket list? Is there anything you think I should add on here?

That be all for now folks! ;)

Loves!

Just my thoughts

It's easy to point out faults in others to make yourself feel better.

It's best to work on your own faults to feel better about yourself.

You can't control what others do, you can only control you.

Stop worrying about everyone else so much, and work on yourself.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi