Nous Sommes Amoureux

Adoption Update: Home Study

2010-11-09T13:41:00.004-07:00

Part of the process to be able to adopt is to have a home study done. We were given the name of a local home studier and are now in the middle of that process. We pay him and he gives us a ton of paperwork to fill out. An application, our financial info, 1040, proof of employment, a child abuse background check, an FBI background check, references, and a questionnaire about a million questions long. All of this before he ever visits our home.

This is what we have been doing for the past month. Once he gets everything from us and the background checks and references have been mailed into him then he schedules a time to come and visit us in our home. After all of that, he will write up a summary of his opinion of us and if he believes we are suitable to adopt. Let's hope all goes smoothly and we are on his good side. (we probably only have a couple weeks left before he has everything he needs and we can move forward) In the mean time we have been working on getting cards and announcements made to let all of our friends and loved ones know that we are ready to adopt and to keep eyes and ears open for us.

We appreciate all of the support we have gotten thus far!! Thank you for being on this journey with us!!!!!

Starting the process...

2010-10-12T18:27:00.006-06:00

It's official. Rob and I have started the process of adoption. We don't have any babies in mind yet, but we are just about ready to start looking. If any of you hear of anyone or anything please keep us in mind. We have started an adoption blog. It was created so that any prospective birth parents can learn alittle more about us without going to our personal blogs. If you do know of anyone, please refer them to our adoption blog. robmichelleadoption.blogspot.com

We also had some pictures taken by Kiera. She is an amazing photographer!! These are a few of the favorites. Which is your favorite??

adoption

2010-09-28T14:05:00.003-06:00

It's been on my mind... a lot!!

He Sure is TALENTED!

2010-09-27T19:00:00.001-06:00

My Husband is a talented artist. He is a photographer that does more than just take pictures. He makes art! Rob was invited to have a collection of his art shown in a new gallery downtown Salt Lake for the gallery stroll and then was asked if they could keep his art on display until it either sold, or Rob wanted it back. Rob was very excited and honored to have his art displayed where people who would appreciate it would be able to view it! There was a GREAT turnout and we had an absolute blast.

I am so proud of Rob!! I believe in you honey and I love your work! It was also wonderful to be able to share the special evening with family and friends. Thank you to all that came to show your support. I know that you guys were proud of him also! We also know that some who were unable to make it are also insanely proud of him as well!! We wish you guys could have been there to see it, but we felt your love from afar!!

His art can be seen on his website: www.robdphotography.com

Westin

2010-09-26T21:12:00.004-06:00

Well... I was finally able to meet my new little cousin (once removed)! He was born Tuesday morning a little after midnight. He is a beautiful baby and he (and his mommy) love my present!!! And may I just mention that his mommy was AMAZING!! An all natural birth and was only at the hospital for about an hour and a half before the baby was born!! Not to mention how gorgeous she looked having just given birth! She is one tough cookie!

Finished Blanket

2010-09-16T10:59:00.004-06:00

In 2006 I knitted a scarf. I had my Mother in Law finish for me last year sometime. My husband will get to actually wear it this winter. So when I found out my cousin was prego with a baby boy, I thought... hmmm... Rob can take baby pictures for her gift. But my mom suggested that I make her a little something special. So while we were up at Tahoe my Mother in Law retaught me how to knit. And this is what I made: (shhhh... don't tell Cheryl. She is due any day now)

Something Special for Someone Special

2010-09-07T14:07:00.003-06:00

I am making a special gift for a special family member who I have not gotten to meet yet! But I am going to meet him very soon.

I'm coming back soon...

2010-08-02T15:35:00.002-06:00

I promise!! I may even post about day 2 of our cruise. We'll see. :)

Day 1 - April 10, 2010

2010-05-02T18:15:00.002-06:00

Saturday April 10th,

Rob and I were up by 3 am. Ready to leave by 4 am. At the airport by 5am. Checked in by 5:15 am. Getting coffee and tea by 6am. Boarding the plane at 7am. And arrived in LAX around 8 am PST. Picked up by cousins (thank you Karen and Shannon) by 10 am. Breakfast at Denny's with my cousins at 11 am. Dropped off at San Pedro Port by noon. Rich and Nan arrived by 12:10 pm. Boarding the ship by 12:30 pm. Lunch and drinks by 1 pm. In our cabin by 3 pm. Ship departed by 4 pm. And we were officially on vacation!!!

Some other highlights from day 1 - Rob and I went and checked out the spa and signed up for some drawings. We also joined the VIP spa for the week. At 6pm the spa was having their drawings so we went up feeling hopeful that maybe we could win something. Well, I did!!!! I won the Ionithermie Algae Detox treatment. It was kind of funny, because with just one treatment you can loose up to 10 inches around your waist, so there were a lot of angry women when I won it. They jokingly said "she's too skinny to win that." I didn't know if I should feel flattered or guilty. But I was just happy to have won!! We had dinner reservations at 7pm and finished just in time for a lovely sunset.

It was a great day!!

High Five

2010-05-02T18:00:00.003-06:00

to five years!

Rob and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary this past month. This year we decided we wanted to do something big. So we went on a cruise. We've never really been on a vacation together (apart from weekend trips to CA) so we were really excited.

April 9th - our anniversary and the day before the cruise. Both Rob and I took work off to get 100% ready for our vacation. That evening we went to our favorite local restaurant, Roosters, for dinner. Then it was early to bed since we had to be up super early the following morning.

Happy Anniversary honey!! (high five)

Count Down

2010-04-03T20:06:00.003-06:00

The count down is almost over!! I've been meaning to blog about it for awhile, but I have been so preoccupied with preparing and getting ready for our special anniversary vacation. The weeks of waiting are just down to days. 6 days 20 hours and 2 minutes until we are on the ship and ready to set sail on the open waters. For our 5 year anniversary we are going on a cruise!! 7 days down to the Mexican Rivera. We are so excited and can hardly stand waiting. We have gone on many long weekend trips, but never a week vacation together. It is long over due and I am just so happy that we are finally doing it for such a special occasion as our 5 year.

This weekend is spent figuring out what we need that we don't have so that during the week I can be sure to get it. The week will be filled with packing, getting my clients and customers situated for my week away, cleaning the house, and mentally preparing.

Any advice or suggestions for preparing for the cruise?

Cleanse Completed!

2010-03-11T23:20:00.003-07:00

Well, I did it. I made it all 10 days.

Every single day I obsessed over food (even though I never touched any) I craved sandwiches, bagels, and pizza! And today, even though I was only supposed to have fresh fruits and veggies, I had a sandwich. Well, half a sandwich. And the first 5 bites were awesome. And then.... all my cravings went away. I don't want anymore sandwiches or pizza. All my body wants is the lemonade. It is begging for it. For 10 days I had to force myself to continue and today all my body wanted was that dang lemonade. I compromised and ate carrots and an orange for the rest of the day.

It's time for my tummy to get off vaca and get back to work!

Bytheway - I lost 10 lbs during those 10 days. And although I know I will gain 3 to 5 of those pounds back, I am glad I did it. I feel good. I'm going to pay better attention to what I put into my body. And I'm going to listen alittle bit better when my body is telling me it doesn't like what I put in it. But most of all, it feels really good to have set a goal and accomplish it. Maybe I'll set another one....

Days 2 - 8

2010-03-08T13:17:00.005-07:00

Well... here I am on DAY 8!!! It has been a long week! After today I only have 2 more days and I will be eating real food by the weekend.

After I posted my last post I got really hungry and really sad. I just wanted to eat some food. (but I didn't) So I decided I probably shouldn't blog about the cleanse everyday. Most of the stuff I read about the cleanse made it sound like after day 3 it's easy breezy. But I'll tell you what. Everyday is hard. It's a good thing I have had the support group I have had, otherwise I would have convinced myself that "no one will know if I eat a snickers" But all in all... I would know. And I am proud to say... day 8 baby!!

I am feeling good. I've been sleeping better, waking up easier and earlier, I have more energy during the day, I feel more positive and ambitious, and when I close my eyes I can't see those weird little floaty thingys that you can never really focus in on. I have however been pretty spacey. Even more so then usual. I have also lost about a pound per day. (not that that's why I am doing it, but a perk)

2 1/2 more days to go!! WISH ME LUCK!

Day 1 - The Cleanse

2010-03-01T20:23:00.002-07:00

Today is day 1 of the Master Cleanse. It has been pretty good. I have been pretty excited to begin the cleanse for about 3 weeks now. It all started when I realized that my husband thinks I complain about my tummy being upset way too often. After that realization I came to agree with him that I do complain about it a lot. And then I decided that my tummy does get upset waaaaay too much. And then when I got my head cold I realized I really needed to do something to make me more healthy. I started researching colon cleaning products. After a ton and ton of web pages that tell you they have the best colon cleaning pill, I realized that most of them were made with similar natural products. So I then googled colon cleansing recipes. I came across some diets and lifestyle changing books. I also came across the master cleanse. It is a 10 day liquid diet consisting of lemonade.

I had my first serving of the lemonade at about 8:45 am. It was way spicier then I was expecting. (I am planning on going a little easier on the cayenne pepper tomorrow.) It made my entire body warm. I went about my day as normal. I went to work and had a couple more servings there. I've has lots and lots of water to help keep me hydrated. Around 2 pm ish I started to really want a sandwich (still do). I started to get hungry and cranky. By 2:30 I had a headache (from hunger and co-workers) and decided to head home. I took a little nap and when I woke up I was doing okay. I had my 4th serving around 5pm. By then I just really wanted to eat (still do). I've really had to focus and keep my mind occupied. I got my 5th and 6th servings in by 7pm (required to drink at least 6 to 12 servings per day).

I am not feeling weak. Just hungry. And even the hunger just comes in waves. It's really strong right now since I've been writing about it. From everything I've read days 1-3 are the toughest. Just a couple more hours and day 1 will be completed.

Blogging Groove or lack there of

2010-02-23T13:50:00.006-07:00

I keep telling myself to update my blog. And I even thought of things to blog about while I was trying to fall asleep. But proof be known... when I do have time to blog, my mind is blank. I also haven't uploaded any pictures lately and sometimes pictures can be the inspiration for the blog.

I will tell you this - I have not worked out in a week and a half because I got a head cold. I am also planning on doing a detox cleanse starting next week. I am hoping to post a few posts about my experience with that. (I am way excited to do the cleanse though. More about that to come.) I would have started it this week, but I am planning on a quick trip to St. George and did not want it to interfere with my eating at Honolulu Grill and Grandma's cooking (if she feels up to it, if not... we'll all go to Honolulu grill)

I am hoping to get back in the blogging groove soon.

Day 1 and 2

2010-02-05T17:40:00.002-07:00

Well, I haven't gotten up early and made it to the gym. But I have made time for a quick 30 minute workout at home on my CoreSecrets ball. It doesn't really get my heart rate up or make me break a sweat, but I do feel a little soreness in my muscles today. But I will make it to the gym this weekend FOR SURE!!!

GOALS

2010-02-03T21:02:00.003-07:00

I finally watched Julie & Julia. I have been wanting to see it since it was in the theater and just never got around to it. I finally borrowed it from my younger brother and got to watch it over the weekend. I loved the movie. Not just because I enjoy cooking, but mostly because both women set their minds to something and accomplished it! It inspired me.

There are many many things that I want to accomplish or that I think about striving to achieve but never really finish or give it 100% because in the end it doesn't really matter. It's like Julie's husband said, she didn't have to make everything... no one would ever really know if she did or didn't. That is how I have always felt. But the fact was; she set out to accomplish a goal and she would know if she didn't really make it. She would know if she fudged on her mission.

I think the important factor for Julie was that she had a time frame in which she had to finish said goal. I think that is what I lack. Be better with money, pay off credit card, lose weight/get fit, eat better, keep house tidy, etc. No real time frame.

Well, Rob and I are planning something really special for our 5 year anniversary in April. Something that will require a swim suit. And as I sat on my lazy butt last night watching Biggest Loser rather than going to the gym (I didn't go to the gym Monday either and those are my 2 days when I usually get to go) I started beating myself up about it. I decided that I would get up at 7am and go to the gym before work. So this morning 7am came... and went. 8am came... and went. I didn't get up until 9am and that was only because I had to be to a house to measure by 10am. I was so ashamed of myself.

I was thinking though, that if I give myself a deadline of April 9th 2010, my 5 year anniversary, I just might really try and give it 100% and maybe see results. So here it is... starting tomorrow I am going to start my goal of working out/eating better. I want to loose some of this weight I gained over the past 3 months. How about 7ish pounds. I work until midnight tonight, but I don't have to be to work too early tomorrow, so if I get up by 7 I should be able to go to the gym and still get to work by 9am. If I can just get in a habit of getting up early again!!!! Come on Michelle! Your anniversary is 65 days away!!!!

Aspen Turns 2!

2010-01-13T17:17:00.013-07:00

The sweetest little princess turned 2 on December 10th!

We made cards.

Opened presents.

Played. Ate cake and ice cream.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

3 Months

2010-01-13T16:57:00.002-07:00

Has it really been 3 months since I posted a blog???

I can see how that time would have escaped me. It has been a busy 3 months. We've just been trying to get through it all.

Rob is still working out in Vernal during the week. The job he is on should be wrapping up the end of February. I am SO EXCITED for him to be back home during the week. His next project should just have him in Vernal every other week.

I am still working at Legacy as well as at the hotel in the evenings. I am really hoping that things at Legacy will pick up so that I can just refocus my attention on that job and stop working at the hotel so often.

We had a lot of fun during the holidays. We spent them with local family. We got a ton of pictures of the kids as well. I will post some holiday blogs in the next couple of days. We also started remodeling our bathroom. It turned into a little bit more work than expected, but it will be beautiful in the end. (another blog for another day)

I will try to get back in the swing of blogging more often. I hope everyone had a great Holiday Season!!!

Little Projects

2009-10-12T12:29:00.004-06:00

have been getting done.

Nothing too crazy or Big lately. Just some small stuff that we have been thinking about doing for awhile. We planted 3 young Aspen trees in our front yard. We needed something in front of our bedroom window so that the neighbors across the street weren't our only scenery.

We also have been having fun with our niece and nephew. We don't get to see them nearly as often as we used to, so we take full advantage when we do. Aspen is SO FUNNY!!! She is the smartest little girl I have ever met. She blows me away with the things that she says. The other day she was looking for the moon. She just was wondering where it went. "Moon at wook?" So cute!! And Jack has a huge imagination. Just during car rides he'll be looking for Alligators or Aliens. It's really fun. He also has a huge love for heavy machinery. He loves bulldozers and diggers. He also loves anything with lights and sirens. The picture below is the two of them sitting on a dining room chair with their drinks. They have to be sitting to have their drinks and they wanted to sit together. (Aspen kept saying "cheeeeese" and Jack isn't really into pretty smiles these days. Also notice Aspen's 1 sock on and 1 sock off look)

Congratulations...

2009-09-11T11:44:00.004-06:00

Scott & Cheryl!

My cousin Cheryl got married this past weekend. RD did the pictures for her and got some amazing pictures. I'm not sure if he has them posted yet, but check out his blog.

Stuck...

2009-09-03T23:01:00.003-06:00

I don't want to be a whiny blogger. I don't want to be a whiny person.

I've been feeling a bit down. I'm not looking for sympathy. I'm looking for a much needed slap in the face. I need someone to tell me to snap out of it! STOP WHINING!

But for now, I whine.

I've realized over the past few days that I don't really know who I am. I have become someone I don't know. Who is this girl who is sad? Who is this girl that is mad? Who is this girl that is so lost that she doesn't even know who she is?

My poor husband. I used to tease him about false advertising when we were dating. But jeez Michelle, I'm sure the poor guy wasn't expecting this. I used to be so strong. I used to be so fun! I used to take pride in everything I did. I used to be a hard worker. I worked for everything I got!!!

I don't want you to think that I am sad all the time. There is just something about me right now that is very different. It is easy to blame it on stress, but I think it just maybe the villain here. I don't know. I used to have very few "low" moments. But it is all I can do lately to pull myself up to "lowish"

I said in an earlier post that I realized while doing Yoga that I need to reconnect with myself. But I think I need to all together FIND myself. I have no idea what I want to do with my life. This is going to sound stupid but I don't even know what I enjoy doing. I'll think maybe it would be fun to scrapbook, so I get the stuff out and then I don't feel like it. I think maybe I should go to the gym, but then I think"nah, take a night off" Getting together with friends sounds so fun until the day we have plans, and then I just don't feel like going out. I mean...what is the deal?

I think this is coming on realizing that I am 27 years old and I don't know what to do for a career. I see where I am working and I am unhappy, but where do I go? What do I do? What do I want to do????

I don't know.

Do you know me?

FIRE

2009-09-01T15:36:00.007-06:00

the dreaded word!

My 2nd job is at a hotel. Last Wednesday I went to work after having 3 wonderful nights off. I knew it was going to be a busy night because we were sold out.

We checked a guest into room 329. She called down and let us know that her AC was not working. We sent maintenance up to take a look. She called back down to us asking if she could switch rooms because Maintenance was having a hard time fixing it. Luckily we still had 2 rooms and were able to move her. I told Maintenance that he needed to get that AC fixed because we were sold out and we would need that room.

Well around 6:20pm while I was checking a guest in, a regular guest came up and said that there was a fire. That it appeared to be on the 3rd floor coming out of a window. My coworker and I looked at each other and she said she would go check on it. While she was gone another guest came running up and said "you guys are on fire!!" So at the point I decided to call 911. While giving the operator our address Kelsie came running in saying "We are on fire!!" right then the fire alarm started going off.

Talk about your body reacting... mine just sort of took over. We told the lobby they needed to evacuate, we called the restaurant and told them they needed to get out. The housekeeper on duty and the girl that runs the bar at the social hour also jumped in and between the 4 of us we started banging on doors (since people don't pay attention to fire alarms) and telling them that we were really on fire and to GET OUT!

Maintenance reacted amazingly as well. Since the maintenance guy on duty was having problems with that AC his supervisor had just gotten there to help. They ended up getting the fire out before the fire department even got there. They got the fire out before the sprinklers came on also. They saved the hotel from a lot of damage and from losing a lot of money!!

We all sat outside the building for a little more than 2 hours. Finally they let the employees back in to help clean up some of the mess. I was so nervous that all of our guests would want to stay somewhere else and was worried because all of Ogden was sold out except for 1 hotel that had about 30 rooms. When the guests were allowed back in not a single person was upset or asked to change hotels. We ended up having to evacuate the 3rd floor again due to carbon monoxide levels, but they were allowed back up once it got to 3%.

So what happened???? Well, that stupid AC unit! Maintenance switched out the faulty unit and replaced it with an older unit that had been repaired. When he plugged it in, it tripped the breaker. Well, that started a fire in the unit that the maintenance guy didn't notice. So while he went to work on the breaker, the unit started spewing flames outside. Well the room over looks the roof of the pool so the roof of the pool started on fire and the flames curled up and broke the window to the room. Maintenance got the fire out before the curtains and bedding caught on fire. I honestly believe if even 2 more minutes had passed that room would have gone up in flames and we would have lost half the building!!! Not to mention if we hadn't of moved that one guest to a different room her stuff would have been damaged.

Talk about insane!!!! But of course I had my camera with me :)

4 fire trucks responded! (could you imagine if had been worse! Thank goodness they responded as quickly as they did. I don't know what would have happened if maintenance hadn't have been there!)

Before the guest were allowed back in I caught these firemen hangin out by the pool!

Room 329

This reminds me of a little story I forgot to share about the family reunion!!! Just as the day was winding down in Nampa ID the fire alarm to the hotel that we were staying at went off. We all had to evacuate. Turns out an employee had been popping popcorn and it caught on fire. They thought they had gotten it out and threw it in the garbage where it started smoking. Guess who followed the smoke into the break room and stomped the fire out.... That would be my husband!! While we are all evacuated here comes RD strutten' his stuff out the front door. One fire truck still responded just to be on the safe side and that made the kid's day!!!

Betts Family Reunion 2009

2009-08-30T09:05:00.026-06:00

Well, it has been almost a month since the Bett's Family Reunion in Nampa, Idaho. Guess it's about time I blogged about it.

It is the first family reunion we have had since Grandpa's 80th birthday 7 years ago.

It was held at the Sleep Inn in Nampa. August 1st, 2009.

1st on the agenda... some much needed family photos!
Grandpa & Mardel with his 3 kids that were able to make it to the reunion.

Missing: Cliff, Bonnie, and Diana (even though I am pretty sure Diana was there in spirit)

Bett's family that was able to make it. This is a 5 generation picture!

The whole Pickett clan was able to make it!!!

Representin' the Fischers!

And a good chunk of the Gardner group!

Next up... Mingling, Games, Wii, Swimming, and FOOD! Oh yeah, and lots of pictures!

Eventually it came time for Grandpa and Mardel to go home. Goodbyes were hard, but we are so grateful that we got to see him!! We love him so much!!! And I know I speak for my whole family when I say that we will miss him. Our family reunions will never be the same without him there. He was so wonderful and I am so grateful to have had him for a Grandpa, roommate, and friend!

The goodbye was really hard for me. But I promised him that I would be better about coming up and visiting him. I wish I would have had a chance to make good on that promise, but I think Grandpa knew.

The next morning it was the rest of our turns to head on home. We had a great reunion. It was so fun to see family that I haven't seen in years. I even met some family that I had never met before. It was great for the younger kids to get to make friends with their "cousins" and by the end of it everyone was great friends.

I am NOT going to let another 7 years go by before we have another Bett's family reunion. I miss everyone too much already.

We missed the family that wasn't able to make it up:

Cliff

Hawaii Fischers

Stelzners

Brian & Lacey Gardner

and the rest of Dan's Clan.

Hopefully we will all be able to see each other soon!

Blow up his car

2009-08-25T12:26:00.003-06:00

We did this video last night for my brother to submit to the Conan O'Brian show. We found out today that the deadline was Friday the 21st. Bummer. I think he could have won.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rOL9ECqnoA

Down Home Cookin!

2009-08-25T10:42:00.009-06:00

These days with our crazy schedules it is just easier for both me and Rob to run through a drive through and grab a quick bite between jobs. Especially with Rob working out of town. This is taking a toll on our pocket book as well as our overall heath.

This weekend I was thinking about how much I miss cooking. I really do enjoy cooking. And ever since we got the kitchen done, I have started enjoying it even more (even though our next house will have a larger kitchen!!) So we came up with an idea. On Sundays I will make dinners for the entire week and send them with Rob to Vernal and keep a single portion here for me.

Rob ended up not having to go out of town until Tuesday this week, so I did my cooking last night.

Any meal ideas or recipes that I should try that refrigerate or freeze and travel well??

Fun with Jack

2009-08-18T10:54:00.005-06:00

One of my best friends works for Coca Cola. This last Saturday they had their work day at Lagoon. Jenni invited me and Jack to join her and her son for a fun day at the park.

It was wonderful weather, good (free) food, and fun company. We had a blast!

Thanks again for inviting us Jenni and Quinn!

Love You, Grandpa

2009-08-14T07:23:00.003-06:00

August 10, 1922 - August 13, 2009

2 weeks ago - we had a Betts family reunion in Tampa, Idaho. (I'll post more about the reunion later)

Yesterday - my Grandpa Betts passed away. I'm feeling really sad having lost someone I love so much. I was lucky to have a really close relationship with my Grandpa. And I have a ton of wonderful memories. I am grateful that we all had a chance to say goodbye and that he had a chance to say goodbye to all of us.

Today - driving to Idaho for his quick and quiet burial. I have a feeling this is exactly the way he wanted it. He never did like a big fuss.

Tomorrow - life will go on, but it is really hard for me to think that he won't be at the next family reunion. At least not in his physical form.

I love you Grandpa - yesterday, today and always!

What A Great Day...

2009-07-24T20:30:00.003-06:00

Today has been a great day!

Even though we slept in late, spent too much money, and the fact that I had to go to work tonight.

I got to wake up with my husband, sleep in with my husband, shop with my husband, cook for my husband, eat with my husband (side note* I cooked a 100% gluten free, vegan meal. AND used our first jalapeno from our garden. Don't worry we'll be sure to have a big juicy steak tomorrow); all before going in for a 4 hour shift at my 2nd job. I get to be back with my hubby in less than 2 1/2 hrs!

And if that hasn't been AWESOME enough... It is only Friday. Which means that we still have tomorrow (minus my 8 hr shift) AND Sunday to be together!

bytheway - This is my 151st post. Pretty cool!

bythewayagain - Happy Birthday UTAH!

Eh...

2009-07-23T19:30:00.004-06:00

Sorry Friends.

I have not been inspired to post for a while.

Maybe it is the heat?!

Maybe it is because I am working 2 jobs?!

Maybe it is because my husband has been working out of town every week for the past 2 1/2 months?!

Hopefully I'll get the blogging bug again soon.

Loose Ends

2009-07-07T10:05:00.005-06:00

The last couple of weekends we've been trying to tie up loose ends in our kitchen. It has been hard for us to want to take care of the small details since our kitchen is completely functional. This last weekend, Rob's dad came out to visit. He was just the motivation we needed to really get those little things done!

We finally found double outlet covers that would fit our outlets. We also found a lovely textured spray paint that made the covers exactly what we had been looking high and low for!

Hello baseboards!!!! Having these installed has really made everything look finished! Not only did they get installed, my sweet hubby even caulked them, right then and there!!!!! (now if the ones in the living room could get caulked, I would be the happiest wife ever!)

Yoga, July 5th 2009

2009-07-05T12:29:00.003-06:00

Yoga

I should not be allowed to ever miss yoga. It starts my week off right. It puts my mind, body and spirit where they need to be to face the coming week. I feel so balanced after yoga. Everything smells better, looks better and is better.

Today's intention for myself: Reconnect. Reconnect with someone I love. Focus on becoming reacquainted with this person who I love so much and used to know everything about. I meditated on that thought through the entire warm up. With every breath I thought about what reconnecting meant and what I would need to do.

By the time the sweat was starting to drip, I was thinking about all the wonderful things about this person. How much I appreciate him. How much he does for me. The small, wonderful things that he does. I realized that we don't need to reconnect. I just need to remember that we are connected. I need to be grateful for our connection.

By the time I reached Savasana it was clear that what I really need to focus on is reconnecting with myself.

I am going to have a wonderful week. I wish for everyone to have a wonderful week!

NO MORE!

2009-06-23T12:32:00.004-06:00

I have never been a huge tabloid reader, but I have been known to purchase a magazine here or there. After Lindsey Lohan kept getting in car accidents and the whole Britney Spears thing I decided to cut back. I realized that by watching "entertainment" shows and reading tabloid magazines I am supporting people who make money stalking celebrities and invading their privacy.

For example: During last nights Jon and Kate plus 8 episode they had to decide where to put the kids' playhouses and all the choices were where trees could hide the kids from the paparazzi. That is so sad to me! And even before the show aired, E! aired a Jon and Kate plus 8 News special and I watched for a couple minutes before I felt horrible for even watching and therefore supporting the paparazzi and the show. Even though I find famous people's lives to be fascinating, I just think it has gotten too out of control!

I know all the arguments about celebrities choosing to live in the spot light and blah blah blah, but I have decided that I will support the actors by watching their shows or movies (if they are shows or movies I enjoy) but I will no longer support: the paparazzi, shows that support the paparazzi, or magazines that have paparazzi pictures in them.

Schedule

2009-06-19T11:02:00.003-06:00

We've had a bit of a crazy schedule to adjust to here of late. I was successful in getting a second job. And although it is not my dream job, it is hopefully going to help us get caught up. But by taking on this almost fulltime second job, I have been tired and a little cranky. Rob is still working out of town during the week, which again is good for the pocket book, but hard on me (and him).

So I am just letting the blogging world know that my blog may be slowing down for a bit. Atleast until I am able to balance my 3 worlds a little better.

Maybe I should take vitamins?

**I'll try to do Art Fridays every other week. Because they make me happy!

Gone Hiking

2009-06-16T14:13:00.004-06:00

We finally had a break in the weather and were able to go hiking on Sunday. We took the girls and set up Mt. Ogden. We probably hiked a good 2 -3 miles before we decided we had better turn around before the storm hit.

We had a great time and can't wait for next weekend to do it again!

Fridge

2009-06-13T07:30:00.000-06:00

Sorry Karen. I took these picture the day you left the comment asking about the fridge.

BeforeAfter Maybe someday we can get new appliances, but it just wasn't a priority. Our white ones work just fine.

Ansel Adams

2009-06-12T12:45:00.005-06:00

Here is an artist that both my husband and I love. While I was reading up on him I just couldn't really summarize what I was reading. And as I wrote this blog it just doesn't do him justice. So here are some bits of information about him and some of his gorgeous photographs. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Ansel Adams was a photographer as well as an environmentalist. He is best known for his black and white photographs of the American West. He especially loved Yosemite National Park.

Ansel was born in San Francisco in 1902 and remembers being thrown into a cement wall during the 1906 earthquake, breaking his nose. Ansel had a photographic memory and it came in very handy when he learned to play music which became his first passion.

Ansel Adams first visited Yosemite National Park in 1916. During his visit there his father gave him his first camera, a Kodak Brownie box camera. He started visiting Yosemite every year after that with better cameras. While in San Francisco he took on a part time job working for a photo finisher. He started reading every photography magazine he could get his hands on.

In 1928 Ansel married Virginia Best in Yosemite National Park. After his wife's fathers death Ansel inherited his late father in laws studio. The Adams continued to run the studio until 1971. The studio is now known as the Ansel Adams Gallery and is still owned by the Adams family.

In the 1930's Adams wanted to use his art to encourage wilderness preservation and turned his focus in that direction.

Hey Grandma - Are we related to Ansel Adams???

THANK YOU!

2009-06-09T11:26:00.004-06:00

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Gardner for the card with the donation for our adoption account. It means so much to us!

I know a bunch more of my loved ones have asked for the info. If you still need it please let me know.

We are so excited to start our family and everytime I make a small deposit into our adoption account I know that we are getting closer and closer.

Thanks again to all of our loved ones and friends who want to help!

Art Friday Postponed

2009-06-05T11:21:00.002-06:00

Sorry all. I have been sick and my brain does not have the energy to think. I will try to get back into the blogging spirit asap.

1 year

2009-06-01T19:33:00.000-06:00

Memorial Day 2008 was demo day for our little kitchen. I was really hoping that by Memorial Day 2009 it would be 100% completed. It is 97% done and I really have nothing to complain about. Check it out.

Original Kitchen

Demo

Cabinets
Countertops

Floor and Backsplash

97% Completed Kitchen

It feels good...

2009-05-30T09:00:00.001-06:00

It feels good to get out of town once in a while.

It feels good to be able to take the dogs on a trip with us.

It feels good to have time together and get caught up.

It feels good to arrive at our destination at a decent time.

It feels good to see the dogs run and play.

It feels good to have dinner down by the river.

It feels good to have "mutual friends" with my sister-in-law.

It feels good to swim.

It feels good to put aloe on my sunburnt body.

It feels good to spend all day out doors listening to music with loved ones.

It feels good to eat eat eat.

It feels good to talk and share.

It feels good to head home.

It feels good to sleep in my own bed.

Mary Cassatt

2009-05-29T09:43:00.002-06:00

This one is for my mother-in-law.

It is no mystery that I love Impressionism. So I have read up on quite a few of the artist that were well known as Impressionists. Today let's take a look at a talented female artist.

Mary Cassatt was born in Pennsylvania in 1844. He parent's were both well to do and objected to her decision to become a professional artist. In 1866 Mary moved to Paris and studied under Jean-Léon Gérôme. She painted the "traditional" style for years and had many paintings shown in the Paris Salon.

During a low point in her career, when her paintings had been rejected by the salon, Mary was invited by Edgar Degas to show her works with the Impressionists. Mary had been inspired by Degas' work and was intrigued with the use of pastels and open air painting. Even though Impressionism had been receiving the wrath of critics for years, she felt comfortable with them and joined the cause enthusiastically.

However, Mary's technique evolved again and she began taking a simpler more straightforward approach to her paintings. After 1886 she no longer identified herself with any art movement.

In 1888 Mary began the first of many Mother and Child themed paintings. And after 1900 she concentrated almost exclusively on mother and child subjects. Mary had decided early on that marriage would not work with her career. She died 1926 in Paris.

Twenty-Seven

2009-05-28T08:14:00.000-06:00

Braja

2009-05-27T16:09:00.003-06:00

28 today!

Happy Birthday Braja!

Emile Bellet

2009-05-22T08:00:00.001-06:00

Emile Bellet is another Artist that I was introduced to on my cruise in 2007. During the walk around before the auction began I was drawn to his art and enthralled with the woman in the paintings.

They had 3 of his original paintings for sale at the auction, but by the time they came up I had already spent the money I didn't have on Anatole's collection. Besides, the beautiful woman in the paintings was a couple hundred dollars more then I had spent. BUT, you aren't going to believe it (unless you already know the story or read the blog about my cruise or have been inside my house in the past 2 years) I won a raffle prize. And when I went down to collect my prize I got to choose between 5 prints. I wasn't super excited about any of my options, but 1 of the prints had already been given out and was gone so he added a different print for me to choose from. My beautiful Bellet print. It now hangs beautifully in my living room.

A little about the artist:

Emile Bellet was born in France in 1941. He began painting at the age of 15 and by the time he was 19 he had his first exhibit. He is a self taught artist. The woman in the paintings is symbolic of his impression of femininity. She represents all women which is the reason she remains expressionless. "She is timeless, ageless and universal."

Don't you think she is beautiful?!

Private Friends

2009-05-21T14:30:00.001-06:00

Add me!!!

I've been forgotten by some of you!

Email me

Mountain America Credit Union

2009-05-19T11:37:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I've been doing my research on banks. And my conclusion is... Banks are stupid. So Rob and I are going to use a Credit Union to open our savings account for our adoption fund. The nice thing about Credit Unions is that you can go into just about any Credit Union and make a deposit into a different Credit Union. They are all part of a network. I found it extremely convenient when Rob and I moved to Colorado but our Credit Unions were in Utah.

So, I'm not really sure how to do this. I obviously can't post the account number. So I guess if you are interested in contributing, email????? leave a comment????? I don't know.

Again, I want everyone to understand that Rob and I are not expecting anything from anyone. We are just setting up the account for us to start saving, and thought it would be a good way to have others who may want to help also be able to. This also makes gift giving to us as easy as it can get. All we want is to start our family.

Hair cut and Portraits

2009-05-18T12:39:00.005-06:00

This weekend I got a hair cut and some portraits taken by Rob D. Photography. He is going to be posting them on his blog later today. But here is a little preview.

By the way... I'm in love with my photographer.

Krasnyanski

2009-05-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

Anatole Krasnyanski is a Ukrainian artist. I was introduced to his art on my cruise in the fall of 2007. I attended the art auction (planning on just observing) but when 3 original paintings came up full of color and texture and of a cute little European town I sat up a little straighter. I had no idea why my body would respond that way. Maybe I was just planning on paying better attention? They were painted by an artist I had never heard of and I could not pronounce his name to save my life. But I found my hand in the air and then I heard my number acknowledged. Then, everyone was clapping for me! What had I just done? I instantly had a moment of panic and buyers remorse like I had never experienced. I bought 3 original paintings???? Well, the auctioneer threw in a nice copy of another painting in the same collection. Surely that would make me feel better?? I don't know if it was a panic attack or me getting sea sick, but I was certainly experiencing something I had never felt. I took my aunt down to the Art Gallery to show her my purchases and she thought that it was money well spent. I'm glad someone else felt that way, my panic subsided a little, but I still had to tell my husband what I had done.

I decided to have the originals appraised for insurance purposes and when I got the appraisal back it set all my anxiety to rest. Just 1 painting was worth what I had paid for all of them! And I love them! I kept forgetting how much I loved them until I had them in my possession. Even my husband wasn't too upset. Now my collection hangs in my dining room. And I get to enjoy them always. But I am forbidden to attend any other art auctions without a supervisor!

A little info about the artist:

Anatole was born in 1930 and is from Ukraine. He moved to California in 1975. He has a unique method of painting; he crinkles the paper and adds a texture that is so unique to his art. He paints with watercolors and all of his paintings are very vibrant and fun to look at! He has a Masters in Architecture and Fine Art. While in the US he has worked as a scenic artist for TV, Movies, and the Theatre.

For more info visit http://www.parkwest-krasnyansky.com/bio.asp

I would love to be able to purchase his masked musicians someday. They are kinda Picasso-esque and I think it would be so neat to decorate a child's room around them.

Have any of you guys heard of Anatole Krasnyanski? Is there an artist that you love?

Husband Away

2009-05-13T21:19:00.004-06:00

I'm a lone rider this week. My sweet, hardworking husband is out of town working and won't be returning until the end of the week. I've always been a pretty independent woman, but it is amazing how quickly I get lonely.

Yesterday I decided to go to the gym. There was a class I had been wanting to try: Body Combat. HELLO! Can you say "kicked my butt!"?! Maybe it showed poor judgment on my part showing up to the gym early to squeeze in an hour of cardio before an hour long cardio class. Yeah, 2 hours of cardio, that was a smart idea. I have never sweat so much in my life! My hair, sports bra, and tank top were soaked! (I know...yuck!) But don't worry. I rewarded myself with a hot shower and a bowl of ice cream. Totally worth it!

Tonight Rob planned on working from 6am til 6pm at one job and then going over to another job and working until 9pm to get in some extra hours. (He is such a hard worker.) **Side story - When I was younger I had a roommate who was kinda sloppy. Now I am not an insanely tidy person myself, but I have always tried to keep things looking cleanish. And I remember that she threw some food in the garbage and never took it out. And we got ants. Would you like to know what my roommate did about the ants? She stood there and watched me clean out the garbage and pantry. If ants weren't bad enough, I had the colprit watch me clean up her mess! I was furious! End of side story** From that moment on I have never been able to sit and do nothing while someone else is working. When Rob is working on the house, I am cleaning the house. If he is taking care of dog poo, I am cleaning out the litter box. I just cannot not do something if someone is working.

So knowing that RD was going to be working so hard and late. My body automatically started cleaning the house. And boy howdy, I got a lot done. It will be nice not saving all the house work for the weekend. Now RD and I can relax.

Tomorrow I am planning on some more fun at the gym. (I am still trying to find a 2nd evening job. I've gotta enjoy time at the gym while I can.) I'm gonna try a new class, Body Attack. Then pilates. Then I'll have to rush home to watch the season finale of The Office and 30 Rock. Hopefully RD won't work quite so hard tomorrow so that he can watch the finales with me (well at the same time).

I miss you honey. Thank you for working so hard for us!!! I'm sending you a long distance kiss! A long distance kiss from 2004! I love you!

Sometimes...

2009-05-13T10:50:00.000-06:00

Chloe can be nice. See. She is holding up Rob's book while he reads.

**I guess our pets are our new lap tables.

Weekend Update

2009-05-11T11:37:00.016-06:00

Is it just me or do weekends just sorta fly by?

Our house is 2000 sq ft. We have only been using the upper 1000. So this past weekend and the weekend before we decided to start utilizing the basement. Even though it is not remodeled yet, we were able to still find some good uses for the basement area. Rob made the "rec room" into a studio. He has been putting that studio to work and has been photographing the kids and their Daddies.

I took the old craft desk that the former tenants built and left and decided to use it for my own craft supplies.

I've been working on the second bedroom again. I've been scraping the walls and my arms are exhausted. But I only have a wall and a half left, and then I have to start scraping the 2 layers of wallpaper off the ceiling. I think I'll enlist Rob's help for that one.

We got to play with the kids!!!

And we (Rob) finally got around to installing the outside lights that we purchased over a year ago.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T16:49:00.004-06:00

to all you Mommies out there.

But especially to my Mommy! And Rob's Mommy! And

My GRANDMA!

I love you Grandma!

Monet

2009-05-08T11:50:00.001-06:00

One of my passions is Art. It is strange because it wasn't until after high school that I came to even realize that I loved it. I remember a truck pulling up into the parking lot of my work when I was 18 and he had a bunch of prints in frames that he was selling. They were $50 a piece and as I humored him by looking through them (I am a sucker for solicitors!! I am no longer allowed to answer the door if it is someone I do not know, because chances are I will buy whatever it is!) I found myself having a hard time narrowing it down to three. 2 for me and 1 a gift for my mom!

The prints that spoke to me were 2 Monet paintings. This is going to sound crazy to you, but I never took Art anything in school. I had heard of Monet on the movie The Titanic, but that was the extent of my knowledge. The 2 prints I purchased were copies of Water Lily Pond

and Water Lillies

After hanging the pictures up in the living room of my apartment, I decided that I should findout a little more about the artist. I ended up purchasing a book called; Claude Monet. It had a ton of his paintings in it and lots of interesting facts about him and his paintings.

One of the things that I found so facinating about Monet was that he would paint the same thing over and over during different parts of the day to capture the change in how the sun light would affect the building or field or lily pond.

I am not an artist at all. While I was attending Dixie State College one of the general credits was an Art History class. I took it just hoping to make it through the semester without humiliating myself and came to find that my enjoyment of art and it's history was more then just appreciating pretty pictures. I loved learning what the Artist was thinking and why he chose to paint. What inspired them as well as their up bringing and life stories. Everyone in class had to choose a partner and then pick an artist to do a report on. I paired up with some girl who ended up dropping the class, but we chose Claude Monet to do our report on. We each had to do a presentation and an interpretation of a painting. You wouldn't be able to tell from my writing skills here, but I KILLED that presentation. Not only did I do it without a partner, but I had my 2 Monet prints to bring in as well as my book with other examples. I knew Monet inside and out. And I received 150/100 points. I have to admit though, my painting was a little embarrassing, but hey, it's impressionism!!

Bella and Ellie

2009-05-05T08:17:00.000-06:00

have been bonding. Look how sweet they are. Later that same day I caught them laying just the opposite with Bella's little head on Ellie. But they moved when I went to get the camera.

And look and them all being good little girls while Rob and I were watching a movie on his birthday.

And finally, check out these pictures we took of Bella. She is so goofy looking (in a cute way)

Yoga, May 3, 2009

2009-05-04T10:23:00.003-06:00

Another day in yoga, another day of inspiration. Not like last weeks inspiration, but come on, last week was like this crazy clarity that I was almost high on! This week was different.

The gym opens at 9am on Sundays. I like to get there around 9:15ish to get in a good 30-40 minute "warm-up" before yoga begins at 10am. This morning I barely made it out the door to get to class by 10. When I got there, I along with my gym-mates were shocked to find the doors still locked. dum dum dum....

The yoga instructor had gotten there about 20 min. early so she had already made the necessary phone calls and someone was pulling up to let us in. Anyway...

As we sat in the freezing cold yoga room the instructor talked about how ironic this mornings experience was for her. Her intention she was going to give us to meditate on throughout class was letting go of rigidness and control. She had planned on getting there early, getting the room warm, inspiring us all with a flowing yoga session, and just having the perfect yoga experience. She felt that by giving herself that intention the universe had decided to challenge her with this mornings chaos.

So, our intention turned into us all focusing on the challenges the universe gives us. I focused on that thought, and I do find it very interesting that I can set a goal or make a decision and it really does get tested over the few days/weeks that follow.

I won't go into specifics about my financial situation, but we are struggling with the loss of my stable, reliable income. Knowing that May would be the hardest month for us and having April to prepare, we made some decisions and goals for our future as well as some to survive the coming month. Looking back to April, I would say that the universe certainly challenged the bacrappies out of us. And when we failed a few of those tests, I feel like the universe tried to help us get back on track before it gave us another hurdle.

Hopefully the universe will lighten up on us over the next few weeks. If it can just help us get through May in 1 piece I will be forever grateful! So here is my plea - Oh dear universe. PLEASE be kind to me!!! This is my birth month! You can't be mean to me on my birth month!

Tag

2009-05-01T18:55:00.004-06:00

Mrs. Boo Radley tagged me.

This means I am it.

What else does this mean?

When tagged, I had to take a picture of myself. Imminently.

No primping.

**I did cheat a little bit. I saw that I was tagged while I was at work and I actually didn't have my camera with me!!! (I always have my camera with me) but as soon as I got home I made sure to oblige to the rules.

I tag:

Beth
Katie (PeasePod)
Kim

4 year anniversary

2009-04-30T07:47:00.001-06:00

Yeah, so this is a little late. Rob and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary on April 9th. The weekend before, we were in California and Rob's wonderful parent's took us out to dinner at the Mona Lisa in San Francisco.

For our actual anniversary we went to Kobe Japanese Restaurant and had sushi and steak. It was delicious.

Rob and I are so lucky to have each other. At least, I feel lucky to have him and I assume that he feels the same.

Long or Short?

2009-04-29T14:40:00.000-06:00

My hair is the longest it has been since I got back from my honeymoon and chopped it off. So, what do you think? Should I keep growing it out? Or should I go short again?

(Please pardon my grown out roots)

These are a few of my favorite things...

2009-04-29T10:15:00.000-06:00

A CLEAN house and fresh TULIPS!

twenty-seven

2009-04-27T13:43:00.008-06:00

No longer in his "mid-twenties". He is officially in his "late-twenties"

My sweet husband turns 27 today!! What is he getting for his special dinner??? LEFTOVERS! Hey, I asked him what he would like, he said "whatever we have around the house." and I said "Saturdays leftovers?" and he said "sure." And since I made enough to feed a small nation, we will be having it for lunch and dinner quite a few times this week. Good thing it is so yummy!!

What does the Birthday Boy want for dessert??? Yummy apple crisp!

So today we celebrate you honey! Happy Birthday!

I LOVE YOU!!!

Yoga April 26, 2009

2009-04-27T02:06:00.003-06:00

Today was my first time back in a yoga class in almost a year. Our instructor asked us to pay close attention to our inner teacher and to focus on something of interest to us during class. It could be happy, sad, difficult or joyful. While I meditated a bunch of thoughts and images flashed through my head; Infertility, finances, nieces and nephews, adoption, and then goals. GOALS, that word has actually been on my mind for the past month. My personal goals as well as Rob's and my joint goals or lack there of. We've talked about spending less, watching less TV, eating healthier, etc. Even when we decided to purchase a home we went through the motions of a formal goal, but never thought of it as something we were striving for. We struggle with sacrifices that come with pursuing a GOAL. We are kinda "instant satisfaction" people.

Since the layoff we are much more aware of our finances and purchases. We are trying to cut back and not spend on frivolous things. (Mrs. Boo Radley also inspired me with her "Nothing New in 'nine") I've pulled tons of inspiration from Rob's sister and brother-in-law's way of life. I have to admit I was Thrilled when I found out they weren't always so... so... what's the word???! Just like Rob and Me, they used to spend money on worldly possessions. But they chose their new way of living together. And they started with simple steps. I can do simple steps!!! Molly also lent me a book to help me grasp the concept, The Tightwad Gazette. I've read the book all the way threw once now and her concepts are so basic and simple...No wonder I never thought of them!! I'm reading it again and this time I am taking notes of the concepts that apply to my and Rob's objectives. Okay I've kinda gotten off the subject.

Back to GOALS. While Rob was grouting yesterday and I was cleaning he told me that he is ready for us to get serious about adoption! (I have been waiting to hear those words for a long time!) We have decided that our GOAL is: Get out of debt and adopt a baby. Rob turns 27 tomorrow and I am only a month behind him. 3 years until we are 30. Our GOAL is to be out of debt and adopt by the time we are 30. We know and understand that this is going to be a tough challenge, but we are both so completely on board that all we ask is for our family and friends encouragement and support.

I am, however, planning on opening an account just for adoption savings. We would love if, instead of gifts for special occasions, maybe that money you would have spent could be contributed to the adoption account. Please DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED to deposit money into this account. (I am thinking of opening it with Chase - any ideas??) But again I am getting off subject. This will be the subject for a different post for a different time.

Anyway, I just feel so GOOD! Free and Clear!! I have that Ijustsetagoalandnowwanttofocusallmyenergyonit feeling.

Finished backsplash

2009-04-26T14:32:00.002-06:00

Look what hubby did!!!

Thrifty Weekend Update

2009-04-22T15:51:00.009-06:00

I am not a big spender. I know some of you are thinking, yeah right, but really I wasn't really one to just spend money on things that I don't need. However, I have never been that great at saving either.

Last weekend Rob and I went to a couple of thrift stores. I do not typically have the patience for the time that one must take to sort through all the stuff to find the jewels. We went to the Ogden DI (and might I say it is the nicest DI I have ever been to! Very organized and clean.) We also went to a Savers that is just around the corner from us. I honestly had no idea it was a thrift store. Between the 2 we did not find what we were looking for (patio furniture) but we did find some neat stuff.

We also got started on cleaning the backyard. We are looking forward to spending lots of time in the backyard this year. We did go to Ikea and find an awesome patio table and chairs as well as a patio umbrella. Rob even got our little fire pit thingy cleaned out and we had a little fire!

We are going to have a little pow wow this weekend, so that will help speed along the backyard cleaning. Let's hope the good weather lasts!!

CALIFORNIA

2009-04-16T09:47:00.002-06:00

The first weekend of this month Rob and I made another trip out to CA. Like the last time, this was also for a memorial service for someone who Rob had grown up close to. She was the mother of a close friend of Robs and also a dear friend to Rob's mom. It was a lovely service.

Although there for a sad occasion, it was nice to get out of the cold weather and enjoy the sun and the warmth of California for a few days. We even took the Porsche out that Friday! We were able to have lunch with Rashael (spelling - sorry) and take a tour of Rob's mom's office.

Saturday after the memorial service, Rob's parent's took us out to eat at The Mona Lisa in San Francisco for our anniversary. It was wonderful!! San Francisco is becoming one of my most favorite places!!

Sunday we went up to Auburn to see Rob's sister Molly and her family. We hung out with the kids and got caught up on all the happenings. I even got to witness a few experiments. Those 2 kids are so cool! I wish we lived closer so that we could see them more often!

We got acquainted with Molly's little chickens.

And as always, ate some freakin awesome food!!!

Hopefully our next trip out will be a planned visit. How does Memorial weekend sound?

A liitle more about our new addition

2009-04-14T21:22:00.006-06:00

Bella is a 7 month old Dachshund Chihuahua.

When I turned 13 or 14 I got a Dachshund Chihuahua puppy from a neighbor. I named him Ringo and he was the best little dog ever (apart from the peeing everywhere thing). Since I did so poorly training him, my mom found Ringo a new home. I had told Rob that if we ever had the chance to rescue one, that I would love to have another.

My mom is currently renting a room from a lady she works with in St. George. This friend rescued "Bella" from the pound. Both my mom and her friend work a lot of hours and are home very little. With no other family members around, the dog had been left hanging out in the garage until someone got home. Realizing that that is no life for a sweet little puppy, my mom called and asked Rob and I (knowing that we can't resist puppies) if we would like to add her to our little family. Of course we said "YES!" and she has been so much fun to have around.

Layla is our more dominate pet. But Bella is giving her a run for her money even though she is so tiny. Even though they bump heads from time to time the 2 actually play really nicely together. Ellie is having a much more difficult time adjusting to the new addition. She is having middle child issues and either hangs out alone or acts out by trying to escape out of the backyard. All 3 compete for our attention constantly. With the first week behind us, we are starting to find a rhythm and routine. 3 dogs, 2 cats, and a husband... No wonder I am exhausted!!!

Introducing...

2009-04-06T21:29:00.005-06:00

BELLA

Weekend Update

2009-03-24T18:18:00.009-06:00

With sunshine and warmth comes inspiration and motivation. We had a GREAT Saturday working outside in the yard. I got home from work around 2pm and Rob was outside working in the back-back yard. We want to start a garden out there, since it is fenced and the dogs can't get to it. He cut down the bushes and started whacking away at the Ivy. Well, that turned into him pulling all (well almost all) of the Ivy off of the neighbors garage. Then he got distracted by me, I needed a little bit of help getting the rose bush off the side of our house.

After the pain and blood that came with that project, we decided to take a break. Well, while taking our break we started talking about all the things that we needed to take the the DI. So, we loaded up the car and headed to the DI. On our little outing we discussed the difficult topic of the tree in our back yard. **Side story** Our tree is big and beautiful and gives us a ton of shade in the afternoon. But it has been over taken with Ivy. Last Wednesday the neighbors had some tree dudes over trimming their trees and they came over to take a look at ours. They suggested cutting it down. It would be really expensive to cut away all the Ivy and then get to the tree and realize that it has been overtaken with other tree diseases and is rotting from the inside out. **End of side story** So while driving we decided to visit a local nursery to see other trees and price options. It is still pretty early in the season so they did not have a huge selection, but we got side tracked by the herbs. Well, to make a long story short, we now have a beautiful little herb garden.

I think we have project ADD!

By the way, we did not do anything in the back bedroom. It is still as far along as it was 3 weeks ago.

Biggest Loser

2009-03-18T11:58:00.002-06:00

I have a confession to make. I love watching the Biggest Loser! I feel so proud of all the hard work they put into it and am happy with them as they are achieving results. But why is it that as I am watching all I want to do is eat!! And eat bad! Last night all I wanted was cookie dough... so I made some. UGH!

Rough Day

2009-03-11T08:54:00.003-06:00

I am the third person in my family to get laid off. It started with my younger brother who installed plantation shutters, then my sister who was a car detailer for a major car company, and now me, Production Manager for Legacy Granite.

When I got back from lunch yesterday the General Manager had the receptionist in his office, she came out in tears. Then he called in the shop supervisor. I didn't see him come out, but I knew what had happened. Then he called in Mont. My right hand man. The guy who will come in Saturdays to plow the parking lot or to move material if a customer wants to look at the slab behind the front one. He never called in sick and would only take a day off if he was going to go hunting. So, me being the bright gal I am, thought to myself "hmmm... 3 people directly under me getting laid off without me being involved in the decision" I knew I was going to be the next one called into "the office". And I was.

Such a bummer! The story does get a little bit better. While in "the office" getting my final paycheck and a severance check I asked if I could possibly go back to selling. The mood in "the office" changed and almost with a sigh of relief he told me that he would Love for me to go back to sales. He told me how relieved he was that I wanted to stay. I knew I was giving up unemployment benefits, but I am still employed for Legacy Granite.

He asked if I would finish yesterday and come in today to help him figure out the shop and schedule. Then, starting Monday, I am going to be a sales woman again. And to tell you the truth, I am excited.

Weekend Update

2009-03-09T13:43:00.011-06:00

We had beautiful weather this weekend. Since it was so gorgeous we got started on some of our projects around the house that had been put on hold. First of all, Rob got home a little early on Tuesday and said he hoped to have a surprise ready for me before I got home from work. By the time I got home Rob had finished setting the tile in the kitchen (we started laying it in July!!) So this weekend Rob grouted and sealed the kitchen tile, installed the toe kicks, installed the cabinet fillers around the fridge, and painted behind the fridge!! All we have left are the baseboards, and the backsplash around the cabinet by the fridge and then we are done!!! We did demo in the kitchen on Memorial Day 2008. So 10 months later and we are 98% done! Not horrible.

While Rob was working so hard in the kitchen I got started in the back bedroom getting it ready for us to paint. I scraped off the layer of paint (it is coming off pretty easily) and then got some wallpaper remover to try to get those 3 layers of wallpaper off. Even with the remover it is hard to get off, but it is slowly coming along.

Grandpa's Birthday

2009-03-07T09:10:00.002-07:00

This post is at least a month over due, but I was looking through the pictures from my Grandpa's birthday party and I remembered how special it was. It was the first time that all the Great Grandkids (all 3 of them) were together with my Grandparents. The kids were not very excited to have their pictures taken, but we did manage to get acouple cute ones.

How Cute is He???

2009-03-06T19:00:00.001-07:00

No need to say anything else. He is just so cute when he is being silly!

Excuse me...

2009-03-05T19:16:00.003-07:00

your drink is on my face!

what day is it?

2009-02-26T14:34:00.003-07:00

Yesterday as I was leaving work, I truly honestly thought that it was Friday and that I was going home for the weekend. I don't know what was in my head that made me think that the work week was already at an end, but I shut my computer down (something I only do on Fridays) grabbed my water bottle and headed out. My bubble was burst when I got into my car and realized that it isn't Friday, it's Wednesday. Lame!

A Little Depth to the Left

2009-02-25T09:55:00.002-07:00

Rob started our blog in September of 2007. Since then he has posted 16 out of our 100 posts. (the last post was our 100th post, feels like a milestone!) I kinda took over the blogging responsibility and have become very fond of the blogging universe. Rob recently decided to pursue his love and passion for photography, and he has started a new blog of his own http://alittledepthtotheleft.blogspot.com/ to post his photos and share his creativity. It is fun watching Rob get so excited about his photography and art and being able to share them with the world via the Internet.

What else does this new blog of his mean??? Well, this blog now belongs to ME! I'm taking it!! What do you think about that??

25 Things

2009-02-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

I've been putting the 25 Random Things about me list off, because to be honest... I didn't think I would be able to come up with anything. After some serious thinking, I was able to come up with them. Enjoy.

1) I love soda. Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, etc.

2) My weakness is for coats and jackets. Forget shoes, I LOVE coats! It takes a lot of self control to not purchase every cute jacket I see.

3) I am messy. Not dirty, but messy. I hate to clean. Seriously, how hard is it to throw your pants in the hamper or to hang your coat up when you get home? It seems nearly impossible for me. Hopefully I'll grow out of this.

4) I enjoy soup. Potato Soup is my fav.

5) I have bad allergies. I almost always have a sinus headache.

6) I love pictures and picture frames. I think I have like 3 boxes in the basement filled with picture frames. And anyone who knows me, knows I always have my camera with me.

7) I LOVE dessert!! From Cheesecake to Ice Cream and pudding. I love it!!!

8) My favorite thing to be called is "Auntie" or "Aunt Michelle" by the older niece and nephew. I hope someday that the name "Mommy" will be my new title, but until then "Auntie" it is.

9) I love flowers! Every kind of flower makes me happy. I really love tulips. I also love Wild Flowers. That is what I had at my wedding.

10) My favorite college course was Art History. I love Art and the history of Art.

11) I have a new found love for History. I am reading a novel about Anne Boleyn and I am so enthralled! I keep googling as I go and I find it all so fascinating!!!! I've started watching the Elizabeth movies and I can't wait until my "research" gets me to her years as Queen!

12) I mentioned before that I love Art. I have 3 original paintings by Anatole Krasnyansky and a copy of another painting in the collection. I have 2 Monet prints and 1 beautiful print by another modern artist that I am not quite able to read his name on the print, but I am trying!!

13) In my Art history class, we had to do a presentation on an artist. We were split into groups. My partner dropped the class so I had to do the report on my own. Luckily I had Claude Monet and recieved 150/100 points for my presentation. Yeah, I rocked it!

14) I'm the Production Manager for Legacy Granite. I miss doing the sales though. I'm thinking about going back to school and becoming an Interior Designer.

15) My favorite day in the year is April 9th. That is the day I married the love of my life! I love looking at pictures from our wedding. It was such a great day!

16) Speaking of getting married... I have gained 10 lbs since that day!

17) Rob and I have matching tattoos. Nous Sommes Amoureux. We are in Love. Mine is on my wrist and his is on his forearm.

18) I don't really like to "chat" on the phone. I love to keep intouch with people, but when it comes to the phone I like it to be quick and to the point. An occasional chat is pleasent though.

19) Both my husband and I live 25+ miles from where we work. But since Legacy highway opened, the commute has been much smoother. Someday I hope we can live so close to where we work we could walk or ride our bikes.

20) I'm on the computer so much at work, by the time I get home I just don't feel like getting on ours.

21) I love to sleep. I love to go to bed and I love to sleep in. I wish I could sleep in everyday.

22) I love making budgets. It is so fun to me. Keeping the budget, is a different story.

23) I have poor circulation. My feet are always cold. It gets really annoying, but it is fun to push my feet against Rob and listen to him shriek in surprise.

24) I love how blogging, Facebook, and Myspace have reconnected me with family and friends. And helped me meet new interesting people out in the blogging world.

25) Family is the most important thing to me.

Winter Blues

2009-02-23T11:25:00.003-07:00

It is strange how at the beginning of every season I get so excited. Excited for the new smells. Excited for the activities that you can do during that season, ie: snowboarding, gardening, hiking, camping, etc. I get excited to pull out the box with my sweaters and scarfs, or my box with swim suits, tank tops and sun hats. But as that season goes along I get antsy and anxious for the next season to begin. I get sick of being cold and shoveling snow. I get sick of getting sunburned and sweating. Guess I am a tough cookie to please.

Since moving from St. George, UT in 2005 to places with not so mild winters, I have discovered that I most certainly, without a doubt get the Winter Blues. The grey sky is uninspiring. The mud tracked through the house makes me want to give up on even trying to keep it tidy. All the projects that we started before the weather became arctic are sitting waiting for warm weather to encourage us to complete them. It gets me down.

Maybe I can convince myself to have an attitude adjustment. If I think positive thoughts will my Winter Blues go away? Maybe they will melt away with the snow.

Great weekend in Utah!

2009-02-15T11:01:00.010-07:00

Last weekend we were so lucky to have Rob's family come out and spend a weekend with us. This was also the first time that his sister and her kids made it out to Utah to see us. We had a great, chill weekend.

We went and saw the final showing of the Twits. That was a blast!!

We has unusual warm weather so we were able to play at the park.

We had a great weekend and feel like it ended too quickly. We can't wait until they come out again!!

Last Call

2009-02-03T10:20:00.008-07:00

Last night was a sad night for many. Lots of people have had good memories, sad memories, messy memories, and blurred memories at PortOCall. PortOCall served its last cocktail last night. Not for lack of business and economy, but because they are being forced out by the government. The beautiful building is going to be torn down and replaced with a brand new court house. This Sports Bar holds a great meaning to Rob and me. This is where we met for the first time, March 27th, 2004.

Here's to you PortOCall! Thanks for all the good times!

And Thank you, Friends, for sharing the goodbye with us!

Click to Give

2009-01-27T09:01:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share this website with everyone. I go to it everyday and click. It's a simple thing to do to help out. Feel free to click or to just check it out.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Don't forget the other tabs on the top. Looks like clicking can go a long way!!

Inversion

2009-01-23T14:02:00.004-07:00

According to Wikipedia:

In meteorology, an inversion is a deviation from the normal change of an atmospheric property with altitude. It almost always refers to a temperature inversion, i.e., an increase in temperature with height, or to the layer within which such an increase occurs. [1]
An inversion can lead to pollution such as smog being trapped close to the ground, with possible adverse effects on health. An inversion can also suppress convection by acting as a "cap". If this cap is broken for any of several reasons, convection of any moisture present can then erupt into violent thunderstorms. Temperature inversion can notoriously result in freezing rain in cold climates.

Well check out our yucky inversion!! (DANG IT!! The good picture I have where I am up high and looking down on the valley but I can't get my phone to email it to me!!!! ARG!!! Sorry, this one will just have to do. Use your imagination and imagine being up above the yucky stuff and looking down. Crazy gross!!!) Take a deep breath, because we are breathing this crap!

Ah, Sweet Victory

2009-01-23T13:55:00.006-07:00

Look at my little sproats. So far most of my little plants I planted a few weeks ago have been doing good. There are a couple of them (1 of my cilantros and my sweet basil) are being stubborn. But I am pleased!!!

I was given this old window without the glass. Rob and I liked it so much we were just going to hang it on the wall as is, but then I got an even better idea. What do you think???

Unckie and Auntie

2009-01-16T09:33:00.019-07:00

Rob and I are very lucky to have amazing families. Amongst that family we have a niece and nephew on both sides.

Rob's sister Molly, lives in Auburn, CA with her Husband, George; Daughter, Avery; and son, Aidan. Even though they live so far, we are fortunate and see them a few times a year!! In 3 weeks, they are going to make their first trip out to Utah (first trip at least since I've been part of the family) And we are SO EXCITED for them to come out to visit.

On my side of the family, my older brother, Mike, has a son named Jack. And my younger brother and his wife, Brian and Lacey, have a daughter, Aspen. Now when it comes to these kids Rob and I are super lucky because we are only an hour away from either one of them!! We really are so lucky to be able to be so close that we can watch them change and grow.

I was looking at pictures this morning of the 4 cutest kids in the world and I was thinking about how much we love them and how lucky we are to know them, that I decided to blog about it. And to share some pictures of these insanely wonderful kids!!!

Wonderful December 2008

2009-01-07T13:37:00.013-07:00

I think the thing I love the most about the Holiday season is the time with family and all the new memories you get to make.

This December Aspen turned 1 year old. She is the sweetest little one year old in the universe!!! While opening her presents, she was more interested in giving Auntie the garbage off the floor than in what was in the boxes.

This December we celebrated our first Christmas in our new home and as homeowners. It was great to have the whole family come up for Christmas Eve and then Christmas morning my Dad and his wife, Bambi, came over for a couple hours to share in the memory making.

Kitchen Progress!!

2009-01-06T13:21:00.007-07:00

Rob took the week after Christmas off from work. And he accomplished A LOT in the kitchen. He got the walls all puttied and sanded and ready to be painted. Then on New Years Day, we painted the kitchen. The moment I have been waiting for since Memorial Day!!! Over the weekend Rob tackled grouting the backsplash and talk about making the kitchen feel complete. We still have a couple more projects to finish, but my kitchen is feeling 93% done!!!! And I LOVE IT!

Sunday I decided to plant some herbs. It is a total experiment. Planting seeds pots seems to be close to rocket science for me. I figure if this doesn't work out, I'll be patient and wait for spring to start my garden outside. But they sure are cute!

Thank You

2008-12-29T15:58:00.002-07:00

Thank you for the kind comments left on the blog, emails, and phone calls about the last post. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and as soon as I get pictures saved to the computer I will post some happy blogs!!!

Much Love!

Sad Blog

2008-12-22T21:05:00.005-07:00

I don't usually share bummer stuff online, but my wise sister in law once told me that it is okay to share the good and the not so good. I have been debating for a long time whether or not we should open up and share about our situation.

Yesterday, Rob and I delivered cookies to some of our neighbors. In small talk and Merry Christmas' we came to find out that all of the neighbors our age (3 couples) are expecting. Now, typically the reaction would be "Congratulations!!" (which we said) and heartful smiles about their good news. (We smiled, but by the time we found out about couple number 2 and 3, we were forcing them.) We walked home hand in hand feeling bummed!

Rob and I have been trying to get pregnant for 2 years. This past August we decided to go see our doctors. The news is not good (which you have probably guessed by this point.) Please forgive us for not sharing with everyone, because it has been a very tough time, and it has not been something we have wanted to discuss. We still have acouple more tests to do, but the chances of us getting pregnant the good ol' fashioned way is pretty much slim to none. We have started looking into some options, but currently we are just stuck feeling sorry for ourselves.

I guess the point of posting this is to finally just say it. Rob and I have been dealing with this heartbreaking news so differently and I feel like it is just tearing me up and I want to get it off my chest and said. It isn't a secret. It is just bad news!

Too cute not to share...

2008-12-19T08:59:00.017-07:00

While we were in China Town in San Francisco, we bought a cute little outfit for Aspen (niece). One day when I had her for the evening, Rob and I dressed her up and took some adorable pictures of her. She thought the material was really neat and kept rubbing the fabric. She is SO CUTE!!

Here are some other cute pictures we took of her on a different day (too cute not to share)

**She turned 1 on the 10th. That blog is to come.
**We also took some insanely cute pictures of Jack and Aspen. That blog is also to come.

***Sorry :(

Untraditional Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T15:16:00.015-07:00

This year we had to cancel our Thanksgiving plans with the Gardner side of the family (sorry everyone) A good friend of Rob's died the Monday before Thanksgiving, after being in the hospital for a few weeks with bad burns. Rob and I drove out to California to attend the service.

While the reason for our trip was very sad, we still managed to have fun spending time with Robs family over the long weekend. Thursday morning we left our house at 3am (our time)drove out and got to Rob's parents around 3pm (CA time, we ran into bad traffic in Sacramento). Friday morning we drove out to San Francisco with Rich and Nan and met up with an Aunt and Uncle and some cousins. They all had plans to go to the science museum, so Rob and I went and toured the city like tourists. We had an absolute blast and met up with the rest of the family for dinner. We stayed the night in the city and went back the Vacaville Saturday morning. We had the memorial service Saturday afternoon and Rob was able to see some friends and acquaintances that he had not seen in years. Rob's Grandparents drove in Sunday, so we got to visit with them and we all went out to dinner in Sacramento and met up with Molly and family there. It is always so much fun spending time with everyone!!!

Shower Curtain

2008-11-23T13:45:00.004-07:00

We found a shower curtain that makes it look like we wanted our bathroom blue. It makes it much more livable until we get around to remodeling the bathroom.

Busy Busy Busy Busy

2008-11-17T10:11:00.004-07:00

2 weekends ago Rob's Dad, Rich, flew out to help Rob re-shingle the garage. Thank you so much Rich for helping us with that!!! And thank you Nan for sparing him for a weekend.

We have also been working on our back splash, under cabinet lighting and our window sill. All we have left is to grout the back splash and finish tiling the floor. Then we can move on to finishing the fridge cabinets and painting the walls, and I think the kitchen will be complete!!!!

Are you kidding me...

2008-10-30T17:44:00.003-06:00

UTAH!!! You are so beautiful this time of year!!!

I LOVE FALL!!

2 weekends ago...

2008-10-21T10:07:00.014-06:00

2 weekends ago we went down to St. George. My dad was up from Vegas and we were planning on buying one of his guns. Before committing to the gun (ummm.... I can't remember what kind... Honey, what kind of gun was it?) we went shooting!

Don't I look like a bad ass? I've got 4 guns on me!

While we were in St. George, enjoying the St. George weather, Ogden was in the middle of a snow storm. Check out what we came home to.

Raccoon Update

2008-10-07T10:40:00.002-06:00

Ok, so.... The other morning at about 2:30 AM I was awoken by a loud KBOOM!!! It made my heart stop. I shook Rob and asked if he heard it to and he said "It was probably a car back firing." I was 100% sure that that was not a car. It sounded like a shot gun shot. Even the animals didn't move. Eventually I fell back to sleep and in the real morning we found out what had happened.

A raccoon (I'm not sure if it was one of our little friends) had climbed on the power line and got electrocuted and blew a fuse. Causing a shot gun sounding KBOOM! Everyone across the street from us had no power.

I have mixed feelings about hoping that it was one of our raccoons that got sparked, but we haven't seen them for a few days and I haven't had any raccoon foot prints on my car in the mornings. Hmmmm.... I'll keep you posted.

Free Purses!

2008-10-07T10:35:00.000-06:00

So there is this website that is giving away a free purse every hour on October 15th. And they are seriously the cutest bags! You'll have to check it out http://www.handbagplanet.com/

Thanks Rylee for posting it on your blog!!!

Jungle Jym

2008-09-29T09:26:00.022-06:00

Last weekend my good friend Jenni's son turned 3. Rob and I were invited to bring Jack to Quinn's birthday party. And boy was it fun. It took Jack some getting used to time, but after the 1st HOUR he was loving just about everything.

When we first got there Quinn wanted to ride the "spinning bugs" As the ride began Jack appeared to be having fun, but then he obviously stopped having fun!

After we calmed him down from the first traumatic ride (he is only 2 1/2 mind you) he wanted to ride the "flying boats" This one he actually enjoyed and then I think he only started to cry because the ride was stopping. Hard to tell.

After the "flying boats" he wanted to go on "that one" Now a smart Auntie would have waited to see exactly what the ride entailed, but not this Auntie. I figured that it was a little kid place and that all the rides were little kid friendly. So on we went.... It was fast and scary. Poor Jack!!!

All in all, we enjoyed 5 hours of rides, games and food!! Thanks for inviting us to your birthday Quinn!!!

FINALLY!

2008-09-18T20:50:00.006-06:00

Finally we are posting another blog! It is Thursday night and I Finally took pictures of our weekend projects.

Finally we painted the front door brown!

Finally we put the crown molding up in the dining room!!!!

Finally!!!

Team Spirit!

2008-09-09T13:11:00.002-06:00

Week one:

Giants kicked the Redskins trash 16 to 7

Broncos SPANKED the Raiders 41 to 14

Lets keep it up boys!!!

more pets???

2008-09-08T19:00:00.004-06:00

You would think that 2 cats and 2 dogs would be enough for our little family. And let me tell you.... WE AGREE!!! But add 2 Raccoons to the equation and we are a family of 8! Don't worry, we are not keeping the raccoons. They have made a home out of the tree in our back yard. According to Animal Control, they will charge us $50 each raccoon to trap and haul away. UNBELIEVABLE!!!! Does anybody have tips to humanely trap a raccoon??? They sure are cute, but this family of 6 is ready for them to find a new home!!!