Brianna

Hawai'i

2009-05-19T21:02:00.002-06:00

I know everyone has been waiting for an update...let's be honest, pictures...but I've been recuperating from getting more sun than the last 5 years of my life combined. Seriously, my body has stored up it's beautiful rays and I could go for another 5 years of only seeing the sun when forced to walk from where I park to the closest building with air conditioning.

It was beautiful, fun, exotic (not extremely, but we're from Utah so do the math), relaxing, and part of me wishes we had found jobs and stayed. I could be a waitress (ha!) and Matt surely could find work at one of the thousand ABC Stores in Waikiki alone. For those who haven't had the pleasure of visiting the Waikiki vicinity, there is literally an ABC Store on every corner. There was a spot on the main drag (Kalakaua Dr) that you could stand there and see three stores from that single spot! It was worse than Starbucks in Seattle (I'm dead serious). What's an ABC store? Oh, well it's like a 7-11 but better. They sell liquor (mini-bottle leis anyone? They have those!), clothes (over-priced, but everything was), and souvenirs galore!

However, the exorbitant use of vowels in the Hawaiian language and street names, was enough to make us miss home, and the simplistic (anyone could sound out) street names.

The whole week was an adventure, but started with flying. I think I married the only person I've ever met who hasn't flown on a big-ol'-plane before. I've flown a lot, starting at a young age. I've never flown over an ocean for 5 hours, so I was a bit nervous. (Crash into the wide open ocean? Not for me, please! The idea of crashing into water and possibly surviving only to be floating somewhere in the 2500+ mile stretch between Hawaii and SoCal, and eventually eaten by sea life? Yeah, I'd rather crash into the side of the mountain and die on impact). Matt was a trooper and didn't voice or display one bit of nervousness about flying. Our first plane was a wimpy SkyWest (wimpy, yes, it holds merely 68 seats). The second was quite large, bigger then I've ever flown on, even on my flight to NYC. What kind of plane, you ask? I haven't the slightest, because I'm not a things-with-engines geek. It held 7 seats across a row and at least 42 (where we sat) rows. Plus, Delta offers free movies on the flight to/from Honolulu! Sleep on the plane? Not when I could be watching Bride Wars or Confessions of a Shopaholic! (You know, since they're chick flicks and Matt won't watch them with me)

My favorite part was stepping out of the airport in LA for a quick drag, and Matt experiencing true humidity (Utah doesn't ever get true humidity, we're a desert dammit!). Little did he know Hawai'i would be worse and it wouldn't be early morning before the heat compounded it.

Enough of my commentary, although you'll get some narration with the pictures. (Because there are almost 300 pics I took I'm going to make a post for each day with a few pics. They will be post-dated to correlate with the actual days so stayed tunned and scroll down!)

Hawaii Day 4

2009-05-10T21:23:00.004-06:00

Sunday, was totally a chill out and relax day. We went to some presentation in the morning to get us a car rental, and the rest of the day was us being lazy :) I enjoyed playing in the ocean, but couldn't convince Matt to join me, so he played in the sand & collected mini sea shells.

And when in doubt...there's alway's a Denny's nearby:

Hawaii Day 3

2009-05-09T10:35:00.002-06:00

Saturday was part relaxing, part recuperation from the night before. What better way to do so than sleeping in followed by some shopping, time strolling the beach and enjoying the night life? We watched the sunset, then ate at Hulu Grill above Duke's and the atmosphere was wonderful with live local music.

Hawaii Day 2

2009-05-08T10:28:00.027-06:00

Our second day there was a long, full day. We decided to hike the Diamond Head Crater, followed by a short beach visit for me, then dinner at the Top of Waikiki (rotating fancy restaraunt) and drinking at The Red Lion while listening to a local band.

Hawai'i-we have arrived

2009-05-07T21:29:00.003-06:00

Hours on a plane, meant this was a refreshing view. This was Matt's initial encounter with any ocean. We ate at Lulu's just down the block from our hotel, and the open-air seating overlooks the beach, with live music.

Our hotel room view (you can see the ocean...not that we paid for a partial ocean view)

Too Excited for Well Placed Words

2009-04-21T14:56:00.003-06:00

I just got word from the Hubs that he got days off next month.....so we can go to Hawaii! I wanna jump up and down screaming with delight and excitement. However, I'm at work right now...so this will have to do. This will serve as our belated honeymoon and an early first anniversary for us. This economy in a rut thing, is working out for us kind of poor people. Seven months ago the same package would have cost us more than double! And since I can't actually squeal out the emotions I have right now....this video will have to do:

It's been so long, I forgot I was missing it

2009-04-11T12:00:00.000-06:00

Why didn't anyone remind me? I had forgotten what it was like to sleep without excessive noise permeating every moment of the night. Resulting in the zombie-like sleep I must have been getting for well over two years now. The non-stop, round-the-clock, rush of traffic on Highland Drive, bouncing in through our single pane, kept no noise out and barely the cold, windows.

I still have my sleeping issues....because, I'm me and it wouldn't make sense for everything to get better. However, now that we officially live in the 'burbs, it's eerily quiet at night. Almost deafeningly silent, laying there in bed, trying to fall asleep. It's the lack of street traffic, heard through thin windows, so it feels like the cars are IN the same room. It's the multiple walls and vast expanses (it's a general exaggeration, but a quite accurate comparison to our old place) in-between the bedroom and the TV room where Hubs is watching TV. It's the lack of people walking home from the bars at closing time, drunk, and talking loudly as they ever-so-slowly pass the building's parking lot.

Instead, peaceful, suburbia silence. It is this beautiful thing, contained in such an environment I tend to loathe, that finds me waking now, knowing...better yet, feeling...like I got into a deep sleep (even if it may be a short one).

One year older, and wiser too....

2009-04-10T14:50:00.003-06:00

Well, maybe not the later. Sunday I got a year older, and I think I like this new number. 24 is not nearly as appealing as 23 was/is, but I think I will stick to this number a few years, until I can no longer get away with it (in the same fashion that some women are 29 or 39 for 10 years-sometimes more).

I normally don't make a big fuss about my birthday, but this year, we had some friends over for a small gathering. I enjoyed the night very much. We managed to forget to serve the birthday cake, and didn't get a single picture. But it happened, and when years from now I wonder why there's no pictures of my "first" 24th Birthday, I'll have to turn to my blog to remember.

It's easier this way, to stay one age for a while. When I start to think about turning 25 next year, the panicked pressure starts to rise in my chest, reminding me of all the things I've not accomplished that I thought I would have by age 25. So....rationally speaking, if I stay 24 come next spring, I don't have to panick about those things now....right?

Bittersweet Goodbye

2009-04-01T12:11:00.004-06:00

Friday we hauled out most of our belongings and moved on to the next chapter in our lives. It was definitely bittersweet for me: leaving a place were Matt & I became a "we", but I also hated living in a cramped little apartment. We made some wonderful memories there. I was almost teary as I took one last look at the building and drove off Saturday for the last time. But....I took some pictures, so that we can show our future children where we lived. It sounds silly, but as a child I always loved seeing pictures of my parent's lives before I was in it. Seeing them so young, and seeing the path that led them to the family we were (at the time).

Now I'm back, at a familiar house, my Mother's. It was the only house we ever lived in for more than a few years growing up. It's my third round at this house, but this time is quite different. It's slowly becoming our home, with our belongings in it. Last night I was packing up most of her kitchen, and it seemed strange to pack up these things that have been there for the last 12+ years. I kept thinking "when family comes over, they won't know where to look for things" and "will they be upset that my Mom's stuff isn't there". It's also very unnerving to be usurping my Mother, and taking over the master bedroom that's always been her's, and moving her into the spare room. It's necessary for us to live there, but it feels so instinctively wrong, and I worry that she feels usurped. I hope that we can make it as welcoming as she did over the years; the gathering spot for family events.

My Miscellaneous Life

2009-03-13T11:26:00.012-06:00

So I haven't had much to blog about lately, because my life gets pretty boring sometimes. Not that I don't stay busy, but the busy stuff is boring. I can't figure out how to spin "moving at the end of the month" into something you'd actually be entertained by when reading. So I give up and here you go:

We are moving at the end of the month, and I don't have the guts to start packing yet. It would mean I would have to inventory things in my life, and decide what crap is staying and what crap....is just crap...that needs thrown out! It's my least favorite part of moving, even if it suits my neurosis of unattachment to inanimate objects (unlike my husband who saves everything...and I mean everything...an empty cigarette pack? there's like 3 on one of our tables right now. Throw them out when they are EMPTY...dearest). I like unpacking, because it allows me the chance to organize things into the best place possible in the new room (control freak?). The actual moving isn't bad...I get to break a real sweat, and feel like I did something useful...plus the burden of lifting large, heavy objects will mostly be placed on my wonderful husband. This move is also compounded with having to organize and store my mother's belongings, since we are moving into her house. So I will have to suffer through the packing process twice, but at least with hers I'm not obligated to take stock of the objects and decide "keep or toss"...it's all keep (the glass is half full).

In other news, I gave into peer pressure and joined Facebook. What can I say? My will power is only so strong.

Tag..I'm it

2009-03-03T11:28:00.004-07:00

I've been tagged by my sister Kas

List of eight tag:
Post rules on your blog
Answer the five '8' items
Let each person you tag know by leaving them a comment

My '8' for each category are in no particular order, and I'm breaking one of the rules, because I don't feel like tagging anyone (oh, deal with it, yes, I'm a party pooper)

8 Favorite TV shows:
(I can only pick 8?!?!? Fine, then I will pick from the current shows [ie: still runs yearly])

Grey's Anatomy (okay, this really is my #1)
Big Brother
Private Practice
Bones
Closer
House
24
Ugly Betty

8 things I did yesterday:

worked
ate a caesar salad
contemplated joining Facebook & decided against
visited Matt at work
watched Big Bang Theory (because I'm not caught up on 24 yet)
laughed
checked the mail
cried

8 favorite restaurants:

Belgian Waffle & Omelet Inn (Midvale, UT)
Applebee's (anywhere, USA)
Charlie's (Seattle, WA)
Broadway Grill (Seattle, WA)
Blimpie's (shut up, it's a fast-food restaurant)
El Chihuahua's (Holladay, UT....I will miss being 1.5 blocks from it!)
Chili's (old school Chili's when they had awesome blossoms...but I still like it)
Village Baker (90th South and Redwood, UT)

8 Things I'm looking forward to:

being pregnant (NO, I'm not currently pregnant, so back off!)
starting a family in the future
owning a home
Matt & I sitting in our rockin' chairs on the front porch in our 'Golden Years'
taking an Alaskan cruise (which was supposed to be our "honeymoon")
Dakota's first birthday (My aunts always remember stuff about my first few years, so I'm taking a page from their book[s])
re-decorating my Mom's house with our stuff when we move in next month
taking the new car off-road and testing it's 4WD

8 things on my wish list:

owning a home (I know this is a repeat, but I really really really want it!)
a Ferrari (Red, circa 1980s)
the Amazon Kindle or Kindle 2
for us to get out of Iraq (oh wait, that one is being granted by August 2010!)
travel Europe with Matt
world domination (what? a girl can dream can't she?)
to lose 30 lbs. (notice it's on the wish list)
enough money to live comfortably, and not paycheck-to-paycheck

If you've read this and want to do your own, consider yourself tagged...

Awwww Snap

2009-02-25T16:30:00.001-07:00

I was recently prompted by our current situation to look at Matt and say "Holy shit! We're grown-ups!?!" And, no, this isn't at all based on the fact that I turn 24 in just over a month. [I know that's not old, but when I was a teenager, anything close to or over the age 25, seemed forever and a day away]

Sometimes life throws you curve balls, and you hit them, so it's a good thing.

My mother is investing in a job opportunity out of state, which means she's moving...out of state. [This comes after years of demands that her children not move/live out of state, because she didn't want to be far away from her (future)grandchildren]. She has graciously offered up her house to us [the upstairs since the basement is rented]. So....this past week has been spent planning the move, and since her house is not within a mile of Matt's work, he will no longer be able to walk to work. That meant we needed a second vehicle.

About four months ago we had been looking at buying a bigger vehicle for me [thinking ahead to the next few years when we start having children]. At the time, we decided that we would wait, until it was more affordable for us. Saturday we ventured out onto the car lots looking primarily for a commuter car for Matt, because we didn't really want to be spending too much right now. However, we found a brand new 2008 model of the same vehicle we almost bought four months ago.....for a $7,000 savings. Yes, $7,000 savings for waiting 4 months to buy it. Granted, we would have gone for the upgraded model with leather seats, but for $7k, I can deal with the cloth! [I will do a follow-up post with pics, when it's not raining on my new car!]

This is what hit me like a ton of bricks: we are buying new cars, moving, and really, seriously planning out our future. We were signing so many forms at the dealership like...well...like we we were

ALL

GROWN

UP

The Geek in Me

2009-02-18T12:01:00.001-07:00

I read lots of regular fiction, because I can't handle westerns, romance, sci-fi, or most non-ficiton subjects. I don't like buying used or going to the library, because I like the smell of a new book...but I donate books I don't intend to keep to my local library, because when I was young I couldn't buy books @ $20 a pop, and was constantly at the library...it's my version of "giving back to the community".

As I write this, there is a finished puzzle on my coffee table that I did by myself on Sunday, in under 2.5 hours (we didn't time it, but that's our guess), while watching TV...and I buy the 5-pak (500 pc/puzzle) at Walgreens, because it's only $6.99.

I own an original Nintendo, and love to play Mario Bros. 3, but I also own Mario Bros. 1 (with DuckHunt, of course). I learned to play Star Wars Battlefront on an XBOX first, and then on Playstation 2 (and the sequel, Battlefront 2, which I'm currently re-obsessed with on PS2)....and I'm not even a Star Wars fan. I once spent weeks mastering the 100-man-melee on GameCube (with the princess, no less). [I can't tell you the name of the game...so I'm not that big of a geek...but I do know that some games are exclusive to their game systems, and some are made in multiple versions for each gaming system, and they look different on XBOX, PS2, PC, etc....which anyone who isn't slightly geeky would not necessarily know that] .

I like to sew, even though I haven't for a while (because we just honestly don't have the room that projects tend to overtake). I recovered our couch in microfiber suede & have made lots of quilts (hand-tied with yarn, because I'm too lazy to make them a true "quilt") ...I can sew buttons back on, but don't ask me to hem something because I take my pants down the street and pay the $10 to have them hemmed.

I've been told by some people that one of these things makes me geeky (them only knowing about one of these)...so what does the combination of these things make me? Seriously? Because it's not like I know all the html codes, the difference in a processor & RAM, or every part in a car's engine, or quote lines from Star Wars or Star Trek, or know everything about the newest iPhone or similar star-status cell phone (I text, and make calls from my phone, and I can handle that). Maybe the definition of "geek" has changed since I was in high school...even though that was only 6 years ago?

I think it's healthy to have interest in lots of things, even if that makes me a GEEK!

Dear Loved One,

2009-02-15T00:01:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday. You would have been 26 today. Last month was the 9th anniversary, and I thought of you that entire day. I think of you often, and how unfair it was that your family had to lose you so young, to lose you at all. You were the closest thing I ever had to a big brother, and the closest thing I had to a normal brother. The thing is, you treated me like I was your little sister, and not just your little sister's friend (at least it seemed that way to me). I often think back to your family's trip that I was invited on, and you giving me your sweater because I was cold. Such a simple gesture, but sincere and kindhearted...enough that I can recall it now just shy of 10 years later. That was your essence: sincere, kindhearted, loving. Though you were only in my life for a short period of time, you made a huge impact in it, and the loss of you changed they way I looked at the world, how I looked at life.

Even though I haven't been to see you in years, it's not that I don't think about you, and miss you. It's merely that after you were gone, I hurt for so long, not just because you were gone....but your family was like my "other" family, and it hurt to see them hurt.

Please forgive me for not visiting more often, and enjoy this day that should be celebrated for you. You may no longer be here in body, but in reverent remembrance we can honor you, because we love you and miss you.

Always & Forever

Egregious Behavior

2009-02-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

Matt & I both enjoy people-watching in public outings. Sometimes we sit at at a restraunt and say only a few words to each other during dinner, looking like an old married couple, but really we are just people-watching (or watching the game on the TV). Because seriously, after how long we've known each other, we sometimes just don't have much to talk about that doesn't revolve around work. (...maybe we are doing things in reverse, and in our golden years we will be chatting each other's ears off...). Anyway, this situation works for us, both being generally quite people.

Saturday we met up with a bunch of his work friends at Junior's, a bar downtown. Originally one of them was supposed to be set up on a "meet-&-greet-a-potential-love-interest", but the "love interest" didn't show. It worked out better that way. The pressure was off, and the drinking and pool playing was no longer going to be interrupted by the getting to know you games (so often pursued when two people are being set up by a third party).

We dominated the back part of the room, taking over the one and only pool table. Matt played most of the night, taking turns with the two other players, while the rest of us watched, drank, and chatted away. I didn't feel like playing pool, so I mostly drank and watched everyone else. There were a few people that it was my first time meeting, and so I was in observatory mode.

An hour into the festivities, the guy (we'll call him John) who was supposed to bring the "love interest", had another group of friends show up (2 girls, 1 guy). We didn't know them, and they didn't seem to be interested in meeting the rest of us (not all that shocking as I'll explain). The 4 of them were standing around talking, and I couldn't help but watch the group, as the blatant behaviors started to emerge. Oh, I'm sure the girls were behaving well with their words...I couldn't tell you for sure, as they were on the other side of the room where I couldn't hear. BUT I could see them. The poor guy they came with, desperately tried not to be left out of the conversation. However the girls' interest was all on John, and obviously so. They were looking straight at him, talking with him, only turning to the other guy when ab-so-lute-ly necessary. I watched one of the girls inparticular, and was very amused by her body language. She was leaning into the conversation she was having with John...head tilted down, but looking up at him smiling...mimicking his movements...repeatedly putting her hair behind her ear, or playing with it. All the classic signs of flirting that send the signal I'm totally into you, please, please, please notice!!! And John? He had the smile on, and the laid back posture not to give too much away up front (but really portrays the I'm not going to make it obvious that I'd go for you, but I totally would signal).

I couldn't help but laugh on the inside, and a little out loud, and pull Matt over to watch.

I laughed because it was so completely obvious. I laughed because I have been there, and was hoping I wasn't that obvious. I laughed because I'll never have to go through that every weekend, ever again, and I'm so very glad.

Now all I have to do is empty the sink trap

2009-02-06T12:45:00.004-07:00

In the months I spent planning the wedding, I spent a lot of time on a Craigslist wedding forum. I got to know a lot of the girls on there pretty well (as well as you can know people who hang out in forums using pseudonym handles-which what you call screen names in forums). We discussed ideas, helped each other find deals, and sometimes discussed our grievances about our FHs (future husbands). It was there I was taught a very important lesson about relationships, that has saved me some aggrivation and frustration (hopefully making me a better spouse, even if just a little).

There was a day recently that I arrived home, and Matt had taken the initiative to clear our coffee/dining table off. Yes, it is our dining table too. If you've been to our apartment you know it wasn't built to have 2 people co-habitate, and for sure not to have space for a real table. (have you seen our one-butt kitchen, with 2 sq feet of counter space and oddly short cupboards? As in only one butt can fit in there at a time it's so tiny...). It looked nice and clean, and the front room was all picked up as well. My first thought was "and you didn't vacuum the floor because???". But I caught myself and thought back to this story told by one of the girls in the forum.

Jane noticed a pattern when Jack (her FH) did the dishes. He would wash them, dry them, even put them away...clean off the counters....but forget to empty the sink trap. She would get mad and tell him, it wasn't really cleaning up the kitchen if he didn't finish the job. She was frustrated, because no matter how many times she told him to please empty the trap, he never did. She realized after a few months that getting upset about it wasn't getting her anywhere. And, afterall, she felt bad because he was doing something nice by giving her a clean kitchen to come home to after her 10-12 hour work days. She realized he was just trying to make life easier for her, because she worked so much more than him. She decided to change her view to the proverbial glass is half full. The next time she came home to clean dishes and a dirty sink trap, she thought, "Sweet, now all I have to do is empty the sink trap!".

Since I was told that story I've tried to keep it a mantra in the back of my mind. So the night I came home to a clean table....I caught myself before I chastised him for not vacuuming, as my second thought immediately following was "now all I have to do is empty the sink trap". Because, after all, Matt was just trying to make my day easier knowing I was exhausted from being back at work. (I think I did say I'd vacuum, but haven't gotten to it yet...because of the combination of my laziness and tax return filing frying my brain).

I'm not perfect, and this doesn't happen every time, but I hope that this baby step is something that becomes a habit.

Sometimes family does know you best

2009-01-28T12:45:00.004-07:00

During my recovery I slept a lot, and by a lot, I mean the first week or so I was awake at most 4 hours in a day. Granted, the sleep was pain and drug induced, and wasn't even close to refreshing.

For those not close to me, I'll let you know I am not a good sleeper. I have a very difficult time falling asleep, averaging over an hour to fall asleep, on a good night 6 hours of sleep, and run for the hills if you wake me up (because you will encounter my rage for waking me before I'm ready).... and if prematurely woken in the night, I'm usually done for and cannot fall back asleep. (Disclaimer: These rules did not apply when I was severely depressed, when I could fall asleep in an instant and sleep through anything short of a fire alarm. But being depressed wasn't exactly worth that benefit.)

Prior to the surgery I was extremely pleased with my success on a better sleep schedule, and felt like the world wasn't working against me. Much to the dismay of my loving husband, the 2+ weeks off work has royally screwed up any success I had made with my sleep schedule in the last 2.5 years we've lived together. I'm back to not falling asleep for at least 1.5 hours, and also now wake for no reason every 3.5-4 hours after falling asleep. Of course, that leaves me extremely tired while at work, and sometimes wondering if I've fallen asleep with my eyes open, sitting at my desk.

My lack of sleep, current and past, has been a source of contention in our relationship, mostly from me. As of right now, Matt is the only other person living with me, so he bears the burden if he wakes me up. He also hits the mattress and is out within 5, which makes me despise him sometimes, only because I'm jealous.

It's not that I'm not tired (I'm extremely exhausted), but it's like my brain doesn't shut off. Oh, and don't get me wrong I love sleep...if I get into a good sleep I will sleep for days if you let me. In my life I've tried everything to help: chamomile, music, sleeping pills, relaxing back scratches, etc. The emotional stress endured because of this is the excruciating part. I want want want, to fall asleep, so it feels like something is wrong with me. I don't know that I will ever overcome this, and it's extremely frustrating. I thought after the surgery, maybe my better breathing would help the sleep process, but it hasn't so far.

This leads me to the first few weeks my sister had her new baby. She said regarding the sleepless nights and constant waking for feedings and changes "I don't think Brianna will handle having a baby very well" (or something along those lines). I think she's right, so very, very right.

Sometimes your family are the ones who know you best :)

Just lowlights, but hey, I'm alive

2009-01-16T13:53:00.002-07:00

So last Thursday (the 8th), I had my surgeries, and well, I survived. It didn't go as well as planned. For those who weren't well informed by myself (sorry), I had a tonsillectomy, a deviated septum repaired and cysts removed from my sinuses. So yes, that's 3 procedures done at one time. Well, I guess I'm a bleeder, so when I woke up the first time from the surgery I was bleeding still. All I remember is waking up coughing and choking and the anaesthesiologist getting mad at me for doing so...and thinking I can't really help it, I'm sorry!! My ENT was brought into post-op to look at me and they took me back into surgery to "clean up the bleeders". I remember being taken back in, and begging them to tell Matt where I was.

Waking up the second time was much more gruesome. Not only did the second round of anaesthetics within 6 hours make me very ill, I had swallowed a lot of my own blood after the first waking. (no wonder he was mad at me). I was puking up blood like it was nobody's business and had really high blood pressure. I had to really beg them to bring in Matt (and my Mom who was now in the waiting room). I think they finally gave in, hoping their presence would lower my blood pressure. It didn't, but I felt better having them there. I really don't remember much else besides my poor Husband and Mother trading off catching the blood in those little bean-shaped trays they give you for vomiting. They even gave me anti-nausea meds through my IV, but combined with my blood pressure, they admitted me overnight. (so I'm told...I only remember that I kept complaining about throwing up blood and the blood pressure cuff being way too tight, then being wheeled down a really long hallway into a room).

My Mom stayed overnight with me (as she is experienced with sleeping in hospitals), so Matt could go home and get some rest, since he'd be dealing with me for the next week. The night was rough, and painful, and IVs really are a pain! Every time I needed to get up to go to the bathroom I had to page the nurse to become unhooked from everything and drag the IV in there.

The next day I went home (finally!). And the next several days were lots of sleeping and trying to keep drinking liquids, even though my throat felt like someone took a sander to it, and swallowing felt like something I'd never done before. Monday's check-up was good at the doc's, even had an egg mcmuffin for brunch...then came Tuesday (shudders). Matt had to go back to work and the morning started okay with a smoothie, pills and water....but midway through the day I got very nauseated, and threw up. I was miserable and after a few hours of intense pain I gave in an called Matt to come home. EVERYYTHING I got in me, came back up that day/night and we had to call the doctor who called in and anti-nausea suppository (yes folks, grown ups have to use them too!) at midnight. It helped knock me out and the next day I was better.

The last few days have been painful as the scabs in my throat are falling off, but I've been doing okay. Lots of painkillers and sleeping. I went in again today and the doctor cleaned a lot of the gunk out of my nose, so I can breathe through it finally, but talking is very difficult. I have lost my sense of taste, but he assures me it will return soon, now that I can breathe through my nose. Let's hope so! I really like the taste of food, and would hope that I never lose it permanently!

I must say that I married a very patient and caring man who has taken very good care of me this last week plus! Thank you! I love you!

And to my Mom: I'm glad you were there to help me and Matt out with settling me in. Thank you! I love you!

To both: thank you for catching the blood I puked up, only true loved ones (or paid nurses) would put up with such a gruesome task and I will love you guys for your compassion in my time of complete need :)

I must go for now, as the pain killer is wearing off and the new one I will take will subsequently knock me out for the next hour at least! But I just wanted to give the details and update in case you don't hear it through the grapevine :)

Acting Brave

2009-01-01T22:28:00.001-07:00

Today we gathered with my family for breakfast at the Belgian Waffle in Midvale. Dakota was her charming self & Clinton a little bit cranky, both quite impatient for food. We ordered Clinton their "Garbage Hash" and he loved it (even though it had peppers and mushrooms in it). It's surprising the things he eats now. On Christmas Eve I tried feeding him walnuts, which he loved and ate without complaint! At the care center they feed him prunes, and he loves them. Sometimes I forget, just like I grew up into liking certain things, so does he.

After breakfast, Matt and I headed downtown to go see Body Worlds 3. It was crowded, but having the right connections (i.e. a Mom who works there) got us through all the lines quicker. Matt had wanted to go for months now, but I had been really hesitant to go. The whole idea that these bodies were real people, creeped me out and made me very squeamish just thinking about it. But I braved up, like a real grown up would do, and we went to the exhibit.

I will tell you that it was really awe inspiring, but I still couldn't keep by stomach from twisting or shake the heeby-jeebies feeling from my back. I could handle the individual body parts just fine, it was the whole bodies posed that freaked me out, even once I was in there, but I acted brave and practiced my breathing methods so I didn't have an anxiety attack. The embryo room was amazing, but very sad (and they do state that to the best of their knowledge, none of them were ones that could be saved). I will say, the displays of all the arterial systems were the coolest things I ever saw. They preserve the arterial system first then dissolve the surrounding organs and/or tissue, and they end up with a complete map of the arterial system from that area. It's amazing how many blood vessels the human body has, and that they are in almost every space of the body.

So, I acted brave and got through it (but I won't lie and say I wasn't unabashedly glad to be out of there)!

I wonder how often parents must have to act brave to make their children feel at ease, when really they are scared or squeamish of something so trivial and silly like this?

I can't really act surprised...can I?!?!?

2009-01-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

This year for New Year's Eve (as most years), we stayed in and celebrated in the warmth of our own house, watching the various countdown shows, and doing puzzles....because, well, we are lame like that...but we're okay with it. This year, I was actually enticed to go party, but with my surgery next week, I can't really risk getting sick.

With a minute left in 2008, we went out front on our porch, tried to decide what to follow- our cell phone clocks or the TV-and ended up counting down with the TV. We toasted, I with my champagne and Matt with his beer; then we kissed.

We had some spraklers to celebrate with (the heavy duty kind). I couldn't get mine to light and was holding the lighter quite close, so when it did light the flash burn took a quarter-sized layer of skin off..not bad, but painful. So there you have it, a minute into 2009 and my accident-prone self was injured! I can't really act surprised can I?!?!?

I'm Dreaming of a Wet, NO White Christmas

2008-12-25T19:59:00.011-07:00

So it kind of wimpy snowed for a minute last night, but has been raining and severely windy here today, and finally starting snowing tonight!

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve with my family last night...fondue....stories... inappropriate silliness! We got a late start, but it was fun and all that, nonetheless.

We got home around midnight, and turned on A Christmas Story. About and hour into it we decided we would open presents!

Matt got:

*AT&T Samsung Eternity (touchscreen wonder-phone...and has been totally engrossed in playing with it ALL day long! Last night I had to make him put it down to go to sleep!!!)
*new parts for his shaver
*skull candy headphones
*a wallet
*slippers (from Clinton)
*a shirt (from the Nambas)
*hat & gloves (from Ma)

Brianna got:

*a wool jacket
*a blue sweater
*mini space heater for work
*lavendar eye mask
*wireless keyboard & mouse
*(and the books from previous post)
*a yellow sweater (from Betty)
*cute shirts (from the Nambas)
*card games and lip stuff (from Ma)

Here's some pictures of our first married Christmas:

Apparently Matt Agrees (Ha!)

2008-12-22T21:06:00.003-07:00

Matt just made me open 2 of my presents! I think he agrees with me :) I can't let him open any of his, because while I spoiled him, it's only in a few packages. So now we have the same amount of presents under the tree!

I got:

and

He noticed I haven't been reading anything lately, so he wanted me to have them early anyway. I asked for books, but didn't give him much guidance...he was clever enough to find my "to-read" bookshelf at goodreads.com

Enjoy it While it Lasts

2008-12-22T19:44:00.003-07:00

I must admit that while we have lived together, we sometimes want to do Christmas early. Last year, we opened gifts on Christmas Eve (it was after midnight, so don't chastise too much). Matt commented last night about wanting me to open one of my presents early. I contemplated it for a minute and decided against it, although I was severely tempted! I was also tempted to have him open one of his that I'm excited for him to have!

It got me thinking....we have to enjoy the spoils of being grown adults without children, while we can. Because....once we have kids, we won't be able to cheat on things like Christmas presents. Rather, we will have to be the enforcers of patience and rules!

(as I glance towards the pile of presents under the tree)

Love Notes

2008-12-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

Matt leaves me love notes in my wallet sometimes, and I received one this week. (When we were dating he'd leave poems on my car, in the handle or under the windshield wiper)

I also received a love note on the porch in the snow:

(his nickname for me is "IckyGirl")

Hope for Health

2008-12-15T18:30:00.002-07:00

So I know I didn't give much for follow-up about my tonsils...but let's face it....it's not the most appealing subject.

I will be having surgery in January, in which they will remove my tonsils, as well as fix my septum, and remove some cysts from my sinuses. It will be a painful and upleasant recovery, but my awesome husband assures me he'll take good care of me.

I hope that after all this, I will be healthier. That I will have more energy from not being consistently sick.

Tradition

2008-12-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the traditions. I love that my family gathers for fondue, stories, and silliness every Christmas Eve at my Mother's. I love opening that one gift on Christmas Eve. All the little traditions too!

We spent that last week or so, looking for a glass globe "Our First Christmas" ornament. We both have memories of the old ornaments hung on our parents' trees. We searched every place we could think of (without ordering online) and couldnt' find one. I guess they don't make the glass ones much anymore, for safety purposes. We eventually found a cute ceramic one, with 2 snowmen holding an "Our First Christmas" banner, with a snowflake dangling from that, on it "2008". Yearly ornaments is bound to be one of our traditions, but who doesn't do that?

In the seven years I've known Matt, we've gone to Temple Square to see the lights. Last year of course, was the most memorable, because of his proposal. We decided that we will go there every year to get a picture in front of the tree on Main Street (and we'll try to go on the exact day, as we did this year). OUR tradition. Someday our kids will ask why we have to do this every year and we'll explain to them that this is where our little family started, on a cold night December 14, 2007, when daddy asked mommy to marry him, and she said yes! (sappy...yes...but nostalgic)

So here's our 2008 picture, taken, kindly enough, by President Strickland.

Here are some other beautiful shots, including the new nativity scene on the Main Street display:

Yeah, you on the phone in the next lane…

2008-12-10T11:59:00.003-07:00

AT THE RED LIGHT!

(WARNING: expletives are used in the post to follow and severe use of sarcasm, read at your own risk)

Don’t give me that dirty look that says: (all miffed, of course)“Um, uh you’re music is too loud! I can’t hear the person on the other end of my cell phone!”

Well honey, I have my window down because I’m smoking a cigarette, to keep my traffic anxiety down. And the music is up, to keep me occupied, instead of jumping out of the car to tear a new one into every fucking driver behind me tonight, who seem to think stopping two inches behind me is enough room.

I realize you drive an automatic, so you don’t understand, but with a manual (you know the other kind of transmission with what you inept people call a “gear-shifter”) there’s this thing called rollback. I know it’s super hard to understand that when I put it in first gear, especially on a hill, unless I keep my foot fully on the clutch and gas (which would burn my clutch up, SO I DON’T) the car rolls back a little before the gas kicks in to create the uphill forward motion needed to cross the intersection (also known as driving). So please for the sake of your own vehicle (because if I hit you when I roll back, it will actually be your fault for following too closely) leave me some fucking room…..like 3 linear feet at least….NOT 3 inches!!!!

So you, yeah you bitch, on your cell phone (because that phone call is sooooooooo much more important and urgent than you driving safely - and other drivers’ safety from you out on the road) don’t give me that dirty look. You don’t even have room to be looking, Miss law-breaking-using-your-cell-phone-while-driving bitch! GET OFF YOUR DAMN PHONE AND PAY ATTENTION TO US INNOCENT DRIVERS WHO LET THE PHONE GO TO VOICEMAIL WHILE DRIVING (because we realize focusing on the road in rush hour traffic trumps the calling your girl friend to find out what she’s wearing at the party tonight)!

For full disclosure: I do use my phone once in a great, great while when driving, but 99% of the time I let the call go to voicemail, because I don’t want to cause an accident….besides have you ever tried shifting while on the phone? I don’t have enough arms!

Spoiled

2008-12-09T16:44:00.002-07:00

I love this time of year. No, not because I want or like to be spoiled with Christmas presents. I swear! I actually have a really hard time with people asking “What do you want?” It makes me feel awkward, because there’s so much pressure to give an answer. I feel like giving any answer besides “nothing” sounds selfish. I know people have good intentions by asking, but Christmas and my Birthday make me anxious for this reason. And really...the other 11 months out of the year I’m fortunate enough that if there’s something I decide I really want, I usually buy it for myself (and 50% of the time I tell Hubs, the other 50% I slowly work items into my wardrobe as if I’ve always owned them, hoping Hubs won’t say anything-and if he knows he never says anything).

In the last week, multiple presents have been appearing under the tree for Hubs. He keeps telling me that it’s too much, and he hopes I didn’t buy him anything expensive, because he can’t afford anything expensive for me. Now, this frustrates me because I DON’T want anything really except for this one lavender eye mask ($20 at the mall). Secondly, I DON’T care if he gets me anything expensive…I just want to enjoy our first Christmas as a married couple, really! I’ve even racked my brain for ideas, as he too has asked what else I want. Umm…there’s this new CD I want by one of my faves. Besides, my presents to him last year were really lame, and his to me last year? Well a bad-ass camera….and oh yeah that big diamond ring on my finger :) So if it were a competition, I’ve got some catchin’ up to do!

REGARDLESS…

Honey, dearest, husband…it’s actually not a competition, and I want to spoil you for two simple reasons:

1) I love you, I love you, I love you!
2) The other 363 days (because you’re birthday doesn’t apply here) you spoil me rotten, with back scratches, foot rubs, bringing home treats I love, cleaning the house, etc without even me asking for these things (on most days anyway). Plus, you walk to work to save us money, because you see the bigger picture and are willing to sacrifice for it.

So... I’m freakin’ spoiling the hell out of you this Christmas...deal with it!

Dreams

2008-12-05T11:22:00.002-07:00

Ever have one of those dreams, that when you wake up, you try to fall back asleep to finish it?

Saturday I had a dream like that, and haven't stopped thinking about it since. I did get up and then go back to sleep hoping to finish. It wasn't the same dream the second time around, but more detailed and far more interesting.

The first was short and vague. I remembered something about a baby girl (and it was definitely Dakota's sister) when I woke up, so I tried to go back to it, by going back to sleep.

The second was wayyyyyy more detailed and memorable, but still short.

I was in a room in a house, somewhere I've never been before. I was with my sister. We were talking about who knows what, but she was holding a beautiful baby boy, about the age of one or eighteen months. (I don't know, I'm bad at guessing babies' ages.) He was wearing little kid overalls and a white shirt, and she was feeding him a bottle.

He was beautiful; blonde curly hair, with a tint of red to it, very pale but striking blue eyes, and very fair skinned. In the dream I couldn't look away from him.

He finished the bottle and she laid him down on a blanket on the floor. She said "Aw, you're tired now, huh? Go to sleep beautiful Colton". I said, "I love you Colton".

That was all.

When I woke again, I was confused thinking "There's no way that was Kass' kid". Kass' husband is full-blooded Japanese, and she really doesn't have a shot in hell of ever having a non-Japanese looking child. I figured he must have been mine. BUT Matt and I already have a boys name picked out and it's not that.....perplexed I told Matt about the dream. He said "Maybe it's our second son..?". Immediately I started laughing and said back to him, "But we'd never use the name Colton....it would destine him to be a bull rider!". Matt laughed too, because about a month ago we were watching a rodeo champion on TV and I noticed every-other rider was named Colton, and I had said at the time "Matt if you want a bull-rider for a son we have to name him Colton or Colt". Also, this week we saw the episode of Seinfeld where his comedy bit at the beginning of the show talks about naming a kid Jeeves destines him to be a butler....

Anyway, it was funny to us at least.

Here's the thing...I'm not really religious, but I do believe that sometimes dreams are more than that. I do believe they can be warnings or visions. It has happened to me before, and there is just a totally different feeling in and about the dream, where you know it was closer to reality.

So I am left knowing that that baby boy Colton will exist someday, maybe he's ours, maybe not. If it is, do we have to name him that? I really don't like the name! I guess time will tell, and maybe he is ours, and we will have a name picked out.....but then we meet him for the first time and no other name will fit him but Colton.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T17:50:00.002-07:00

Thanksgiving weekend was rather mellow for us this year. Matt worked, while I cooked yams and the green bean casserole. After he got off we headed to my mom's and enjoy a very scrumptious meal and enjoyed the family gathering. Friday we went to see the movie 'Twilight' and later took our cousin to the ER (which is just a fiasco of a story in itself). Saturday we lounged around, bought a Christmas tree, and put up lights outside. Sunday we did a little bit of shopping and went to Matt's parents for small second family Thanksgiving dinner. It was wonderful to sleep in 4 days in a row, and just do what we wanted.

Today I had my return visit to the doctor, and scheduled my surgery for January. I will have my tonsils out as well as some surgery on my sinuses. It sounds like a grueling recovery, but hopefully I will be less sick following (and be able to breath normally).

You Don't ALWAYS Grow Out of It

2008-11-20T11:41:00.002-07:00

So I remember being 6 or 7 or 8 or one of the many ages I was prone to ear infections... double ear infections. I remember the doctor telling me and my mother, that kids grow out of ear infections.

Well, I'm a grown-up 23 year-old who has, yet again, a double ear infection! I get them at least once a year. I've been miserable, in bed for the last 3 days, and finally dragged myself to work today. It wasn't so bad when I was little and all I missed was school and schoolwork....but now I have to use 3 vacation days, and please, let's not mention the piles of problems left on my desk to deal with, upon my return!!!

Stupid lying doctors! You don't ALWAYS grow out of these common sickness children get. I now, at the ripe old age of 23, might have to get my tonsils yanked. I hear the older you are the harder it is to recover.... Now, I don't blame my mom, because she listened to what the doctor said, and believed him because well, he's the doctor! Besides, she already told me she feels bad and should have had them take them out when I was younger, but she's still not to blame :)

As if having the chipmunk cheeks for the 2 different times I had wisdom teeth wasn't bad enough.....and I never have good recoveries, so I'm sure if it's not one thing it will be another!

...end rant...

Choppy Chop Chop!

2008-11-01T17:51:00.002-06:00

Alas, it was time for a change! Chop chop went the shears, bye bye went the hair!

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-31T17:37:00.000-06:00

So Matt carved our pumpkins the other night...

(the guts from he big one)

...and this is how they turned out:

Matt's:

Mine (carved by Matt):
GO SEAHAWKS!!!

Pro Wedding Pic Slideshow

2008-10-21T22:30:00.002-06:00

Over The Hills and Through The Woods

2008-10-21T12:38:00.005-06:00

to the Namba's house we go!

Saturday was spent in bed with the lights out, sound off, and any leftover traces of light shut out. Migraines! I get them once in a while, and I became so disoriented I couldn't even get out of bed. (oh, and don't get me started on the pain) I was able to call Matt, who rushed right home to take care of me. I felt a little bit better by the evening and more so Sunday.

So Sunday we had planned to drive to Logan, to see Kass, Doug and Koda. So we headed out after picking up our wedding photos, and drove over the hills and through the woods. We also went to check out the pumpkin patch they had visited. I was obsessed with the idea of picking one from the vine. We got a little lost on our way there, since we couldn't find one of the roads on our mapquest directions. Oh well, we made it there eventually and picked some pumpkins.

We did go see the Namba's, and they cooked us a really good teriyaki chicken lunch. Koda was very grumpy, but she did show us how she eats steamed carrots, and sticky rice! (Which got everywhere, including in her mouth) We didn't get any pics :( But Kass did here

Monday was another day of migraine pain, and quiet darkness. I'm still in a little pain today, but my trusty sunglasses are keeping out excess light.

Yipee Yipee Yipee!!!

2008-10-14T09:02:00.005-06:00

Some of our pictures from the wedding are up on our photog's blog! (click the words photog's blog) Go check them out....NOW! I should have all of them by the end of the week and I'm super excited (if you couldn't tell by the excessive use of "yipee"s in the title)

True Love

2008-10-13T11:08:00.002-06:00

I have a great story to tell of Matt's true love for me...or desperation...you decide.

So Saturday I'm sitting at home watching copious amounts of mindless television, when Matt called from work. Now, he rarely calls me while at work, even if he's on a break. He sounded a little bit frantic, and I was confused about what he was telling me about trash. He tried to, although scared and guilty sounding, explain that he thinks he lost his wedding ring. He can't find it in the trash at work, and can I please go check in the shower? Sure enough it was sitting on top of my shampoo in the shower.

The funny part your wondering? I found out later, he was very frantic when he noticed it missing and immediately started digging through their trash bins in the deli, thinking it must have come off when removing gloves. He dug through 4 giant trash bins, with some help of his co-worker (also a married man, who knew that Matt would be in trouble if they couldn't find it). Lastly, he thought maybe he left it in the shower the night before, and resorted to calling me to check. He said he was totally freaked out, and thought I was going to be really upset. Which, if he had really lost it, yeah, I might have a little (seeing as he'd only had it four whole weeks). His is only a few hundred to replace compared to mine, so it could have been worse.

So this lovely man I call my husband dug through 4, yes 4, giant trash bins looking for a little ring! True love and devotion or desperation? I think it's funny that he dug through trash FIRST, then called to see if he'd left it at home :) So my vote is for a little of both :)

Dangerous Things We Do As Children

2008-10-13T08:24:00.006-06:00

A friend asked a good question on one of my posts below, regarding jumping off a ski lift. I will explain this, for those who have not heard the story.

Once upon a time, my scheming sister, best friend and I were all skiing together. I'm not sure whose ingenious idea it was to jump off the ski lift, while it was moving, except I'm pretty sure it wasn't mine. I wasn't exactly a brave girl in junior high, and always have been (and always will be) a worrier. Regardless, they somehow talked me into it, and we jumped off the moving ski lift into a powdery area with about 5-6 feet of untouched powder. It was fun, thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience and well....dangerous. I look back now, and can't fathom why I would have done it, knowing now that we were really lucky that none of us got hurt (we could have broken leg(s) or worse people!), and that we somehow didn't get caught and kicked out of the resort.

But, hey, when my sister and I were little, we used to jump off the roof for fun, and walk along the tops of fence lines, and run away from home in "disguises" (well across town, which really was dangerous because we lived in the town where the Polly Klaas kidnapping happened) ....which are clearly dangerous activities too!

Its amazing the bravery one has as a child. You have no fear for injury....but you also don't have the rational and foresight you do as you grow up into an adult. I guess it's hard to be so easily scared if you're not totally & completely aware of the risks and the consequences. If you're lucky, you spend most of your childhood blissfully unaware of the danger your fun may be.

(And sometimes I wish I still felt that oblivious freedom, that I took for granted because I didn't know it wouldn't last)

Snow Snow Snow!!!

2008-10-12T08:16:00.003-06:00

It started last night!

And....we woke up to it this morning!

Winter is Upon Us

2008-10-11T18:03:00.002-06:00

Winter is here. So I want to share my favorite things about this time of year.

*the first day you turn on the heater, even the smell of it (i know i'm weird)
*the smell in the air: fresh, crisp, cold, you can smell the leaves
*being warm under the blankets, but breathing in cold air
*long sleeves
*warm, comfy socks
*pumpkins
*pumpkin pie, with real whipped cream of course (yum!)
*warm hearty meals, that somehow taste better and seem more filling
*the first snow of the season that makes me feel like I'm 5 years old again
*cuddling next to Matt for heat
*holding hands with Matt with gloves on (it just has a wintery romantic feeling)
*unbundling from the layers of clothes after going out into the snow
*going out in the snow; outings always seem more adventurous

I complain a lot about how cold it gets, and how hot it gets here, but I really do love winter. I just wish I didn't have to commute in winter weather. I hope to go skiing this year, if at least just once. There is something so refreshing being on a snowy mountain, that it's worth the aching leg muscles afterward.

Closer?

2008-10-09T12:05:00.002-06:00

You know how I'm impatient to get into a house? Well, we both are really. I've been looking into the "first time homebuyer" tax credit. It's actually something that might be very helpful to us. What it really is, is a zero-interest loan from the government. You can claim as a tax credit of up to $7500, but you have to pay it back over 15 years at $500/year, with no interest. There a few catches: income limitations and closing dates. If you didn't know about this, check it out here.

Maybe we are closer to that goal than we thought?!

Deep Breath

2008-10-08T12:27:00.006-06:00

I know the economy is scary right now, in every sense. My personal rate of return for my 401k this year is -29.6%! Look closely, it's a negative! I share this information, because I think many are in the same boat, some of us more fortunate than others. I feel fortunate that I don't have to retire in the next 5-10 years, so my 401k will have a chance to recover (fingers crossed), whereas some people may not if it takes 5-10 years to recover. At work we are getting weekly memos reminding us to sell like our jobs depend on it (because they DO).

Take a deep breath...

It's definitely scary times right now, but I still feel fortunate to live in a country where I can help elect the next President, who will have to try and get us out of this mess. That I live in a country where I get opportunities for success and it's up to me to grab them. That I live in a country with everyday freedoms that others never see, and I understand them as privilages not rights, and that the country also gives me, as a person, as a woman, rights.

I may not agree with how the economy crisis is being handled, although it's really just picking the lesser path of 2 evils. But honestly, our economy at a low point is still so much more fortunate than many regions of the world see on a "good day". Be grateful. Get smart. Start saving, because I feel that rainy day is closer than we might think.

Take a few more deep breaths....

Handbags

2008-10-06T14:09:00.003-06:00

It's worth a try isn't it?

http://www.handbagplanet.com/contest2.php

Motivation for Home Ownership

2008-10-05T19:58:00.002-06:00

Now that winter (and I say winter because really we just skip right over fall here) is upon us, I have run into some motivation for getting into a home. Besides the big factors, it's the little things, like an indoor washer and dryer. I forgot what a nuisance it is to plan doing laundry around the winter weather.

Our apartment building has one unit down around the back of the building (which entails going down 2 sets of stairs and skinny walkway that's never shoveled) or we can pay twice as much to go down the block to the laudromat. Either way, it's going through the outdoor elements, so there's the risk of soaking the newely cleaned clothes, and injury from carrying loads on slick surfaces. We have to do laundry when it's not too wet out, and when it's not icy in the parking lot. I had forgotten about that until I woke today, and it was raining again. I had planned to do laundry today, but mother nature smacked me upside the head for forgetting that I am not at liberty to plan a laundry day anymore, I am at her will.

I can't wait to have my own washer and dryer, indoors, at easy access!

I Swear It's October, RIGHT?!

2008-10-03T12:41:00.002-06:00

You wouldn't know it, being outside these last few days, that it really is that fall month called October. We even reached 86°F the other day (okay that was Tuesday, and a September date, but still...)! The forcasts predict a high of 80°F today, but tomorrow we'll drop down to 63°F, and Sunday only 58°F. Finally! It's not that I really want winter to come, but I can't take anymore of this heat. It's fall, it should feel like it!

Stupid Debates

2008-10-03T11:10:00.005-06:00

I'm really annoyed about the Presidential Debate, last week, and the VP Debate, last night. Granted, knowing the candidates positions are important, but do they really need to bump my prime time line-up? For those who know me well enough, I definitely watch too much TV during the week. I have my shows I love to watch Tues-Thurs nights. Due to the debate last night, I didn't get my dose of Grey's Anatomy, and am very grumpy now. I've waited (between the summer off-season and the lack of shows prior to that because of the stupid writers strike) for months for new shows! I finally get a 2 hour dose of Grey's Anatomy last week, only to turn on the TV last night and be disappointed to see that the VP Debate was on :( Booooooooooo! Why must you push my shows out of the way? (Well at least the debate was followed by a new episode of Ugly Betty, another of my faves) Can you not do the debate on a Friday when there is almost nothing good on TV? I mean seriously, I work my butt off all week at work and all I'm asking for is new episodes of my favorite shows when I get home. Isn't it enough that the rest of the time, the commercials are inundated with political ads, and the "Big, Top of the Hour, Breaking News" stories are consistently about the candidates or the economic crisis status?

I can't wait for November 4^th to arrive so that: a) the ads, debates, etc stop b)so I can do my part and vote for the next President. (Although a few months down the road regular broadcast will be interrupted for the Presidential inauguration and speech.....vicious cycle that it is)

P.S.
I did actually find the debate informative and entertaining (not as much as Grey's Anatomy would have been), merely because it reaffirmed where I stood with the candidacy I, personally, plan to vote for. (cough, cough 8 is enough)

Quick, Like a Bandaid (ha!)

2008-09-30T21:30:00.002-06:00

I did go in to the Social Security office today. I waited just over an hour for my 2 whole minutes at the window. It was boring and I noticed they have no clocks in there, maybe to keep you from realizing how much time has passed.....creepy.

I also decided to go to the DLD/DMV for my new license, since my name changed and I also needed a Utah license (yes, I've been back for 3 years and never changed it...so I'm a slacker, deal with it). I figured I would treat the governmental dread I had like you would a bandaid, rip it off really quickly. Get it all done in a day. But that's a really bad simile, as it wasn't quick, but I guess as quick as the government will let you be. I even had to take the written test (and fortunately passed, but hey, it was open book), so I think we were there for about an hour and a half. In a few weeks when I get my new card, I will officially be a Zwahlen!

Governmental Dread

2008-09-29T09:36:00.002-06:00

I will go to change my name tomorrow, but I'm dreading it. For one simple fact: it's a government office, and the government doesn't do anything quickly. Let's hope that if I arrive before 1 pm, that maybe I will be helped by the time they close at 4 (yeah, they are only open M-F 9a-4p!)

We Are a House Divided

2008-09-27T21:13:00.004-06:00

We knew before, but with the huge local college football rivalry game coming up in November, the pot is already stirring.

We are a house divided: I a Y fan, born and bred, Matt a U fan, born and bred.

For those not familiar with my topic.....We have The University of Utah, a.k.a. The U, here in Salt Lake. We also have Brigham Young University, a.k.a. The Y, in Utah County. You are either a U or Y fan. It's a huge rivalry, known to cause tension in the workplace, or the home. All in good fun, but still....

We are already jesting about who our future children will cheer for.

We'll see who has bragging rights for the next year, when the game is played at the end of November.

Hovering pays off...I guess

2008-09-26T21:05:00.001-06:00

So that anxious watching of the mailbox is over! It will now get ignored, again, except for the bi-monthly check of it for bills (that we don't like seeing anyway). The marriage certificate is here!

Now I get to beg my boss for a half day off, so that I can go the the Social Security office (which I hear is an experience like going to the DMV, ie: lots of waiting for your number to be called) to get my name changed. That is only step one of the long process, in which I will have to wait a few weeks for the new ss card to arrive anyway (more patience).

I see why people get married before having kids...the entire process of planning, execution and the aftermath (name changing) are lessons in patience.

Matt Grows Older

2008-09-25T22:18:00.012-06:00

Happy 27^th Matt!!

Matt's birthday was today, and although he had to work, I tried to make it a special day. I cooked and baked for him (yes, seriously). It's not that I'm afraid to cook or can't, as some people surmise, I just don't like to. But for the hubby's birthday I pulled out what skills I had. Granted, I'm no Martha Stewart.

I made him chicken parmesan and cupcakes. Here's the proof!

Now, I didn't hand make the pasta or the sauce, but I did bread the chicken myself I also did not make my own icing, because really, cream cheese icing is just fine from the can, in my opinion.

Giddiness

2008-09-24T17:40:00.002-06:00

You know the section of greeting cards labeled "husband", you know it's there. You toss it a side glance, but it feels like you're looking at something forbidden. You have no reason to buy from it. You're single (or involved but that really doesn't make a difference).

Matt's birthday is this week, and I went to get him a card. I sat there looking at the wall of cards, giddy, excited, because I got to enter that previously forbidden section. I got to buy my first card marked "husband", not "boyfriend" or "loved one". It made me deliriously happy, such a little thing :)

Side note: Why is it that greeting cards for boyfriends are sexy romantic, but for husbands they are sappy romantic? I felt a little disappointed, that the greeting card industry stereotypes marriage like the rest of the world: you get married and all passion and/or sexiness is lost. What the hell? Maybe I should have just bought a boyfriend one and crossed out boyfriend and wrote husband....

Anticipation as a form of masochism

2008-09-23T18:13:00.001-06:00

We usually don't check our mail very often, as in once every two weeks. There's no need to as it's bills (paid with bi-monthly checks) and junk mail. Yet, I have checked it everyday for the last week and a half, hoping to seeing our marriage certificate. I must be a masochist for one main reason; when it arrives I can start the intense and time-consuming process of changing my name on everything. Excited to go through the torturous hassle of legal paperwork? Yes, I must be a masochist.

Adventures with Porkchop

2008-09-19T17:31:00.032-06:00

So our Canadian friend came down for the week of the wedding, and we rand her ragged around town. She cooked us meals (we'd almost forgotten what homecooked meals were), ran errands with us, and we played too.

On Thursday (before the wedding), we ventured up Big Cottonwood Canyon (I think it was Big, I always get them confused) to Silver Lake at Brighton. Lo and behold, we are on the trail six feet from a huge moose! He was just chomping down on some yummy dinner trees. He was right below the trail, and while we where standing around watching him he actually crossed the trail and went further up the mountain. Now, Porkchop was a little unnerved from seeing one in person, but eventually we got her to pass by the moose and finish our adventure around the lake.

He was at least 6 feet tall! Here's some pics:

You can see how close he was to the trail in the second pic.

Frustration

2008-09-19T17:31:00.029-06:00

I know, so many posts in one day about feelings....

Why oh why must the bath accessorie set we both loved from our registry no longer be available in stores or online? The towels we picked were to match the set, and I don't wanna pick a new one!!!! Oh and one of the color of towels on our registry got put on clearance so we have to pick a different color? So we find a new coordinating similar shade, but it doesn't look nearly as good as the 1st one, but we'll make do.

Frustrated, yes, because 6 months ago we already suffered through picking out towels, hand towels, wash cloths, bath rugs...in coordinating colors to match the bath set, and now again.

Call customer service? Okay!

Oh you're no help, you can get me the set, but it'll take 6-8 weeks. HA!HA!HA! You must not read my blog and know of my impatience problem, you want the link? No? Okay....wait what's that, because you no longer stock it, it's considered a "special order item" and you won't give me my completion discount on the set?!!! Hmmmm, you stocked it when I registered for it, but now I must suffer because I want to complete my registry...hmmmm.

So now I must choose, "special order" the set and wait 6-8 weeks, and pay full price. OR go through the painstaking process (yes painstaking! have you ever stood in the towel corner at Bed Bath & Beyond trying to pick the right shade of charcoal! It's unnerving! The rows of colored towels go all the way to the ceiling!) of picking out a new set to match the towels we already got. Choice B is highly likely to also come with the possiblity of not finding one to match and picking out towels for the 3rd time! Aaaaaaaaaaaand since we already used the "one-time-in-store" completion discount, I'd have to order them online and use my "one-time-online" completetion discount. (I haven't found out shipping lead times for online orders, cuz I don't wanna know!)

Did you also know that I am not a very decisive person either? Especially in situations like this where I'm frustrated and it's costing me more effort than I feel is necessary for towels and bath sets!!!!!!

Another kind of Impatience

2008-09-19T17:31:00.027-06:00

I am impatient for all the things we have discussed in the last 9 months; all those "after we get through the wedding" discussions. I've had to be very patient about certain things.

Like, moving out of this small cramped apartment that sufices, but I dislike (no HATE, I honestly hate). I can't wait to have a home, that we own. Somewhere we can have places to actually put things and live in, instead of stumbling around the furniture and ignoring the what seems like clutter piles, that really aren't we just don't have anywhere else to put stuff!

Like, taking a vacation. I mean an honest to God real vacation. Not a "we're taking a trip to attend this or that thing". (Besides the day I was violently ill and down for the count at the family reunion, we did enjoy it). I'm talking about going somewhere to relax and have fun, no alternative agendas.

Like, getting things in order so that when our "year after the wedding" is up, maybe we won't just start thinking about having children, but be ready to take that leap.

I want to start checking off that instinctual checklist that human beings have. Everyone has different feelings about what to accomplish in life, but I see it a certain way. For a long long long time humans have had a checklist that looks similiar to this regardless of the era:

Be born
Learn
Work
Find someone to love
have a home or place in the world (land, apt, house, tent, what-have-you based on the time of the world)
procreate and pass along your knowledge, feelings, life experiences
die

Granted, things may not always fall into that exact order for everyone, but you get the gist. I know it may sound crude or too simplistic, but it's the reality. And it worked for thousands of years in many forms of civilizations. It seems to be worth considering, that maybe things have been done this way for so long, because they DO work.

It's not something I can just ignore, my basic human instinct for all these things that make a life. At the same time I don't have a magic genie to whom I tell what I want and POOF it's done. I have to be that darned patient thing and work my way to these things :)

Picture Impatience

2008-09-19T17:31:00.004-06:00

I fancy myself a logical person most of the time, but I can't help but want my wedding pictures, now! And I feel selfish about it, which you'll understand if you keep reading.

I realize that it takes a few weeks, and I've come to terms with this in the 6 whole days since the wedding. However, knowledge has come into my possesion today regarding our photographer. It's actually quite wonderful news, but good ol' impatient me, now has to try and be even more patient. He wasn't able to go home and rest his feet after the wedding ended at 9:30. Later that night he had to take his expecting wife to the hospital, as she was now in labor. He has a brand new little girl, and is a first time father. I don't know him that well, but I can't help but feel joy and excitement for him! So being that logical person I so claim, I realize that it will take longer than normal. But honestly I can respect that, because newborns don't exactly give you lots of spare time. It's such a life changing experience (I would assume) to bring home another being that you are responsible for, and being a self-employed photographer, it's not exactly like you can take paternity leave.

So along with me, please be patient for the pro photos!

No more "soon-to-be"

2008-09-15T11:31:00.003-06:00

We are no longer "soon-to-be The Zwahlens", we now ARE The Zwahlen Family!

The wedding on Saturday went beautifully. The weather was gorgeous! I was extemely happy with how everything went. Matt was filled with tears as I walked to the alter, and I couldn't help but smile and be happy, although I wanted to cry but didn't want my make-up to run, so I held back best as I could. What little of the food we had a chance to eat was delicious, especially the traditional hamballs (thanks Net & Pete!!!). The cake was exactly as I pictured and beautiful!!! (thanks to Merlene for making it and Jeff for icing and decorating it!!!!!)

I hope to have pictures from friends and family soon (HINT HINT HINT), and from our photographer in a few weeks. As I get them I will post them.

We were both so thrilled to be surrounded by so many friends and loved ones on our special day. We are thankful to those who made the journey in person (some coming from far, one internationally), and for those who couldn't make it, you were missed, but we know your hearts were with us!

some sneak peaks of the wedding

2008-09-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

M.I.A.

2008-08-19T13:04:00.006-06:00

I know I have been missing in action on our blog. That is because wedding planning takes up my spare time. The only things I'd have to blog about are wedding stuff, which most would find boring. Plus, I really don't want to bore you with details and then nothing is new, fresh or a surprise when you show up at the wedding!

Okay, so that sounds like a huge excuse, but seriously we have done nothing interesting in a month that isn't wedding related! Hopefully in a little over 3 weeks, when the wedding has come and gone, we can get back to real life and have things to share.

Til then, we look forward to seeing those who make it to the wedding!

Rodeo & Dueling Pianos

2008-07-21T13:21:00.002-06:00

Saturday we went to the PBR (Professional Bull Riding) event for the Days of '47 Rodeo, since Matt won free tickets from a radio station. Yes, he won yet another radio prize, because apparantly he has the magical dialing fingers! It was fun although not very crowded. Afterwards we headed over to Keys on Main, a dueling piano bar, in downtown Salt Lake. We had never been before and Matt mentioned wanting to go, so we headed there after the rodeo. It was definitely a new experience and very entertaining!

Sunday we went to the parents for Matt's little sister's baby shower. Matt and his dad actually got kicked out, due to the "no boys allowed" clause. It was a lovely shower and Baby Kaitlen now has quite the wardrobe :)

Good Reading

2008-07-21T13:08:00.004-06:00

So I do a lot of reading, because honestly it's great to escape into a story sometimes. I picked up this book again from my shelf, in the spirit of love, since our wedding is fast approaching. If you haven't read this book before I highly suggest doing so. This is my review of it from goodreads.com.

The History of Love: A Novel by Nicole Krauss

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I just finished re-reading this today. I almost forgot how lovely, yet heartbreaking this story really is. The truths about life and love are so relateable. I came across some passages I'd highlighted the first time through, and was still so moved by them.

I strongly suggest reading this book more than once through, and with some tissues nearby.

View all my reviews.

4th of July Family Reunion

2008-07-12T12:06:00.002-06:00

Well, it's been a while since I've posted, but we have been busy since we got back from our vacation. We had a Sorensen Family Reunion up in Boise, Idaho. It was supposed to be a fun filled weekend, which it was when I wasn't puking and sick!

Jet skiing and lake activities were a blast on Friday, especially since it cooled down into the 90s

Followed by fireworks at Ann Morrison Park

About a dozen or so of us got a 24 hour virus that had us puking and really sick, so
Saturday's activity of floating down the Boise River was canceled :(

I barely felt better by Sunday in time to go visit my aunt, grandma & granpa's graves where we shared memories.

Then we hit the road home! We were in a rush to get home, because while we were still in Boise that morning we got the phone call that Kacie, Matt's sister, had had the baby!!! So now I have another new niece. She's very small as well at 6 lbs 2 oz and 19". Sorry the pictures are so dark. We were in such a rush to get in there that we forgot our camera, and it was past visiting hours so we didn't want to risk leaving the building!

Sneak Peak Pics

2008-06-26T11:00:00.003-06:00

Some of our pics from our engagement session are up on our photog's blog! The link to their blog is under our "Family & Friends" section to the right -------->

I can't wait to get the whole disc! I think this is my favorite of the ones on the blog:

The Chaos That Is My Life

2008-06-23T10:22:00.006-06:00

You know that country song Going Through Hell by Rodney Atkins? Well that's how I feel lately!
(in case you don't here's the lyrics)

Well you know those times
When you feel like there's a sign there on your back
Says I don't mind if ya kick me
Seems like everybody has
Things go from bad to worse
You'd think they can't get worse than that
And then they do

You step off the straight and narrow
And you don't know where you are
Use the needle of your compass
To sew up your broken heart
Ask directions from a genie
In a bottle of Jim Beam
And she lies to you
That's when you learn the truth

If you're going through hell
Keep on going, don't slow down
If you're scared, don't show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there

Well I been deep down in that darkness
I been down to my last match
Felt a hundred different demons
Breathing fire down my back
And I knew that if I stumbled
I'd fall right into the trap that they were laying, yeah

But the good news
Is there's angels everywhere out on the street
Holding out a hand to pull you back up on your feet
The one's that you've been dragginig for so long
You're on your knees
You might as well be praying
Guess what I'm saying

If your going through hell
Keep on going, don't slow down
If you're scared don't show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there

Yeah, If you're going through hell
Keep on moving, face that fire
Walk right through it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there......

So the week started off okay. We called the man we wanted to be our officiant for the wedding and he's happy to do it. We settled on a start time and I printed the invitations, so that I can do the stamping, and start assembling them in the near future, etc, etc.

Well, that was the calm before the storm. Little did I know, my progress would be overshadowed by the chaos that would ensue...here comes what makes me think of the song.

Thursday evening I finally give into the outrageous heat and pay to have my AC fixed, as my new mechanic is pretty inexpensive. By the time we leave Bu is blowing ice cold air (YAY!). However the next day, no cold air, hot air only :( I call him up, he says there must have been a leak they didn't notice when they were filling it, bring it in tonight. I had plans, so I agreed to bring it in Saturday morning, not a big deal, he's been great so I know he'll take care of me. Friday at lunch I go get all new tires for Bu, since I failed safety for low tread. They only took 20 mins to put the new tires I paid $500 for. I'm thinking this is great!

I needed to get going on bridesmaid dress shopping, but Dakota has been very sick so Kass can't make it, but Heidi was planning to go with me and my mom. However, Heidi had some dental work done, that the pain got worse and she couln't make it. Not a big deal, because I was still excited to go with my Mom, I was just bummed I didn't have either of my girls there :( [Which was who we were shopping for]. We ended up finding some options, so it definitely was a worthwhile trip! Got back to my Mom's house and headed home.

I decided to stop at the bank. As I was leaving my car got really wobbly and it slams me into the curb. I could barely steer to get off the road into a parking lot, since Highland doesn't have shoulder lanes at that point. I get out the car to see the front one had come OFF the wheel rim and the back one was flat. I was so frantic and beyond myself. I'd had these tires for 9, yes count it up, 9 hours before they crapped out on me! Granted only one did, which caused damage to the other and possibly my rims. I called up Matt freaked out! (Thank goodness for having a man to come deal with car issues). He didn't even understand what I was saying. I was like "No the tire isn't even on my wheel!" I think I just kept saying that until he asked "Where are you?", then said "I'll be there right away". At the time we didn't know the rear wheel was punctured, we thought it was flat. We tried putting air in it, hoping that we could put it back on, and put the spare on the front one that the tire was no longer on. But, no, it was punctured!

So we called AAA, well Kassandra DeMilt called them since my sister was still on the plan and I wasn't, but I've carried her card around just in case. So I was my sister for the night :) At first they told me it would be 60 mins. Okay, whatever, I have to wait for the flat bed, since my car is down 2 tires. I call back after 60 mins to find out it was posted with an ETA of 1.5 hours, but they didn't tell me that. Fine whatever, can't do anything about it, we need the tow. Now the 1.5 hours has past and they tell me that at 11:15 it was noted that the time got pushed back to 2 hours total. I was on the freakin phone with them at 11:15, but she neglected to tell me!!! I was livid and chewed out the lady on the phone, who tried to use the excuse of "they're backed up". I told her that I didn't care about how long, just that they kept telling me different times, and if we'd known we would've gone home for an hour or two instead of waiting on the side of the road! In those 2 hours, we actually saw 2 other trucks from the same company go flying by us, which what are the odds? Finally our driver showed up, and he was a hoot! He said he felt bad, but what had happened was that we got pushed back for freeway calls, which take priority because of the lack of safety. Totally understandable, it wasn't his fault AAA lied to us, if they'd explained this I wouldn't have been so mad. Anway, we finally get the car off the tow truck and get to bed at 1:30 AM.

Got back up Saturday at 8 AM to call my mechanic and tell him that I can't come in to have AC fixed because my tire fell off and my car's not driveable! I call the tire guy on his cell, since they weren't even open on Saturday, and left a message in shorter detail that "um, those tires you put on yesterday, one fell off my rim, and I slammed into a curb and punctured the other, CALL ME!" Went back to sleep for a while, then got up and got ready for Lagoon (my work's company party), and he still hadn't called. We took Matt's car and finally made it to Lagoon. Around 1:30 he calls and leaves a voicemail, as we were on Colossus :) I call him back and re-hash the story. He was very apologetic and glad I wasn't harmed or in an accident. He is sending a mobile unit today (Monday) to replace the tires for me, and I will have to go get them balanced tomorrow. Hopefully it all turns out well, but I just couldn't believe it happened on the same day as getting them! I was mostly freaked out that I'd have problems trying to get them fixed! I was worried they would make me pay for 2 new ones, but Matt was very reassuring that if they gave me crap he'd tear them a new one :) I mean honestly, you'd think new tires would last at least 24 hours, right? :) I guess for their reputation's sake, I should have expected they'd take care of me, but I wasn't sure if I could take much more, and was expecting the worst!

Oh, yeah, Lagoon. We didn't bring the camera, so no pics....sorry! We didn't ride that much, and it was wayyyy hot, 96°, and very much crowded! Matt won me 2 stuffed animals at the games, one on Spill The Milk (in one shot!), and one from Pick The Ducks. He had wanted to win me something, since he never had before, and I ended up with 2!!! We stayed for 7 hours at the park then headed home, as we were still exhausted from the day before.

Posing, Browsing, Chalk Art & Babysitting

2008-06-15T20:05:00.017-06:00

Weird title? Yes, but that was all in one day!

Our Saturday started at 6 am, getting up and ready for our engagement photo shoot. This was the first time we'd actually met our photogs in person. We met with them downtown, not far from where the wedding will be, to have our e-session. It's weird that I've lived in Utah most of my life, and Matt all of his, and there are areas we've never been in downtown before. We wanted a urban feel, so we traversed through some back streets, alleys and buildings to get cool shots. I won't have the pics for about 2 weeks, and will post them then, but I just have feeling I'm going to love them! Our photogs, Mark & Brent, were awesome. They had great direction for us, and kept us laughing. From the amount of shutter clicks I heard, they had to have taken like 500 shots between the two of them. I have been tracking their blog (http://www.ambphotocompany.typepad.com/), so I know they take great pictures.

So we were done with that by about 9 am, so we headed over to the grand re-opening of the downtown farmer's market, in the newly re-opened Pioneer Park. There were a lot of people at the market, everyone and their dog, literally. Even living in Seattle, I have never seen so many owners and their pets converged on one area! I will admit, we enjoyed the baked goods best, since the produce sellers aren't going to be there for another week or two.

After walking through the entire market, we meandered down to The Gateway to see the Chalk Art Festival, sponsored by the Utah Foster Care Foundation. It was still early, so not all the artists were done with their pieces, but we were still in awe at the talent of these people! Here's some of the pics to give you an idea how good they were with that chalk!

Later that evening we agreed to watch Baby Skye.....overnight! I think we were both a little nervous to have a baby at the house, let alone overnight! His parents kept thanking us for the favor, but to be honest, it was them doing me the favor to spend so much time with him. I needed my baby fix, and I definitely got it. He is such a good baby, and so pleasant! He only woke up once at 4 am (I was definitely not used to being up at that hour) and once he'd had his bottle he was back sound asleep. He is such a sweetheart and I really do feel blessed that he is in our life, and thankful that his parents trusted us to have him overnight. It was hard to get a pic of his darling smile because he was curious at what the camera was. He had this contemplative look, like he was trying to figure it out. He's very expressive with his face. He is also very cute, because if you get right whatever he's complaining about, he gives you a big grin and gets all happy like he's saying "Ya, ya that's what I wanted. You got it right!"

Matt the Photographer

2008-06-10T12:14:00.003-06:00

So I come home last night to a very excited fiancé, because his photos made it in the monthly weather photos online for Fox. I must admit he takes far better shots with the camera than I, although he bought the camera at my request for me. I guess I really wanted photos of us and our life, not that I personally wanted to take them :)

Here's the link to the June pictures (his are the first 3 in the slideshow!):

http://media.myfoxutah.com/weatherphotos/2008WeatherPhotos/June%202008%20Weather%20Photos/index.htm

To top off the night, we were driving back from downtown and Matt got through on one of those "Call-in & Win" radio contest. The best part was Matt didn't have the list of songs, but the DJ told him what they were and had him repeat them back!!! Thank goodness for editing! He only won a 3-pack of CDs, but it was funny that the DJ helped him cheat!

Matt was due for a win though; he gets through and wins stuff ALL the time. You think I'm joking, but, really, I am not. I do, however, joke that his really good luck and my really bad luck should even us out when we go to Vegas, and maybe we'll leave breaking even.

Dancin' Take 2

2008-06-05T21:02:00.002-06:00

So we had our second dance class tonight, and it went much better for both of us. This time around was more practicing and finessing of the Foxxy. We got some personal attention from the instructors, which helped us a lot. It was much smoother for the both of us, so there is some hope! Next week is Swing which should be more exciting! However, you will have to wait for our wedding before you get to see some of our moves :)

International Peace Gardens

2008-06-01T18:18:00.009-06:00

Today was another gorgeous weather day, and seeing how it's supposed to rain this week, we made the best of it. We went visit the International Peace Gardens at Jordan Park in Salt Lake (at 1000 south 900 west). I think it was a bit early in the season, because not a lot was in bloom, but it was fun nonetheless! Besides, it ended with chasing the ice cream man through the park like little kids....what more fun could we have had?!

This was the squirrel that we chased around to get pics of:

This tree was huge (about 40' tall) and looked like it was blown over just recently:

We made sure to visit the Canadian section for our friend "Pork Chop". Does this count as a visit to Canada Pork Chop? Or do we still owe you 2 trips?

Red Butte Gardens

2008-05-31T14:54:00.013-06:00

Yesterday was so gorgeous out that we decided to visit Red Butte Gardens, to do a little nature hike. I had never been before, so it was like finding a treasure! We had a great time, and I found out how out of shape I was, hiking around the gardens.

Here's Matt riding the moose:

We saw the fishies & the duckies:

Here are some other great shots Matt took:

Dancin'

2008-05-30T09:08:00.003-06:00

So Matt & I signed up for a ballroom dance class and last night was our first class...

I have decided that I'm just not that coordinated, and that Matt has A LOT of patience. We learned steps to the Foxxy, and next week I think we learn some swing steps! It's fun, but I wasn't as quick to learn as the rest of the class so I got a little frustrated. Thank goodness Matt loves me and has patience for me :) I think there will definitely be some practice sessions occurring at home. Sorry I don't have pics, but I'm secretly glad I don't, since I'm sure I wasn't looking my loveliest.

Date Night Out

2008-05-28T14:07:00.014-06:00

Saturday Matt & I went out for a date night, dinner and a movie, at The Gateway. It was great to spend quality time together. We ate out on the patio at California Pizza Kitchen. It was a little bit chilly, but worth it because there was a guitarist playing in the plaza. He was playing acoustic versions of some popular songs, and he was really good. His buddy joined him later to add some percussion, and take it up a beat. Their card cracked me up the most, where is says "BEN-Cello/other weird stuff"! Matt & I thought it was hilarious, so I had to post a pic of the card so you could see for yourselves.

Then we strolled through some of the shops to kill time before the show started. We enjoyed the movie "What Happens in Vegas" as it has some pretty funny moments. I think Matt would've been happier to see the new Indiana Jones movie, but I wasn't in the mood to see it....and since I dragged my butt out of bed last weekend to go to the race with him, it was my choice :)

Weather Rant

2008-05-23T10:38:00.007-06:00

Start Rant
What is with this weather lately? I, personally, dislike the heat, but could it just make up it's mind? Monday it was 90-ish°, Tuesday 90-ish° with ferocious winds (at least at our place) that knocked out our power for several hours. Wednesday I wake up and it's down to 61° and starts raining later that day, Thursday 53° and rainy. I want summer! Purely for the fact that it was such a long, cold wet winter, that we could use the pick me up! Although, next month I'm sure to be whining about the 100° heat :) I have a love-mostly hate realtionship with Utah weather...
End Rant

Memorial Day Weekend is coming up, and we have no plans yet again. The grocery industry doesn't really believe in giving holidays off, so Matt is working; but I don't blame them as holidays at a grocery store are very busy. I will probably sit at home, maybe do some cleaning (ha!), go shopping for the sales, and make the rounds to see family.

Tuesday was great though! Shoe parties are my new favorite thing thanks to a co-worker, and a shoe party on clearance is even better! They had a clearance sale I went to and I was in Shoe Heaven :) I got 3 pairs for about $70, when one of them was normally that price!

Busy Weekend

2008-05-19T18:30:00.007-06:00

Sunday

We drove out to Tooele to watch the Utah Grand Prix, American Le Mans Series race. It was a blast! Definitely something I would enjoy doing again, although it was about 90° out, and got a little bit of a burn despite the excessive amounts of sunblock I applied. We arrived early so we could walk through the paddock (garages) to get a close up of the cars in the main race.

This is me with one of the Ferraris

This is the new Audi R10 that Matt was drooling over, and the main reason we had to go! We got to see the driver practicing jumping in! Then the other one was being pulled right passed us!

This is us riding on the people mover, since our stands were wayyyyyy out there :)

We were seated at the end of the straightaway, that heads into turn one, so we got to see a few slide offs. The cars were coming off the straightaway at about 200 mph, slowing to 80-90 mph to round the corner, so we got to see it all! We even had one small crash that caused a full course caution while they picked up pieces the P1 car (prototype) left behind; also one of the prototype cars lost a lense which flew up in the air and remained on the track for the rest of the race!

This was our view

This we got at the end of the race as we were leaving, and the cars were leaving the course, back to the pits. We were only about 6 feet away!!!

Saturday

Saturday we woke up early and took Bu (my Subaru) in for some work I've been putting off getting done on it. It was a new mechanic, referred to me by a friend, and he was really quick & inexpensive! I would definitely recommend his work to anyone else.

In the afternoon we met with a DJ that we ended up booking! Yay one more thing crossed off the wedding to-do list! We also booked a violinist for the ceremony, who happens to be Heidi's (my cousin) sister in-law. I'm so excited to have both these people perform at our wedding.

Then we attended a family BBQ at the home of Alene & Tyler Root. I had ribs for the first time in my life, and think I will try them again. I have this weird thing about eating off the bone, so I had never had them before :)

Clarification

2008-05-16T08:46:00.006-06:00

I realized after yesterday's post, some may assume that either myself or both of us are baby hungry......so I should clarify something that several people have asked over the last month or so.

It seems that after the initial excitement of the engagement wore off, and the "Have you set a date?" question got boring, the next question on everybody's mind has been "Are you guys going to have a baby right away? or "How soon are going to have kids?".

While I'm glad everyone is excited for us to build a family, we also want to build a future for said family. So, to give an official statement and hopefully not have to answer that same question multiple times, or for those who may want to know, but have yet to ask.....

We do want children, we're not sure if we want 2 or 3. We would love to have our own home, and be as debt free as possible before bringing another being into this world. So we've decided that a year after the wedding we will start thinking about it, not trying but surveying our current situation at that time, then deciding if we are ready. Don't get me wrong, we want kids now, but logically, realistically and financially it's just not a good move for us, or for the child :)

Okay, I think that was enough clarification on the subject for now.

New Niece

2008-05-15T14:40:00.000-06:00

This is my new niece Dakota! Isn't she cute? She's my first and only, but not for Matt as he already has several on his side. I wish I could see her more often, but her mommy and daddy live far away from us. Okay, so it's an hour and a half drive, but that's still far! She is now 2 months old, as of yesterday. Matt's cousin also had a baby at the end of December (a boy!) so we get to spend time with him also. "Nephew" Skye is now almost 5 months old, and he gets bigger every time we see him. We also have another niece on the way! Matt's sister is having a girl and she is due at the end of July. Needless to say I get my baby time fix pretty often....

Matt & I keep busy planning our upcoming September 13th wedding; if someone had really explained how infuriatingly annoying the details would be, I think we would have gone to city hall and just done it! Alas, the planning is in motion, and time and money are invested, so onward we go! Besides, we don't really want to miss out on having a gigantic party with all of our family and friends :)