Little known fact...

I'm on a blogging role! Somebody stop me!! (Name that movie...anyone?)


I was going through my pics and decided to do a post about a little known fact about me. I love sunsets! And I love taking pictures of them. If I'm driving or whatever, I have to stop if I see a beautiful sunset. I just think that they are a little bit of heaven's beauty, here on earth. So, here are some pictures that I have collected over the years...

I thought this was really cool when I was driving through the canyon. Probably not the safest, but thank goodness for digital camera's so that I didn't have to stick my eyeball in a little square to get the picture! :)

This was a HUGE rainbow that I discovered one day just outside my house.

Time Out For Women

At the beginning of November, I had the opportunity to go to Time Out For Women. It's sponsored by Deseret Book and they go around to different cities all over the place. They have speakers and singers on a Friday night, and Saturday all day. My favorite speaker/singer was Hilary Weeks. She was so freaking hilarious and has a beautiful voice and beautiful songs, you should look her up! It was very uplifting and an amazing opportunity to spend some time with all my sisters and extended family. We got to go to St. George and get away from the cold. The weather was so nice! We got to stay in an amazing condo and I can't believe that I didn't take pictures of it! Here is a shot of me and the girls in my family during one of the breaks:

Stephie, Sarah, Mom, Me, and Melissa

I think I skipped a holiday...

Oops! I skipped Thanksgiving. We just went to my parent's house again (obviously, since his family is a world away). We had a good time. I didn't get many pictures, but I did get a few of us making pies. The girls decided that we wanted to learn a few of mom's secrets, so she taught us how (and gave up some secrets) to make rolls, pies, etc. My little brother thought this apple slicer was the most amazing invention ever and kept going on and on about it, even though we have had it since he was little. It was funny.

I think my little brother's obsession was wearing off on my nephew...

And my husband... :)

Christmas

The next post (according to Sarah) is supposed to be about New Moon...I went and saw it, it was good. The End.


Now on to more fun things...like Christmas!! The last 2 years for Christmas, we haven't done a big tree. Sio's just not into holidays and I didn't feel like buying a big tree and putting it up by myself. We happened to inherit a big tree this year from little brother, Deebs. It had only been used once and I got it for FREE. Woot. I bought a few bulbs and few boxes of mini lights. The only other things that went on it were a few hand-me-down decorations from my mom. It works for me...and hey, it's a huge leap from last year. Little baby steps... :)

To my surprise, Sio was actually excited and willing to help decorate it. It was hilarious when we were putting the bulbs on because Sio had to make sure that they were in the exact and correct spot. He kept moving them back and forth, deciding which spot was just right. After a few minutes, I just left him to do it and was laughing because my OCD-ness is wearing off on him. hahaha. That's totally okay with me! He was very proud of himself afterward.

We didn't have a star or angel or anything bright to put at the top. I just grabbed one of the stars that normally decorate my living room and had him throw it up on top and call it good.

You can't see this very good, but I'm hoping it's just my computer cause you can see it good on the preview thing on my camera. Here is another one, I don't know if you can see this one either, but I turned the light on behind the tree to try and make it better.

I think it's a little better and a little taller than the one that we had in 2008 and 2007...

We're not going to do anything for each other this year. Well, maybe something small, but I doubt it. I'm glad that he doesn't like to fuss over things like that. I have learned to cherish the important things and am glad, less stress for me! We'll leave that until we have kids and need to make it special for them.

I'm glad that we decided to do a big tree this year! I forgot how much I loved sitting in a room with just the lights on the tree at my parent's house when I was younger. It's very calming and makes you reflect on the wonderful things in life. And I'm sure my electric bill is going to be next to nothing this month! :)

Work

Per Sarah's request...the next post is about work. And I just so happen to have pictures for this one. I schedule all the door production for work and so I work with the door guys a lot. They make it their goal in life to give me grief and do anything they can to be pains in my butt. One of the guys, Nick, was on a kick and was zip-tieing EVERYTHING of mine he could find.

my business cards to the holder...

my phone to the clip...

my pen to the arm of my chair...not sure why on this one?

my staple remover...shut. not much use for it now...

my stapler...shut. not much use for this either...

I kept finding more and more things that they had zip-tied. I thought I had found them all until I went downstairs to clock-out and go home and found this...

what's this? a real post?

I've been chastised by Sarah to do a real post. It's about time for one anyway...and WAY overdue, right? My life just isn't that exciting. I'm going to take her list literally, so for my first post...BUNKO!

Bunko was at my house a few months ago. I won my own bunko and I swear I didn't cheat! I got the most awesome blanket and use it and abuse it. It's a brown fleece throw with pink and cream flowers and it's sooo fuzzy. I love it :) Hopefully fun was had by all...you never know. I made scarves for everyone. Here are a few pictures (and if I happen to come missing after the next bunko, I and everyone else will know why-sorry Kayleen!) I got everyone wearing their cute scarves!

Vickie, Sarah, & Kayleen

Danielle (and the rest in the background)

JaNae, Melanie, Michelle, and Liz

Vickie, Sarah, & Kayleen again :)

This is why I might disappear...haha. I had a "comfort" theme going and Kayleen put on the gel mask and some other junk.

I got this right before she took it off :)

no new posts for several months = one boring life


:)

my official welcome back into the blogging world...with a ginormous slide!!

Not having a computer is so weird!! My computer has been broken for what seems like months, and I can only do minimal things at work. Thus, no blogging. I'm back (but still do not have a computer...I happen to be visiting my parents)!!

Life has been pretty boring for the most part. We have been working lots and not playing much.

I made raspberry jam!! I even picked every single berry (well most of them, I did have a little help) and made it and everything! It turned out really good. I got 17 big ziploc plastic containers full after my 2 different pickings, which is nuts! I have been eating pb&j sandwiches for every meal it seems, but they are quite delicious. Now it makes me want to have a yard with a garden so that I can plant lots of stuff (including a few raspberry bushes) so that I can make lots and can some and have fresh veggie stir fry! yum!! Maybe I'll take the little 3'x3' chunk of dirt in my concrete patio and grow a few things. But that will probably have to wait until next year now.

We did have a family reunion this year. We have one every 2 years on my mom's side. It turned out that most of my family couldn't or didn't come this year, but it was still fun. We went to Swan Valley, ID. There is a church-owned girl's camp up there and it has a HUGE slide going down a hill. It was so freaking fun to go down it. And it was good to see some cousins, although I saw a lot of them that came down to my sealing.

We have a family auction every time so that we can raise money for the next reunion. I got a white crocheted baby blanket that is so cute and family cookbook that my cousin put together, which is fantastic!! I made some tiles with sayings on them. They turned out really cute, I should have taken pictures, dang it.

Sio had to work, so wasn't able to go. It was sad, he would have loved the slide and the outdoors. Maybe he'll get to at the next one in 2 years. Here are some pictures:

Here are 2 of my cute nephews being goobers as usual. They are a few years apart in age, but they love hanging out with each other and get along great!

This is the view from the cabin. Gorgeous, right?

This is the cabin and the HUGE slide.

The view of death. :)

Before going down the slide, I would ask everyone to give me their game face and it was so freaking hilarious! I have some great pictures that I may use as blackmail. My little nephew wouldn't go down for anything, but he finally went with me and then once with my mom. He liked it, but was still hestitant after going.

Now, before watching this, let's keep a few things in mind.

a. I have a fear of heights.

b. I have a fear of falling.

c. The slide was HUGE.

d. I am a goober.

e. I can't help my fears and did it anyway and it was SO fun :)

Well then.

Well, it's been awhile since I posted, so I think that I will. Nothing too exciting to share, really. The new job is going really good for Sio. He is championing doing both jobs, but is still trying to get into a regular sleeping habit and doesn't sleep very much when he should. Mostly I think he's just distracted by other fun things that he could be doing besides sleeping.

As for me, work has been SO busy lately. I have been putting in lots and lots of overtime (and now I'm greatful that I didn't request to be put on salary with my position a year ago). One of our competitors shut down for good and so we have had swarms of new customers and I've had to stay late just to get any work done. Staying late has also meant that I don't get to see Sio much before he goes to work, but he's asleep for most of that time anyway, so it has worked out well.

Oh! I totally scored on some baby clothes a few weeks ago (and before the questions come pouring in, I am not pregnant!!). I was helping my mom clean out her basement and my sister had a whole bunch of boy clothes from her son that she was just going to give to D.I. and I decided to inherit them instead. I got a box each of 2T, 3T, and 4T and tons of little shoes! I even got a bag of little girl clothes, although I don't know how cause I don't have any "real" nieces. hmm. It remains a mystery. In any case, I was so excited and now it makes me even more baby hungry!! Like I wasn't enough already... :)

Time to go spend some time with the fam and have my nephew's birthday party...

The job hunt is over!

I'm so excited!! Sio finally got a real job (he has been doing landscaping for a guy under the table since he got layed off). I guess technically the landscaping is a real job, but it just didn't have insurance or benefits, so I don't count it as a real job. He got hired at Schreiber's finally!! He has applied there twice, and finally got it after forever. It's not the ideal job obviously, but it's hard for him to job hunt when there is a slight language barrier, he doesn't have very many options. I know a ton of people that work there and I have never, ever heard a bad thing about it. They pay good, have great benefits, and let you work pretty much as many extra hours of overtime that you want (or so I've heard).

He's going to be working the graveyard shift (by choice), so that he can work there and still do landscaping during the day. He is going to be dead tired and I'm going to miss him terribly, but he really wants to do it so that we can save up money to go and see his family. And if gets to be too tiring, then he will just cut back on the landscaping and do it minimally. I think it will end up working out fantastically, but we'll cross our fingers!!

We are so lucky that he got a job! With so many people that applied, we would have never had the chance without an "in." Our "in" is a guy in our ward. He has really taken to Sio and they get along really well. He just so happens to work in the human resources department there. He doesn't do the hiring, but he has been putting in a plug to the lady that does every chance he gets. He is so great and we are so lucky that he was able to help us out! At first we didn't think he got hired after his test, cause it took them a couple weeks to get back to us. It turns out they had a big audit and weren't focused on anything but that. We need to do something really nice for this guy, anyone have any ideas?

It's funny because I told everyone after the sealing and that entire weekend was over, that I expected life to go back to normal and that I was done with the trials for awhile. So far, so good...but I definitely won't be holding my breath.

It has finally come...and gone!

The day I have been anticipating for nearly my whole life has finally come and gone!

I grew up in this valley. Every time I have come out of the canyon and back into the valley, the first thing that I look for is the temple, even when I was little. It is something that I can look for no matter where I am or how foggy or horrible the weather is and know where I am or where I need to go. It is something that I have wondered about and have an been intrigued about for as long as I can remember.

We went to my parent's house in Syracuse the day after our sealing and stayed the night cause we were celebrating my sister's birthday. We drove back on Sunday night. We came out of the canyon and as usual, and I immediately looked for the temple. But this time was a very different experience and feeling. I realized that I no longer wondered what it would be like or how I would feel, I knew exactly what it was like and exactly how I felt. The feelings are something that I never expected, but always hoped for and some days didn't think would ever happen. I am so greatful for that day and for all the days leading up to it, even the hard ones. Maybe even especially the hard ones. Those days made it all the more special and meaningful and any trial was and is worth it.

I am so glad that we had so much support from wonderful friends and family. I am especially glad that my grandparents were able to be there. They have made a special bond with Sio in the short time that they have known him and it was very important to both of us that they were able to be there.

And let's talk about the delicious food! Originally we were just going to go to the Coppermill, but Sio's boss (whom he had only known for about 3 weeks) offered us a feast...and we took him up on it! We went and BBQ'd at Mack Park and it was so awesome. The weather and the atmosphere and the food and the company were all perfect!! I'm so glad we did that rather than going to somewhere formal like the Coppermill, it was much more fun and much more yummy!

Here are a few pictures. If you want to see all of them (most of them are hilarious!) then you can go to my Facebook, cause there are almost 300 of them and would take forever and too much room:

Everyone - mostly:

Us and the grandparents :)

The guy in the jacket and the one to the right of Sio are his REAL cousins. We were so excited that they could be there. The only thing that would have made it better is if his family was there...

Me and my sisters. Aren't they gorgeous? We have done this at everyone of our weddings. Everyone looking all sexy and then there's me and my white stockings and white legs!! haha.

This one is for our friends Alli and Kyle. ha. They did this at their wedding and Sarah(the photographer) stole the idea. This is us being sad that they couldn't be there ;) ...although we really were.

The beginning of the beginning :)

The BBQ at Mack Park afterwards -

The yummy watermelon/coconut otai that we made - it's SOOO good.

It really was the perfect day, in every aspect. Thanks everyone for making it great!

That's all for now :)