The Haynies

8 years

2011-05-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we have been married for 8 years already...

Here is to eternity, and the fun that will bring.

Fall = Baking

2010-09-24T14:02:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows I love baking. This time of year just seems like the best time to be in the kitchen. (Now that I won't melt when I turn on the oven.) So what will I be baking...

Just to name a few. I will have PLENTY to share so come on by!

Well hello there...

2010-09-09T15:00:00.001-07:00

I guess it has been a while since I last posted. We have been busy this summer. I am really looking forward to fall and the cool weather. Well that and the beautiful colors of fall...

No real news to post. Our shower door broke in our master bath, so today I have 4 contractors coming to give us estimates. I am looking forward to having a beautiful bathroom again.

Time flies...

2010-05-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

when you're having fun!

7 years ago today I was here...

doing this.

I married my best friend! It was the happiest day of my life and the best decision I ever made. I am so grateful for everyday that we have together. I cannot believe it has been 7 years already! Looking forward to the rest of eternity.

Love this guy!

2010-04-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful hubby! My life has been better with you in it.

Dreaming....

2010-04-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Of a summer vacation....

I would like to eat clam chowder here...

Oh June, why must you be so far away.

Not good for weight loss

2010-03-19T18:12:00.001-07:00

If you want to shed a few pounds do not, I repeat do not bake these.

I have my adorable baby sister staying with us this weekend and the skinny thing has eaten 7 in the last few hours! They are simply divine. You can find the recipe here. Happy Friday!

Watch out

2010-01-19T06:16:00.000-08:00

Robert found this poster last night and we were up laughing well past 11 pm*. We couldn't stop!

*For us 11 pm is late. We both get up really early for work.

Well hello

2009-12-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

I know I am bit of a blog slacker, but we have been super busy! Christmas is the most wonderful time of year and by far the craziest. I love all the parties! We were invited to celebrate Christmas Eve with a friend's big Italian family, and I can barely contain my excitement.

I forgot to post about Thanksgiving. It was perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed having all of our family together. I hope it is the first of many holidays we will be hosting. Black Friday was a bust. I was not very impressed with the ads. My mom and I did get up early and go... I bought very few things. Oh well, there is always next year!!

That is pretty much all that has been going on around here. We are doing a little Secret Santa thing for a family in our ward, and that has really helped me get in the holiday spirit. They have 4 kids rainging in age from 8-3. Hopefully we will get them stuff they love.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas season. Bring on the New Year!!

Most wonderful time of the year

2009-11-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

Our tree is up!! We, I mean Robert, need to get out outside lights up and we will be set.

Really looking forward to seeing family, mainly Reagan, and spending this wonderful holiday season remembering our Saviour's birth.

How to stay healthy...

2009-11-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

Simply place these convenient hand sanitizers at every door around your office building.

Love these!! (Yes, they are automatic.) Do you Pure.ll?

Full house!

2009-11-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

We will have a grand total of 17 very hungry guests on Thanksgiving Day! We are both very excited everyone is coming. Some of the items on the menu are...

And for dessert...

It's almost time...

2009-11-11T10:23:00.001-08:00

For Turkey Day!! Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday. Good food, good company, relaxing, what more could you ask for?? I am extra excited this year because we will be hosting Thanksgiving at our new home. We will have a nice big group to feed, and we say the more the merrier! Two weeks and counting!!!

Oh so pretty

2009-11-04T10:44:00.001-08:00

My mom has a very dear friend named Kim. She is super creative and just made me this...

It is an early Christmas gift from my mom. Isn't it BEAUTIFUL!! She takes each picture and shrinks it down to fit in the frames. So this is handmade and 100% unique! I am so grateful for other who share their amazing talents. I can't wait to wear it. Now I will have a constant reminder of the beauty of the Lord's House.

Thanks Kim!!

Reagan

2009-10-28T10:09:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I last posted pictures of my adorable niece. Here is what they have been up to lately...

Apparently the diaper hat is totally in right now.

Wait for it...

Get this off of me!!

Please!

Isn't she so cute!

Can't wait to kiss and hug her in December!

My new favorite thing....

2009-10-27T12:41:00.001-07:00

Amish Friendship Bread, oh how I love thee.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-10-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. I can't tell you how much I love my mom. i think she is truly the most amazing person ever born. She is the best mom a child could ask for. If I am even half the mom she is I will be happy. She is my most favorite person to hang out with. (well next to my hubby.) She makes life fun. She is so much more than just a mom to me. I love her with all my heart and am so grateful my Heavenly Father sent me to her.

Thanks Mom, for being born.

Shower fun!

2009-10-02T11:09:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, I threw a Baby Shower for a friend at church. It turned out really cute and we had so much fun! Her little guy will be here in a few days, so now she is all ready to go. Here are a few pics.

This picture does not do my new cupcake stand justice. It is beautiful! On the bottom you can see the cute favor boxes that had AMAZING Oreo truffles in them. (Now I can't stop making them.)

Dalia with some of her goodies. She does not look 9 months pregnant.

Cute diaper cake Casey made. Diapers are all different sizes 1-4, smart idea.

We had such a great time eating and chatting. I love parties!

Thank you Martha!

2009-09-24T10:21:00.001-07:00

Thank you Martha Stuart for making up yummy cookie recipes and sharing them with all of us. Thank you Mom for giving me your creative spirit. (I added craisins and white chocolate chips to mine instead of raisins.) They are simply divine!

No Poo Update

2009-09-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

Well it has been months since I posted this article about not using shampoo. since then I have tried to be better about not washing my hair everyday. It is really hard. I love the way my hair feels when it is clean. I don't think I have totally "trained" it to be non-oily, but we are getting there. I now shampoo every other day. It still doesn't look super fabulous on the no poo days, but I like to believe it looks better now than it did back in April.

Thank you for all your comments and recommendations on my original post. I have yet to try any kind of product to soak up the oil on my off days. I usually wear my hair up so it doesn't bother me as much. I still wish I washed daily, but every time I go to do it I think of all the moths I have put into re-training my hair. Although I wonder if it really has done any good. Is my hair any healthier? Does it have less oil than it did? I don't think so. How long is this re-training thing supposed to take?

Um, yum!

2009-09-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe over a year ago. I have had it in the back of my mind ever since. I just never found the right time to prepare it. Last night was the night! OHMYGOSH! It was truly amazing. Try it. You wont regret it!

Lame

2009-09-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted in a long time. Making this blog private was not a good idea!

I am on my way to Fresno today to get my hair done by Carissa! So excited. I just love 4 day work weeks!

Hello Birthday!

2009-08-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful birthday on Thursday. Elaine made a really yummy dinner and then this yummy cake.

My sweet husband sent me these...

And my mom bought me this book and cute apron.

This book has totally inspired me. I plan on creating every cupcake in it. So for my birthday I picked out one and my mom, Courtney, McKenzie and I got to work.

In the end, this is what we got.

I am in love! If anyone is looking for me over the next few weeks I will be in my kitchen baking up a storm!

Reagan

2009-08-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post about our fun weekend with my family. Justin and Lyra are in town for the week, which means Reagan is here!! It is amazing how much she has grown since December. She is now 13 months old and cute as can be. She is her father's daughter for sure. What a determined little thing. Did I mention she knows sign language?? I guess she is just brilliant! She gets that from both her parents. I simply adore her and can't wait to go back on Friday to get my fill.

Twix

2009-08-19T10:33:00.001-07:00

I has been a really long time since I have had one of these...

Gosh what was I thinking! They are amazing.

What's your favorite candy bar?

The why

2009-08-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well there is a reason we decided to go private. We had a threat against our lives last week. I know, it sounds dramatic and unrealistic, but it is true. Since the person knows about our blog and has visited it we both thought it would be best to make it private for the time being. It wont last forever and in a few months when the dust has settled we will open this blog again to the masses. I am not a fan of private blogs, sorry to those of you that have them. I just feel like it is a lot easier to keep up with blogs when they are public. Oh well. Such is life. The good news is, now that we are private we can be more open about things because only select people are able to read our blog. I still hope to update at least 1-2 times a week. So please check back often.

A little update on how we are doing:

My birthday is next week on the 27th. Can't believe I will be 27! Robert is loving his new job. He actually looks forward to Mondays. I still like mine as well, but can't wait to start our family and be a stay at home mom. (By the way, on that note we are hoping to start IVF in the next 5-7 months. Since I know some of you have asked when we would start pursuing treatment.) Life is really good. We love our home and are slowly putting things away. I will have to post some new pictures soon.

Thank you for keeping up with us.

Going Private

2009-08-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Yes it's true. My blog is going private. If you would like to still have access you can email me or leave a comment to this blog. Thanks friends!

Buyer Beware...

2009-08-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Robert has been eyeing a mini PC for a few months. After a lot of searching he found one he really liked a Best Buy. So as part of our date-night on Friday we went to Best Buy to pick-up the one he wanted. We asked lots of questions to be sure it was the right fit. We took it home and after lots of searching he realized it didn't have the Internet security and blockers we needed. So we took it back on Saturday morning after owning it for 16 hrs. Boy were we surprised when the sales guy told us we would have to pay $45 to return our $300 computer! What! Come again! Yes, a restocking fee of 15% of the purchase price would be applied. After explaining that we were not told by the salesman the night before about the charge and that we did not agree with their policy he begrudgingly told us, "Well, I can make an exception this one time. But next time I wont be able to do this for you. It is on the back of our receipt and we can't tell every customer about our return policies. That just isn't possible. But I can make just this one exception, but next time it wont happen."

WOW! What a saint! I think he needs an award... right. So needless to say we will no longer be shopping at Best Buy. Which is a bummer because we have some tech buys we will be making in the not so distant future and they are usually the place we head to. Well they have lost our business for good. Beware before you buy at Best Buy.

Pluot anyone?

2009-07-28T10:55:00.001-07:00

Um, if you haven't tried these you have failed at life. Seriously, you are missing out on the most amazing fruit hybrid ever created.

Catie's 3rd Birthday

2009-07-24T09:53:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday was Catie's 3rd birthday! It was a lot of work but very fun! We had it at the park down the street from our new house. Yeah for well developed neighborhoods! I made my first ever doll cake. Elaine doubted I could do it, but I try to tell her I can make anything with a little frosting and some cake! No worries! It was a bit more complicated than I thought it would be. (Maybe next time I will buy the correct pan to make it the way everyone else does.) But I thought it turned out great! And Catie loved it, that's what really counts. Here are a few pictures from Cate's big day...

The cake

Oh yeah, and I made 78 cupcakes! Wow, a lot of baking for one weekend! McKenzie and Elaine helped me decorate them.

Cate enjoying her cake.

Investigating the homemade buttercream frosting.
(Seriously I will never buy store bought again!)

Opening gifts

She loved the tutu we got her.

My mom explaining why she cannot open all of her new toys.

Then she reminds her there is still a pinata!

Inspecting the Tinker Bell pinata

Then her dad tells her there is candy inside. So she took some good whacks in an attempt to break it open. It was one well built pinata. The big kids had to take quite a few turns to get it open.

Happy Birthday Catie!!

Party weekend!

2009-07-17T08:17:00.001-07:00

This weekend we will celebrate this little girl!

I can't wait! Happy 3rd birthday Cate!!

Missing her already...

2009-07-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

This sweet sister drove by herself...

To this crazy state...

To live possible forever... I am sad.

For the love of sisters...

2009-07-10T11:04:00.001-07:00

This is what my sisters do when they REALLY miss their #1 sister.

The one on the top left is my favorite of Carissa and Mack.

The one on the bottom left is my favorite of Cris, Car, and Court.

This one is so funny!!

What a move!

2009-06-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

We moved into our new home Saturday, aka the hottest day ever! We had some wonderful men from our ward come help us, along with my parents, Courtney, McKenzie, and Robert's parents. I cannot say thank you enough! Especially to our family. My mom stayed and organized our ENTIRE kitchen. Literally from top to bottom, even our food pantry! She wiped out all the cabinets and cleaned our stove, she worked non-stop. Do you know how amazing it is to have the most important room in your house ready to go the same day you move in?!? Thank you, thank you, thank you Mom!! I may survive the insanity after all. My dad also came to finish the garage door and put up our ceiling fan, which turned out to be the project of a lifetime. Robert's mom, Becky, helped my mom in the kitchen and his dad, Richard, helped Robert lift heavy stuff and re-grout the master bathroom shower. What a blessing to have such an amazing family! If I can find my camera I will post pictures. The paining is done and we had our new couch delivered!! Between that and my kitchen getting organized I am not super worried about all the boxes around. It is already starting to feel like home.

Paint, Paint, and more paint!

2009-06-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

We had a very productive weekend. As you know we got the keys to our new house next week. So I said to my dear husband, "Why don't we paint BEFORE we move in?" Great idea. So off to Sherwin Williams I went with my friend Casey to find the perfect color. I recruited my sister Courtney to come down Saturday to help. I figured we would paint all day and get most of it done. Well we started at 10 am and by 5 pm we were almost there! It was a HUGE undertaking, but we did it. Hope you are ready for a whole bunch of pictures!!

Entry/living room

Dining room

Living room

Family room

Hallelujah for Courtney!

First cove in Entry way

Me and Court after a very long day

A little preview of the almost finished dining room.

There is still a lot to be done and I have cleaners coming tomorrow and carpet cleaner coming Wednesday. EEK! I hope we can get it all done before the big move on Saturday.

Wish us luck.

Thank you, thank you, thank you

2009-06-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my parents came up to check out our new house. Since my dad happens to be the handiest person alive, I asked him if he could install a few things. "I'd be glad to," is always his reply. So we got there and went right to work. He installed our chandelier in the dining room, switched out our fan in the living room, re-keyed all three of our deadbolt locks, and installed a garage door opener. (FYI, there was no previous system in there, so it took hours to do it ALL from scratch!) Plus while he had a little "down-time" he vacuumed all four of our very large bedroom and the hall way! I cannot thank him enough!!

Elaine's husband Joseph came over to help him so Verne wouldn't have to do it all alone. Thank you Joseph!! He has worked non-stop while his family has been visiting family in Utah, and he woke up early from his nap to come and help us. He stayed right up until he had to go to Bishopric Training at 7 pm. I think he was running on about 4 hrs of sleep. Did I mention he had to be back for a 16 hr shift at midnight!! I am so grateful he found time to help us. Robert doesn't get home until 6 pm or later, so I am thankful Joseph was more than happy to lend a helping hand.

I called in a friend, Casey, to help with paint color selection. My mom, Casey and I ran to Sherwin Williams while the men and McKenzie were working hard. We came back and threw some colors on the wall. We finished the kitchen...

The pictures are a little blurry because I took them with my phone. Thank you Mom and McKenzie for all your help with this little project.

Tonight we are going to the temple and then picking up my sister Courtney to help us paint all day tomorrow. Wish us luck!

For the Love of Food Storage

2009-06-18T20:44:00.001-07:00

So there is there really great site called Shelf Reliance. They have everything one could ever want to create the ultimate food storage space. Right now on their blog they are giving away this bad boy...

Isn't it cool!! So go over and check out their site to be entered in the drawing to win it. I know I am going to get all 5 entries done to really beef up my chances. After all, that is what we plan on using the third car garage for.

We have a KEY!!

2009-06-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

Last night at 9:30 pm we picked up our key to our new home! We could not be happier. Even though it was getting late and we both have to get up early to go to work, we couldn't help but go inside and check it out. (again) We still can't believe it is ours. We are literally more than doubling our living space. Our current home is just over 1100 sqft, while this home is over 2300 sqft. We are upgrading from 1 very small bathroom to three very large bathrooms. And a one car non-functioning garage to a 3 car super sized garage. We are so blessed.

Has it really been 20 years!?!

2009-06-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my twin sisters turned 20! Wow! Time has gone by way too fast. I can still remember the day they were born. We lives in San Jose and my dad came and got me from school telling me the twins were born. I was so excited to have two new baby sisters. They have been so entertaining over the years. I have loved watching them grow and develop into the beautiful and talented women they have become. I wrote a blog two weeks ago about darling Courtney. Oh how I love her! So I thought I should tell you a little about Carli.

Carli was born a free spirit. I can remember from the time she was tiny being so independent and daring. She has always had a love for adventure and never wanted to stay put. She has an enormous heart and is so quick to forgive and move on. She can make friends so quickly and can make anyone feel welcome. I love and adore my once youngest sister. She has been such a light in my life and has always kept the mood happy in our home. I am so grateful Heavenly Father sent her down to be my sister.

Happy Birthday Twiners!!

UP and away

2009-06-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of spontaneity, we decided to go see UP for FHE Monday night. All I can say is if you have yet to see it go NOW! It was such a wonderful movie. Now I know why it has received such high marks from all the critics. It is a truly compelling film that will make you laugh and cry. (I think both Robert and I shed more than a few tears.) We will be seeing it again and would love to own it once it is available on DVD. That says a lot since we very rarely buy movies. I cannot say enough good things about it. Seriously, so see it today!

Not room enough to receive it...

2009-06-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

We have been so truly blessed in the last week. Robert has been interviewing for an amazing job over the past two months. One of the hangups they were having is he could not work past 5:30 pm on Wednesday's, since he is serving as the YM President in our ward. They often have nights where they will be staying a little late and wanted him to commit without prior obligations. Thursday we got a call from the Stake President's office asking if we could come and meet with him. We went in and the called Robert to be the Elder's Quorum President. So he will no longer have nightly obligations during the week. Friday he received a call from the company that he got the job!! He is super excited and can't wait to start next Monday. So within a 24 hr period he had a new calling and a new job. What a day! And on top of it all our house is supposed to close this week. We did the final walk through last Wednesday. All of this puts us one step closer to achieving our dream of welcoming children into our home. We are so grateful and know our Heavenly Father has truly poured his blessing upon us. We literally feel like it says in 3 Nephi:

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it." 3 Nephi 24:10

Nationl Doughnut Day

2009-06-05T10:42:00.001-07:00

Happy Doughnut Day everyone! I love doughnuts. I wish we had a descent doughnut shop close. I guess I will just have to make my own. In the words of Homer Simpson, "Mmmmm.... doughnut...."

What we really do at the Farm...

2009-06-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

Taste Panels. Yep, we get to "sample" new food ideas and get "paid" in Foster Bucks and treats. The Foster Bucks can be used at our Foster Farms restaurant. So basically I get free samples of really tasty new products, free candy/snacks, and a free meal at the cafe. It really is a wonder I can keep my girlish figure! Oh how I love working at the Farm.

The creativity gene

2009-06-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

I was born into a wonderful very talented family. My sister Courtney was given the creativity talent from our Heavenly Father. She can reuse anything and turn it into a work of art. I never creased to be amazed by her. From painting to sewing to jewelry making there is nothing she can't do. Last night Elaine went to get her hair done by Carissa. (Who is amazingly gifted with hair.) While we were there I noticed Courtney's newest creation in jewelry making laying on my sister Carli's wrist, button bracelets. They are adorable and one of a kind. Court was kind enough to come by after work and make one for Elaine and me.

I love it! She has tons of different funny buttons she can put together in any combination. These were ones my grandmother had given her from a collection my great-aunt Evelyn had when she died. So they even have some sentimental value. I am going to make an Etsy shop for all of her little bursts of creativity. So stayed tuned for that.

Courtney LeLe I love you and am so grateful you are my sister. You are not only extremely gifted you are so beautiful inside and out. You have the kindest heart I have ever had the privilege of knowing and are a shining example of Christlike attributes to all who surround you. Thank you for being who you are and making me want to be better.

In the eye of the beholder

2009-05-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

I realized after looking at our anniversary trip photos that there is not one photo of us. They are all of the beauty we were constantly surrounded by. This is a bit out of the ordinary, but our trip was short and the city was crowded. So here are some of the things we saw and considered picture worthy.

The view from our room.

Our first stop along Highway 1 to capture the bay.

Fence

This was our final destination and reason for driving 3 hrs up crazy Highway 1. BBQ oysters were very good.

I really like this one. This is on the way back going across Tomales Rd to get to the 101. Highway 1 was beautiful but a bit much to travel back on.

I also wanted to say thank you to all of you wonderful ladies who commented on my last blog. Your comments brought tears to my eyes. Infertility is very trying but also has so many blessings that come along with it. Maybe someday soon I will write a blog about how I see it. With every bad comes the good. No matter what. Life is entirely how you see, in the eye of the beholder.

6 years ago...

2009-05-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

6 years ago today I was enjoying the sun and surf in Maui. Sigh... Today I am at work thinking a three day weekend isn't enough time to properly celebrate 6 years of marriage. We did have a fun time in San Francisco and Mill Valley. (I will post pictures later today.)

I am so thankful for a wonderful husband that, after 6 years, I still enjoy spending time with. I simply adore him. I must also say that I am somewhat grateful for the trial of infertility. I would love to have children, but since we have been given this obstacle we have been afforded time for just the two of us. What a gift!

I love the fishes 'cause they're so delicious...

2009-05-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

I heart goldfish crackers. More specifically these little colored ones. They are a fun easy snack at work. Plus they are baked not fried, and made with real cheese. "I could eat them everyday, and my mom says that's ok."

Our anniversary is this Sunday, 6 years!! We are headed to SF and then on to an ultra chic hotel in Mill Valley. Can't wait! I will have lots of pictures to post on Monday. I love three day weekends.

More on the new home...

2009-05-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

For those who are interested here is the floorplan for our new home. Yes, we will be hosting lots of fun parties as well as holidays. We can't wait! Please come and visit soon!!

Downstairs

Upstairs

PS We should move in around the end of June. We plan on painting and getting everything cleaned before we move in.

Man of the hour

2009-05-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we celebrated my step-dad's birthday. He is such a wonderful man. He married my mom when I was 16. So he has actually been may father longer than my real dad. (Since he was killed in a car accident when I was 7.) He is an amazing human being with an unspeakable amount of compassion and love. He has taught me so much and I am eternally grateful he is my dad. Love you Verne!

What we have been looking for...

2009-05-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

So we bought a home today. Yep, our 8th, yes 8th, offer was finally accepted on the home of our dreams. The 7 other houses we thought we loved don't even compare. So in 30 days we will be moving for the 7th time in our 6 year marriage. Yes, we are gypsies. Here are a few quick pics of our new digs.

Kitchen.

Yep, we have a three car garage. Can you say storage?!

Master Suite and Remi

Little alcove right outside master suite.

The front. Robert and Remi.

I also got to go to lunch with my two favorite girls, Elaine and Catie. here is Catie showing me her mint. Wednesday is free pie day at this Mennonite cafe we love. It just made today that much better!

Obviously it was a VERY good day!

Fun filled weekend

2009-05-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my very best friend's birthday. Yes, Elaine turned... um... 29 on Saturday. We had a girl's night Friday night because it was our Stake's Father and Sons campout. We had fun just visiting and eating good food. Saturday I took Elaine and Catie out to breakfast since our husbands were still gone. Then we ran some last minute errands for Mother's Day and went to see a few model homes. That night was our family party. I decided to try to make a cake using fondant. It was so much fun, and I think it turned out pretty well.

Here is the cake before I put the top layer on. I even made the cake and frosting from scratch. It was a butter cake. So good!

And here is the final product. Not bad for my first attempt.

Elaine loved it! I really enjoyed making it. I learned that fondant is not very tasty, so I think I will just use my homemade butter cream frosting from now on. But fondant sure does make the cake look pretty.

Then on Sunday we had the opportunity to go down to Fresno to spend Mother's Day with our moms. Robert's parents hosted my family for dinner. It was so fun. I am thankful to have two wonderful mom's who love and support Robert and me. I am also grateful for all the fabulous mothers who are my friends. As many of you can imagine, Mother's Day has not always been easy for me, given the fact we cannot have children, but this year was so much easier. I think a lot of that has to do with being so close to Elaine's family. I feel like a second-mom to her four amazing children and I am so thankful for that relationship. I know I will be a mom someday, but until then I have four adopted children who I love and adore.

For the love of cleanliness...

2009-05-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

We have an adorable dog named Remi. She is 8 lbs of pure energy and love. We also have this couch...

...in black, which we also love. Unfortunately, the couch does not love Remi. Or should I say Remi's hair. Today I found this amazing product.

Now Remi and the couch can live happily ever after. Thank you Pledge!

Shout-out to my new phone

2009-05-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am in LOVE with my new phone. It is T-Mobile's version of the iPhone. My opinion is it is better. 3 of my 5 siblings have the iPhone and I think it is pretty neat, but it does have a few flaws. Like it is not super easy to text on with the touch screen and you can't receive picture messages, lame. So when we had decided to get a family plan with the Durrant's, Elaine's family, we looked at all of our different options. Elaine was set on getting an iPhone, but the AT&T plan is super expensive for the iPhone packages. (I know one of my sisters pays $100/month for her plan.) WHAT! $100/month per phone! Um, a little more than we wanted to spend, so we looked in to comparable phones. T-Mobile's version, the G1, seemed to be our best bet. We got everything set up Saturday, and I haven't put the dang thing down. It has all the super neat free apps like the iPhone, but it flips open for easy typing and you can receive videos and pics with ease. If you haven't checked it out you should. Plus for the plan we have, which is the top of the line and includes everything, it is only $50/month for each phone. Plus the phone was created by Google. What more could you want???

I want one...

2009-05-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

To be specific I would like the little blond in front. Can I have that one? Look how chubby! Oh I just adore chubby babies. For all those mom's out there you can read the article on these new "Tummy tubs" here. These sweet things seem to like them.

No "poo"

2009-04-29T10:18:00.001-07:00

Is shampoo really optional? My mother raised me to shower daily, or even twice a day when I played sports, so you can imagine my surprise when I read this article today about women giving up "poo" for good. I have my father's hair, very fine, thin, straight and yes, oily. So washing it daily is just something that must be done. Even if I am just running a few quick errands on a Saturday morning, a shower always comes first.

This morning I forgot to set my alarm and was awoken by Robert rolling over, it was 6:32 am. By this time I am usually up, showered, feed and have my make-up on. So to arise at this time certainly puts a kink in my morning routine. (I have to leave my house by 6:45 to get to work by 7:00.) So I jumped, literally, out of bed and plugged in my trusty Chi. I threw on some makeup and got dressed while the iron was heating. I quickly shaped and flattened my bed head and ran out the door. I glanced in the mirror in the ladies room after getting to work and noticed my hair doesn't look so bad. In fact it looks just about the same as it usually does. Hmmm...

Now this is only one day, not 20 years, as mentioned in the article, but maybe this could work, only washing my hair every few days. Would my hair be healthier? Would my scalp feel better?

A day to remember

2009-04-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Today is my darling husband's birthday! I could not have chosen a better eternal companion. He is so fun and loving, caring and compassionate. I am grateful he honors his Priesthood and helps me to do what I know is right. I love you Robert! Thank you for being born.

Robert's favorite picture taken last year at Avila Beach.

For the love of blueberries

2009-04-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am head-over-heels in love with blueberries. Starbucks makes a delightful Low-calorie Blueberry Coffee Cake. Seriously it may be the best in the world. Today it made my day. Thank you Starbucks!

Theirs looks a lot better than this.

Macky Jo

2009-04-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

I adore all of my siblings. I am so blessed to have 4 wonderful sisters and 1 amazing brother. Today I wanted to say how much I love my baby sister McKenzie. She is my favorite little person. I can still remember the night she was born. I was 17 and couldn't believe I was going to have a new sister. She was my buddy all through her baby stage. I NEVER tired of holding her. (Heck I even still hold her now. Even tough she is almost as tall as me.) She has always been so cuddly. I loved to take her places when I lived at home. I was always getting compliments from random strangers about how beautiful "my" daughter was. Sometimes I tried to explain other times I just grinned and thanked them.

Mack has grown up way too fast! I can't believe she will be 10 in December. I am amazed by how grown-up and mature she is. She is a 24 year old in a 9 year old body. One thing I have always admired about her is her ability to forgive others. She just lets things pass. What an example she is to all of us around her.

I love you Micky Jo Jo. My little Macaroni and Cheese. And I am so thankful everyday that our Heavenly Father decided to send you to be my baby sister.

Our Family photo shoot last December

Summer in April??

2009-04-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

It has been over 90* the past three days! What happened to the April showers? Does this mean no May flowers?

Anyone else feeling the burn? Thank goodness for AC!

NKOTB

2009-04-19T15:23:00.001-07:00

I don't think we could have had more fun this weekend! Elaine and I had a Girl's Weekend! Obviously a Girl's Night Out was not enough. I won free tickets to see New Kids on the Block a few weeks ago. Elaine has NEVER been to a concert! Can you believe it?! So I had to take her so she could get the experience. And she had never tried teppanyaki! So we had to do that too! We drove down to Fresno Thursday around 3:30 pm. We went to dinner at Japanese Kitchen with my sisters, Carissa and Courtney, and two other friends, Melissa Bird and Amalia Cutts. It was tons of fun and super yummy.

Elaine and me at dinner.

Court, Me, Elaine, Carissa, Amalia and Melissa

Our Chef

Best fried rice ever!

Fire!

Carissa's crazy hair!

After we were stuffed to the max, it was time to head over to the Save Mart Center. We paid $8 for parking. (Which ended up being totally worth it when all was said and done. We escaped the parking lot so fast.) I was a little bummed because our tickets were in section 203 - AKA Nose Bleeds!

Elaine was dizzy just walking up the stairs, but we figured it was a free concert. So we sat down and realized a lady had taken our seats. We asked her if she could look at her ticket because we were pretty sure our seats were numbers 110 and 109. She explained that she was going to be on the floor because she got her tickets upgraded. Hello, we want that!! So she told us to go to guest services, we ran as fast as we could. We ended up in section 126, row H, seats 106 and 107!! See the narrow part of section 126, yeah we were down there! We were super close. I was texting my co-worker Ann Marie and she got her tickets upgraded to the section next to us, 101. Elaine and I convinced her and her friend Geri to come sit behind us since those 5 seats were empty. They did and the four of us had way too much fun! I got totally amazing pictures. Plus they had a small stage with a piano that they did three songs from that was right in front of us! We danced and sang! I swear we burned off all the calories from our dinner. Elaine said we should do this every weekend. I agree.

Me, AMR, Geri

NKOTB

Oh my gosh! Can't believe I was there.

The stage in front of us

So close!

"Pose for me"

Farewell

Oh and did I mention New Kids on the Block was my first concert in 1990. My mom took Carissa and me along with some friends! We were a bit closer at the first one, but they were both totally amazing. We spent the next day relaxing and eating good food in Fresno with my sisters. And then we finally had to return home to reality. I think we will be doing another Girl's Weekend soon!

Flashback Thursday

2009-04-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post the other three pictures my mom sent me. Enjoy!

Christmas 1986, I was 4. You can see Justin in the bottom left corner. That's me in front of my dad. My mom has Carissa on her lap in the back. My grandma Hosford took this one. HAHAHAHA, no faces.

Disneyland in 1985. Mom's words on the back, "A bunch of kids were lining up to see Mickey Mouse so we got in line - we were about 4-5 back. He saw you and I guess thought you were cute. He came right up to you and set you up on his lap. That's why it was so off-centered. I wasn't quite prepared yet. And Carissa missed out."

Here I was about 3. This is one of my mom's favorite pictures.

Happy birthday DAD!

2009-04-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

My wonderful father, who was killed in a car accident in 1990, would have turned 48 today. My mom sent me a beautiful card in the mail with a little letter about my dad and how much he means to her. It was so sweet. She also included a few pictures from my childhood. She wrote on the back of each one in detail about the memory it captured.

This one is obviously taken at Disneyland probably in 1984. Carissa was a year old and I was 2.

My mom wrote, "Here's a classic - look at your Dad's shorts. And he LOVED those stupid things. They were in style back then. That was back in the day when I always dressed you and Carissa alike. And you wore the same size in most things."

I wish he would have lived a little longer so I could remember him better. I am grateful to be a member of the church and know that I have eternity to get to know him. May we cherish all the moments we have to spend with our family here on earth.

And remember - take lots of pictures.

A knock on the door

2009-04-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

Last night at about 9:42 we heard a knock at our door. Robert was sitting on our bed reading his scriptures and I was in the bathroom doing my nightly routine. I figured we had left our car light on and it was our neighbor informing us of our lack of attention. (This has happened 3-4 times in the last 2 1/2 years.) I opened the door to a young woman in tears asking to use our phone. I let her in and told Robert to go get the phone. She explained that her father had just found pictures of her and her boyfriend together. One was of them hugging and the other of them sitting on a couch. She said he went crazy and was threatening her. She grabbed her wallet and ran out of the house. The poor thing didn't even have shoes on, just socks. She called her aunt and asked her to come get her. She then called her boyfriend and told him what happened. I grabbed her a pair of my flip-flops and tried to give her some privacy. Robert got a box of tissue. She told me she was 18 and had been dating her boyfriend for 2 years! She had lied to her father before and told him they were just friends. Robert asked if her father hit her or harmed her in any way. She said no, but that he had hit her before and it was quite brutal. I told her I would drive her wherever she needed to go. We decided to meet her aunt at a school parking lot a few blocks away. Robert went out to make sure no cars were driving by and she ran out and jumped in my backseat. The poor thing was so embarrassed. I reassured her that it was no problem and I was so happy we could help. I asked her her name, Lizbeth, and told her mine. She said I saved her life and that she was going to name her first daughter after me! (I'm sure she will not remember my name after all the insanity of last night.)

I am so thankful we were home and able to help. I hope and pray she was able to find a safe place to go. I am also thankful for my parents, and that I was never scared to come home. I am grateful my home was a sanctuary of love and happiness. And that it still is!

Thank you Mom and Verne for not beating me even at times when you may have wanted to.

Grateful...

2009-04-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

After listening to conference last weekend my thoughts have been turned more fully to my Savior this Easter week. I was deeply touched by the talk given by Elder Holland titled "None Were With Him" in the Sunday morning session. (Read it here.) As he spoke my heart was filled with love and adoration for my Savior. I felt a deeper appreciation for the sacrifice He made for me in Gethsemane. If you didn't get a chance to listen to it I hope you will. If only everyone could know what he did for them...

"O, My Father" by Simon Dewey

For the love of baking

2009-04-08T08:47:00.001-07:00

It seems like every week I have a need to be creative in the kitchen. Last night I gave these a try...

They are Lemon Gems. I am not a huge fan of lemon, but these are delicious. Get the recipe here.

A new home...

2009-04-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

We are thinking about buying another home. We love our house, but with home prices being what they are we could get a bigger newer home for a third of what we paid for ours in 2006. This was not on the agenda for 2009. (As some of you may remember from my previous blog.) We feel like the time is right and so blessed for the opportunity to invest in our future. We have bid on two homes in the past few weeks and were outbid on both. We know the Lord is directing us to the home for us and we are trying to be patient. (Obviously not something we have learned yet because trials keep coming to teach us patience.) We are planning on buying in our ward, Awater 1st. We are so happy here and don't want to move. So hopefully in the next few weeks we will have big news! Stayed tuned to see what is coming our way.

Be there...

2009-04-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

We will be in Clovis tomorrow at BIG HAT DAYS!! I love going and can't wait to see my family.

Where will you be?

World's BEST

2009-03-31T13:36:00.001-07:00

I may be biased, but I think I have the world's best mom! (Actually, I think most of my friends would agree she is pretty fabulous.) She is always so fun to be around and will stop at nothing to help anyone in need. Most people know that my father was killed in a car accident in 1990. My mom was left alone with five kids ages 7 - 7 months. She was my age and raised all of us by herself until she married my wonderful step-dad in 1999. (Who I also adore. Thanks dad.) I never ceased to be amazed by her. I am so grateful that out of all the families I could have been sent to, my Heavenly Father decided to send me to her. Thanks Mom for being who you are and helping me become who I am. You are my best friend.

I love you!

Reunited and it feels so good...

2009-03-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

So glad he is back from Phoenix. This was us yesterday...

And yes, I did survive my staying all alone. Thanks to Elaine and Carissa for making it tolerable.

Home Alone

2009-03-26T15:10:00.001-07:00

Robert went to Phoenix for a few days to spend time with his brother. (And his brother's family.) I had to stay and work. Which means I am home ALONE!

YIKES!

Lost in the...

2009-03-25T13:57:00.002-07:00

Today my head is here.

So my desk looks like this.

But daydreaming is much more fun than working.

Up for auction

2009-03-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

Today I won tickets to go see these guys...

Yep, I am the luckiest girl alive!! I have one extra ticket. So my friendship is now up for auction. I will accept cash, diamonds, your first born, etc. Concert will be April 16th at the Save Mart Center in Fresno. I am so excited!!!

Just call me June

2009-03-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

I love, love, LOVE to bake. I will try any recipe if it sounds good, well and looks pretty. So last night I made Chocolate Chip Cookie-dough Brownies with Chocolate Ganache. Oh they are good. I am not a photographer, but here are some pics.

Before adding the ganache

The end result

Want some???

Saturday fun

2009-03-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend! As you can tell from my previous post we were adopting four kids for the day. Elaine and Joseph had plans to attend a wedding at the Sacramento Temple. Joseph was called in for mandatory overtime, so the trip was canceled. I talked to Robert and convinced him we should take the kids anyway and let Elaine get some things done. So around 1 pm we went a kidnapped all 4. We had to borrow Elaine's Tahoe because we can't all fit in our Camry. Our first stop was the Merced Zoo. (Yes, little old Merced has a zoo.) We saw...

And lots of other animals! We all had a blast! Catie kept growling at all the animals. She was fierce! Devan and I had one of the monkeys pee on us. Yep, he shot his pee towards a lady he liked and it hit us. (He had thrown feces at this lady twice. She was standing right behind us.) That was enough of the zoo for us. They have a big playground next to the zoo, so we went there and then stopped by Foster's Freeze for some dipped cones! Did I mention Robert thought it was a good idea to bring candy bags for each of them to bribe them to be good? Yep, so they had eaten a bag of candy and then ice cream cones. We took them back to our place to play some Rock Band. I sent them all over to the school across the street to play, and run out some sugar energy, while I made dinner. They came back, ate, watched some Star Wars, and Elaine came by to pick them up around 6. I wish we could do this everyday! It was a blast! Elaine is more than happy to share, so I think we can have them any time we want.

Yesterday we went over for dinner and Catie was being so cute. This is what she was wearing.

This is a hat thing from her Halloween costume two years ago. She loves to wear it this way. Oh and notice my slippers. She loves them.

This is how it is supposed to go.

We love our friends, and are so grateful they let us borrow their kids.

TGIF

2009-03-13T09:15:00.001-07:00

Is it just me, or has time been going by super fast? I can't believe we are half way into March! Well I am grateful it is Friday. We have a fun filled weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow we will be baby-sitting these crazies...

Tyler, Devan, Jakey and Catie

Wish us luck!

For the love of the Dollar Store

2009-03-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

I love the Dollar Store for many reasons, but today I love them becasue I found these...

It made my week!

For the love of sisters!

2009-03-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

I had a really fun Girl's Weekend. My sweet husband went to the Fresno Temple all day Saturday and wanted me to go along. Well it was a Stake thing, so there were like 197 people in the little tiny endowment rooms. (197 may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is close.) I said um, no thanks I am going to shop with my girls. So I threw a party at Dress Barn. (Please note I normally would not shop at a place with the word "Barn" in it other than Pottery Barn, but this place is super cute.) I talked my mom and four sisters into driving up. Since Robert had to be in Fresno anyway we stayed the night there and did sealings at the temple Friday night. Then Saturday all 6 of us girls drove up in my mom's huge Sequoia. It was so much fun. I so miss being all together in the same place. Here are some fun pics from our "fashion show".

Carli, Courtney, Me

(I think I look like a little kid. I am the shortest sister. Note we are all barefoot.)

Carli helping me with my dress

Carli

(Isn't she tan.)

This dress I LOVED. The twins hated it. They said it was too much on the bottom.

I love this one of me and my mom.

Mom

Carissa and her "biker" jacket

Carli and Courtney

My 80's dress

Mom and Courtney

Court kept trying on these kinds of shirts.

I was not a fan.

McKenzie picked this one out. She thought it was beautiful. I did not.

The only dress I ended up buying.

McKenzie was there, but I guess we didn't take any pictures of her because they don't carry children's clothes. She was running back and forth bringing me more dresses than I could try on. She was so cute. Elaine and Amy also stopped by to grab a few cute things, but I guess Carissa didn't get any pics of the either. All in all a very fun Girl's Day.

I left my heart in San Francisco

2009-03-07T13:24:00.000-08:00

I am seriously in love with San Francisco. If we could afford to live in a loft right in the middle of the city we would. Well for now I guess visiting will have to do. Here are some more fun pics from our weekend at the Jelly Belly Factory and the beach at the Persidio.

Fun Weekend

2009-03-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

We had a great weekend. McKenzie came to stay with us while my parents went to Florida for the weekend. (Yes they flew all the way there and back in two days.) My step-brother Ryan got married to an adorable girl named Brittany. Here's a picture I stole from my parent's blog...

Aren't they cute? Anyway, I thought it would be nice to plan some fun activities while she was here. Then Elaine's sister's family came into town from Utah, so my idea of a movie and trip to the park turned into a day trip to the beach. Then while eating "Belly Flops", I mentioned that we should also visit the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. Well why not!?! So we spent about 7 hrs in Elaine's Tahoe with 2 babies in car seats, 3 kids, and 4 adults. Yes, it was one packed car. So we were one seat-belt short, shh don't tell. I was sure I was going to go into meltdown at some point, but I seemed to survive with a smile on my face.

The kids with Mr. Jelly Belly

Catie at the end of our tour holding her Jelly Belly's

All of us.

(The Reagan picture is made entirely out of Jelly Belly's.)

And yes I did spend $20 on Jelly Belly's. What? Like you wouldn't? Then we were off to the beach in SF. We got lost and drove over the Golden Gate Bridge twice! It was neat. The kids had so much fun. They swam in the ocean fully clothed! Well Tyler did.

Tyler

Catie

Jacob

I forgot my camera, so I had to steal these pics from Elaine's Facebook. That is why there isn't one of my little Macky. All in all a very fun weekend for us.

P.S. Robert had to teach a class for our ward, so he couldn't come. He was sad he missed all the insanity.

Imagination

2009-02-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

So these may look like ordinary sandwich toothpicks to you...

But to my dear sweet Catie, they look like this...

She took mine from my sandwich today at lunch and kept trying to blow it out. Oh to have the imagination of a 2 year old.

Spring is here

2009-02-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year. The trees are starting to bloom. The sun is up as I drive to work. The gloom of winter is starting to melt away. But mostly I love these...

Yes, peeps makes my heart happy.

Ok, ok I said...

2009-02-21T20:37:00.000-08:00

So I have told my mother I would be much better about updating our blog. Since we live an hournorth and don't make it down to Fresno more than once a month, I guess she misses her #1 daughter. So mom, here you go. I am updating for you.

My darling husband got me the best gift for Valentines Day.

Yep, the entire boxed set in hardcover! I love them. I finished reading all the books months ago, back when Breaking Dawn came out, but I had to borrow the first three from Carissa. I have wanted them so bad. I asked for Christmas, but he couldn't seem to find them all in hardcover. So yesterday they finally arrived in the mail. Yes, a little late for V-Day, but that's ok. I was totally socked that he was able to get them. Thank you Amazon! So now I think I will start them all over again and really enjoy them this time. What a fabulous man I married.

Maybe a little crazy...

2009-02-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

Yes I did stay up until midnight making these. (With the help of Elaine.) Yes we did start at 7. Yes the cake was already baked and it still took 5 hrs. Yes, I did make it to work by 7 am. Yes, I am tired.

Oh and yes they are quite possibly the cutest things ever! Not to mention delicious.

Potty training a 2 year old

2009-02-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

We are so fortunate to have such wonderful friends. We live in a ward that is more like a family than a ward. We all live far away from our extended families so we really rely on one another. The Durrants are one of the families we are the closest to. We have so much fun together, ie. see post below. Elaine and I do everything together. I have become like an aunt or second mom to her sweet children. Her daughter Catie calls me mom every now and then. (She is stubborn and wont say Chani.) So naturally when her youngest Catie wouldn't potty train I had to take matters into my own hands. Last night I decided to let her wear "big-girl undies" without a diaper. Elaine swore she wouldn't go potty for me. Well three hours later and about a gallon of juice, Catie went pee-pee on the potty!! I was running back and forth every 10 min or so for the three hours, but she finally did it! I was so proud. Persistence pays off.

Catie showing off her gum she got for going potty.

She was being so funny and cute after it was all over. She loved all the attention we were giving her for being such a big girl. Hopefully this will be the end of diapers for Miss Catie. Here are two more pics of Robert playing with her right before we left.

Where's Catie??

There she is!

I seriously love this child!

Hello hardwood!

2009-02-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

We were so productive this weekend. I woke up Saturday morning and told Robert we were ripping out our carpet. I don't think he fully believed I would do it. I called my partner in crime, Elaine, and told her to come over and help. About an hour later we had the carpet out. Then the real work began. The person who put in the carpet obviously never thought another occupant would want hardwood floors. 1) They painted the tack-boards, so we have white paint outlining our floors. 2) They used enough staples on the pad to build a small staple fortress. 3) They also put a 4'x4' square of linoleum right on the wood! So that is a project that will take some serious patience to get up. I will have to post some pictures later. I lost my camera sometime after Christmas. I don't know where it ran off to. Once we get the linoleum up we will have them re-finished. (I am not crazy enough to do that myself.) For now they look fabulous!

My new favorite thing...

2009-01-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

Yep, I can't get enough of them. I bought a 6 lb bag at Costco and have eaten all of them by myself. Crazy!

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

I can't believe another year has come and gone. I was telling my darling husband last night that in two more years I will have my 10 year class reunion!! Goodness gracious I feel old. And then he reminded me that in 4 years he will have his 20 year class reunion! HA! So I felt a little better. 2009 promises to be a great year for our little family. Big things are headed our way. We have our 6 year anniversary coming in May, which I cannot believe. I have about 12 home improvement projects planned starting with ripping out or carpet to expose our beautiful original hardwood floors. (Who said buying an old house wasn't a good idea.) We also hope to add little members to our family this year with high-tech advances in infertility treatment that will help us achieve our dreams of becoming parents. So stay tuned for updates on all that will be happening here in little Atwater. It may not be such a boring place after all!

Family Photos

2008-12-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

Robert's very wonderful talented brother took some family photos on Christmas Day. We had so much fun. It has been a a year and a half sine our family was last photographed, since then things have changed a bit, so an update was well overdue. Here are just the few he sent me today. I will have lots more to post on Wednesday.

All of us

Courtney, McKenzie, & Carli

Siblings

Our little family

How time flies

2008-12-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe 6 years ago today my husband asked me to marry him. It was one of the BEST moments of my life. It was totally unexpected. Here is the story, for those of you who haven't already heard it...

It was Christmas Eve and he wanted to give me my Christmas gift early. He took me to a park down the street from my parents house. We always sat on this one bench and it was here that he first told me he loved me. I opened the car glove box and inside was a wrapped small box. We walked out to "our bench", I opened the box and inside was.... diamond earrings. I was sad. I think I said something like, "Oh, um thanks." No enthusiasm. It was cold, so he suggested we walk back to the car. As we did he said, "Oh wait I forgot something." I turned back to see what the guy who gave me earrings and not a ring had forgotten, and there he was down on one knee with a ring in a box in his hand. I was SHOCKED! I said yes! I think he was relived to finally have it all over with. He designed my custom made ring and it took 4 attempts to get it perfect. Then he had it in his possession for two weeks before he asked me. The poor guy was a nervous wreck by the time it was all over with. Partially because I kept telling him I was going to move to Utah to find myself a husband because he was never going to ask me to marry him. (Yes I did say it and now I think I am an idiot. Thank you.) I am so grateful he asked and I said yes. Happy Anniversary my love!

Update on the puppies

2008-12-18T09:04:00.001-08:00

Our puppies are getting so cute! They are 4 weeks old now. I could just sit and play with them all day long! Nothing would get done, but I would be very happy. :) If you know anyone who would like a sweet Yorkie pup let me know. We will be selling Sassy and Feisty. (You have to see them to understand their names.) Here are some pictures...

Top to bottom: Sassy, Feisty, and Maize

Sassy

Maize

Feisty

It is going to be really hard to get rid of them, but one dog is enough for us! Luckily my good friend Elaine is keeping Maize, that is why she has a normal name, so we will get to watch her grow up.

Holiday Eating Guide

2008-12-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

What's in a face...

2008-12-10T09:47:00.001-08:00

Joy to Everyone

2008-12-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

A simply beautiful website put together to wish joy to everyone this Christmas. Check it out...

http://www.joytoeveryone.com/

Enjoy! Tell me what you think.

Bored at work....

2008-12-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

Saw this on Cortney's Blog and thought it was kinda fun!

Copy the list and highlight the ones (mine are blue) that are true about you!

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a Praying Mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21.Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Bought a house

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Talked your way out of a ticket

Twilight Review

2008-12-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to go and finally see the movie. There were a lot of things I had pictured very differently. It made me wonder how much Stephanie was involved in the creative development of the movie. Maybe she didn't have a say in it at all. I'm not sure. It was good overall. The actors that played Bella, Esme, Emmett, and Jessica were my favorite! They did a fabulous job. They were just what I had pictured. Edward was more awkward than what I feel was developed in the book. He seemed so sure of himself and savvy. The movie did not do him justice. Now I want to go back and read Twilight again to refresh my memory about all the things I saw in the movie!

Twilight

2008-11-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

The Twilight movie comes out today! At first I didn't really want to see it; Edward is WAY cuter in my head! I loved the books so much! I know the movie will not be nearly as good, but my curiosity got the best of me and I have decided I better see it. So I changed my profile for the next little bit to celebrate the movie opening. I think it looks pretty neat. I want to hear what all you Twilight fans thought of the movie.

Puppies

2008-11-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

Remi gave birth to three little puppies on Monday at 3 am. She had 2 girls and 1 boy. They are so adorable. Robert and I are enjoying them so much. Remi is such a good little mommy. They are so tiny. I will post more pictures as they grow.

Next Top Model...

2008-11-12T08:56:00.001-08:00

Nedd I say more.

We did it!!

2008-11-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Prop 8 Passed! All of our hard work has paid off. We held signs out on the corners of Atwater for days in the cold rain and in the hot sun we had earlier in October. We also made numerous phone calls and walked door-to-door to place door signs on every doorknob. Not to mention all the prayer and fasting that went into getting this measure passed. I am so grateful we have restored marriage in California. What a blessing.

Fun at the office

2008-10-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

A co-worker, Ann Marie, and I decided it would be fun to buy shirts for Halloween. It was kind of like opposite day since she is the bad one and I am the good one. We got a little "camera-happy". By the end of the day we had quite a few pictures. Here are just a few.

What we really look like all day...

Wanted to be sure you could read what our shirts say...

Ann Marie's cube.

This is what happens when you leave Ann Marie alone with your camera...