12.28.2010

The Pajama Game

Back in November, I was able to get a little time off work to go watch McKenzie in the high school musical back in Cokeville. She had a lead role, so I wanted to watch her. I had always known that she could sing/act. I remember when she was little, she had a solo in a "Sunshine" (is that what it was called, lol) performance. Holy wow, that tiny thing could belt it. Brady and I sat on the front row screaming for her (even though we weren't supposed to!) But it was a lot of fun, and i was excited to see the performance.

I have never seen/heard of the Pajama Game, but really, how many of the musicals the high school has put on have I actually seen? I was in 3 musicals when I was in HS, and it was always fun times. My senior year of "Annie Get Your Gun" was the best, and like I said, super fun, so I knew that even if the play itself was lame, it would still be fun. And it was.

Kenz played the role of Babe, and Beau Petersen played the lead across from her. They both did a great job, and fed really well off each other. Both could sing, and both could act, and it was a lot of fun! It was fun seeing all the kids who were still in Elementary all grown up. I didn't recognize a few of them, but it was still fun.

Kenz really did a great job. She is so incredibly talented it's not fair! ;) She can sing and act, and really the only thing she can't do is walk in high heels! (haha, jk Kenz!)

Here are a few pictures I took. I was too into the play to really take a lot..lol, super cute costumes and wigs all around, right?
Beau and Kenz....
The entire CHS student body....almost!

Like I said, they fed really well off each other. It was cute to watch. This song was the cutest of the night (well, the first time they sang it...but this was still cute.) See THIS Youtube video of the original song...Kenz and Beau were a lot better, I thought..lol

And sorry to post this picture Kenz, but I think it's so cute! You're a babe!!

It was a lot of fun watching her and seeing how grown up she is! i can't believe it, but she's amazing, and I love her lots! Great job Kenz!

And on the way home, the roads were pretty crappy, but when I got around the lake, it was actually really pretty, so I thought I'd stop and take a picture.

11.30.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 30

Hooray! I'm done! lol...but on this last day of this seemingly endless project, I am grateful for...

LauGhtEr!

Whether at home, or at the workplace, laughter really is the best medicine. I love hearing people laugh, and I love laughing myself. Nothing beats having a good, long laugh, especially with those you love...

So, go have a good laugh with your loved ones...do it...I dare you! ;)

11.29.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 29

Late night cookies with Greg...

Yes, this could be one reason I have gained so much weight, but Greg likes to tempt me with chocolate chip cookies of all sorts late at night, with a glass of milk. I won't tell you how much we eat, because it's a bit embarassing, but after a long day of work...it's nice to relax with my hubby and pig out on junk food!

11.28.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 28

a husband who will eat leftovers!

I do NOT like leftovers. I really don't. There are very few things that I will eat re-heated (lasagna...that's about it! lol) so when you have a HUGE Thanksgiving feast all to yourselves (and a sister in law who doesn't eat hardly anything) you end up with a TON of leftovers. Oh I guess I will re-heat stuffing too. But Turkey?!? BLEH!! NASTY! I do NOT like it cold or re-heated, so I am grateful that I have a wonderful hubby who will eat just about anything...(He really does. sometimes I wonder how long something has been in the fridge...he'll just eat it!) But he makes ME feel just a LITTLE less guilty wasting so much food!

11.27.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 27

Good Movies!!

I have a few favorite movies, and I am grateful for Saturday and Sunday nights, which usually mean cuddling up with Greg on the couch watching a new movie.

I often tease Greg about our Hastings shopping habits. We go there at least once a week, sometimes twice, and we almost ALWAYS come out with new movieS. Yes, that is plural, since we always get used movies, and they usually have a BOGO for $1 sales. But we have found some really good movies that way, and some not-so-good ones, but it's still nice to have a huge movie selection, even though a lot of the movies we don't watch more than once...lol, maybe one day when we don't have a Hastings to visit, we'll double up on some movies.

11.26.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 26

BlAck FrIdaY!!

I think everyone should experience working retail on Black Friday at least once in their life. It is so entertaining, and though I am glad I don't work retail on this day, I still have some pretty funny memories of working on this day.

I don't think I ever want to do the early morning shopping on this day, however. I'd rather sleep in, or order stuff online than try to beat the crowds. But it is still entertaining watching people, and seeing all the lines. Plus there are some pretty sweet sales...if you want to risk your life to get them!

11.25.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 25

ThaNksGivinG!!!

What a wonderful time of year. I love Thanksgiving, and I love Christmas. Even though we should be grateful all year round, it's great to have a day set aside for us to sit back and reflect on those people and things we're grateful for.

Today, I'm especially grateful for a wonderful husband, a warm house, electricity, NFL football, super delicious food, and great family and friends. All these things make a day like today wonderful, and I couldn't be more happy!

11.24.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 24

dIgiTaL ScRapBooKinG!

Seriously...Love...It! I am sooo glad I finally decided to get into it. Even though it takes up a lot of my time (because I'm obsessed!) I love it! I love how creative people are out there, and I'm grateful that I am able to enhance my talents.

Why does it rock?!?

1 - NO CLEAN-UP! Seriously, I have about 500 kits, and guess what, they don't take up my entire living room. They DO take up a few GB of space on my hard drive, but that's nothing. I don't have any huge messes to clean up, and it's awesome!

2 - CHEAPER! You can purchase an entire "kit" (10+papers, a ton of elements) for less than $10, when a pack of paper is often more than that. I have many favorite designers, and they fill the kits full of goodies. Plus, a lot of times they have sales, or you can get freebies, or coupons. Super awesome.

3 - RE-USABLE! With those kits, you can use each of the papers and/or elements as much as you want! Use the same paper 500 times if you want, use the same cute teddy bear element 20 times on just one page! It is so great.

4 - UN-DO! CTRL-Z! Whatever you want to call it. Accidentally put a "sticker" in the wrong spot. CTRL Z and it's undone! The best part of it!

Do I have you convinced yet? lol, I seriously love this, and I'm grateful for this talent. I am more than willing to help you if you have any digi scrapping questions, or want to get started. So just let me know! Seriously..love...it!

Here is a gallery of some pages I've done.
http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showgallery.php?ppuser=19850&username=bta-designs

I do it mostly for the "artistic" part than for the memory keeping part, but whatever your reasons, I think you'll love it too!

11.23.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 23

AwEsoMe snOwstOrMs...

that cause people to shut down and go home early...even though my place of work didn't do that! This was supposed to be one of the biggest blizzards EVER! (okay, not really ever, but pretty massive). UDOT was encouraging businesses to shut down early so their employees wouldn't be out on the roads. We at work kept wishing that we shut down early, but no. We had to stay open for those crazies who decided they needed cash out of their account in the middle of a blizzard.

It was crazy watching the storm roll in, and really, it was crazy. The wind was blowing, and it was totally awesome. I love snowstorms (probably because we don't get them very often here!) But yeah. I love winter, and I love cuddling up next to my hubby while the wind is blowing the snow like crazy outside!

11.22.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 22

pEopLe Who DoN'T ComPlaiN!

I love when I meet someone, who you know is having a tough time in their lives, but they just DON'T complain about anything. It's so refreshing knowing that if they can make it through their struggles without sharing them with everyone, and can keep a positive attitude, then ANYONE can!


I get really frustrated with people when all they do is complain. Now I, by no means, am perfect, and I do complain a lot, but I do try to keep it between my husband and I (lucky him! lol). But when I do start to complain to others, I just have to think about those people who complain about everything, and I remember that I do NOT want to be "one of those people." Life is tough, we all have to deal with our own circumstances, but remember...we ALL have to deal with our own circumstances. Keep a positive attitude!

It does make me very grateful for those who DON'T complain! ;)

11.21.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 21

the TaLenTs oF oTheRs!

I love reading other people's blogs. Yes, I do it in a somewhat stalker-ish ways sometimes, but I just get so fascinated with reading about other people. I have found that I love reading what I like to call "Mommy Blogs" (I'm not the only one who calls them that. Technically that is what they're called. I just wanted a brief moment of credit.) But it's fun to see what other people can find and come up with, and various talents they have that they can share with others. I'm jealous. I want to create a "Mommy Blog" and have people stalk me and think I'm cool. But really, i'm grateful for the talents of others. It makes me think that maybe, just MAYBe I can do something cool too.

11.20.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 20

Old CrApPy CaRs...

That don't go up hills very fast. Now, today I'm especially grateful for these, because when you're driving through a TERRIBLY snowy canyon, and the roads are crappy, if you're in an old crappy car that doesn't go fast uphill...you can't possibly go fast, so you don't have to worry about driving slow on the icy roads. It really was nice, because if there were people who wanted to pass me, I could just give them a look like, "sorry, my car is crappy, it won't go faster" and I am therefore much safer! Love my cars!

11.19.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 19

I'm grateful for any excuse to ask for work off early.

Today it happened to be because my little sister was in the Cokeville High School musical. She had the lead role, and since I think so totally rocks, I decided I wanted to go watch her. So of course I did.

They performed the musical, "The Pajama Game" and while I'd never heard of it, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Kenz totally rocked it, and I was so proud of her.


I'm going to link you up to my favorite song of the entire musical, of course, Kenz and Beau did a lot better job! ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzv4jOTuwjw

I love being able to ask for time off to enjoy things like this.

11.18.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 18

PaY DaY!!
Who doesn't love pay day? I probably work forward to this day a little TOO much, but really, it almost makes working at one's job worth it! ;)

11.17.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 17

GoOd BoOKs!

I have always been a big reader. It doesn't really matter what it is. I can read just about anything, but like I've mentioned in previous posts, my favorites are still "Young Adult" books. I have quite a few of that style of books, and I've read just about all of them at least once...a lot of them twice or more. I love finding a good series, and hate when I get a bad one, mostly because if the first one is pretty bad, I usually can't stop reading it still. There are very few that i haven't wanted to get the next book of.

Some recent faves are:

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
This one is a series, and I can't wait to get the next one. It kind of scares me (not gonna lie)...It's about a girl who sees ghosts, and if you know me, I'm a total freak about stuff like that. I have major fears about this type of stuff...lol...but it was very interesting, and I look forward to the next ones...

The Private Series by Kate Brian
I've mentioned this series before, but it is definitely my favorite. Granted the last book took a STUPID twist that I'm not very happy about, I will still read it, and can't wait until the 21st of December for this one to come out!

And of course my ALL TIME FAVORITE...

Vampire Academy Series

I started this series when I was visiting Shari in Georgia. She had it, and let me borrow the series, and I am HOOKED! Holy moly, I have read them AT LEAST 4 times since March (there are 5) Soon to be 6.....MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME!!! I'm super excited....

but I love books, and I"m always up for any good suggestions! :D

11.16.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 16

Fuzzy socks, fuzzy pants, and fuzzy blankets.

Nothing beats putting on my fuzzy sock, pants and wrapping up in a warm fuzzy blanket. I always have to have a blanket with me. Even in the summer...I love my blankets! They get some pretty good use, probably too much sometimes.

I had a favorite blanket in HS. I got it for Christmas when I was..mmm...maybe 10? It had teddy bears on it, and I took it EVERYWHERE...sleepovers, camping, ball trips. I always had to have my blanket with me. I still have it. It's still in pretty good shape. Maybe it isn't as soft as it once was, but It's still in one piece.

I also recently purchased a pair of super soft, fuzzy pajama pants. Yeah, they're my new favorite. If they weren't BRIGHT purple, pink, green and blue striped, I'd probably where them everywhere. It's nice to come home from work, wearing a skirt, or dress pants, and jumping into my cozy pants, and slipping on a pair of my fuzzy socks. So comforting! What would I do with out fuzzy!?

11.15.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 15

I am grateful for my HEALTHY hair. (totally vain post ahead....I'm sorry, but I am grateful for this!)

I almost always had short hair when I was growing up, (I think I was in 5th grade when I had my shortest...mushroom shaped haircut. and yes, I realize that it was totally ugly, but at the time it wasn't!) go ahead, laugh!
Then my junior year I decided to keep my hair long. And it got REALLY long. probably about to the middle of my back. (for those who know me now, it was even longer than this) I loved it! I dyed it a chocolate brown that was so pretty, then I chopped it to above my shoulders...then it just kept getting shorter from there...
I think I'm really lucky to be able to pull of both long and short cuts. (as well as different colors, which trust me, I tried! Brown, blonde, black, purple, red, etc... ;) And even though everyone told me my hair would fall out if I kept dying it, it's healthy (and THICK) as ever, and I am grateful for it. It's not too thick that it's unmanageable (most days), and I am able to style it how I want. So even though sometimes I get annoyed with the split ends, I am grateful that I do have hair, and that it's healthy!

11.14.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 14

I'm grateful for humbling experiences like my one today.

I am good at playing the piano. I can honestly say that I believe that. I have a talent, and I am grateful for this talent, but every now and then the Lord thinks he needs to keep those of us with these talents humble.

I was accompanying the Young Women in sacrament meeting today, and one of my BIGGEST fears when accompanying people is that my music will fall of the piano, or I won't be able to change pages fast enough....well...My biggest fear came true today. The song they were singing is like 8 pages long, so I had my sheet music stacked the way I needed it, and I had practiced doing it this way a million times, so I wouldn't have to have anyone change my music for me. Well...something went wrong and I took down the wrong pages, and so when the time came for the big key change.....yeah, I didn't have the right pages. I had to stop completely while I found the right page, and we were able to end the song pretty well. Ugh! I think I totally psyched myself out! Such a frustrating thing for sure...lol, but this made be grateful for these humbling experiences...Even those who have better talens than I do in certain areas can make mistakes! ;)

11.13.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 13

Not gonna lie...I'm kinda obsessed with her. She is a little odd, and she can't dance worth crap, but she is different, and I kind alike her (Kinda like Lady GaGa...freaky as all heck, but ya have to kinda like her...)

Anyway...I love all of Katy Perry's hits - Hot 'n' Cold, Waking up in Vegas, Teenage Dream, etc. etc.

Everytime I hear her songs, I can't help but bust out in song and sing along. Her music makes me happy, and even though, like I said, she is kind of strange, I'm grateful for her music!

11.12.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 12

tHe OfFicE!

I have to admit...when the office was first HUGE, I didn't see what the big deal was. granted, I didn't ever really sit down and watch it, but once Greg and I sat down and really watched it, we were hooked! Holy moly this show is hilarious! We could watch the same episodes over and over, and they are still funny. Kinda makes me wish my "office" had a Dwight...

Greg and I watch it almost every night night 10-11. They are all repeats, but that's okay. That way we don't have to wait all week for a new episode. If you have your doubts about this show..just sit down and watch an entire episode. You have to actually watch (not just play it in the background while you're doing something else), because it is quite funny! Love it!

11.11.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 11

I don't think that needs any more explanation! How wonderful it is that we get to live in such an amazing and beautiful country!

And because today is Veteran's day, I'm grateful for the many men and woman who serve our country. Who risk their lives for the freedoms that we enjoy everyday. I have many family members and friends who have served, and I am so grateful for each of you....

especially my bro-in-law Ben!
What an amazing brother, husband (to my sis, of course), father (to my adorable niece and nephews...as if that needed explaining). He has been serving in the military for at least the past 6 years (pretty sure it was before he and Shari got married). He recently spent some time over in Afghanistan, and while it was a long 6 months (probably longer for Shari), I'm grateful for the time he has spent serving our country. I am proud to call him my brother.

His little girl is so proud of her daddy too. When I was visiting my sis in Georgia, one of the nights we went out to eat the manager came to our table and Lilli proudly told him that her daddy was an Airman. (pretty much random, out of the blue! love her!) But we are all so proud of him, and grateful to have him in our family. We love you Ben! Thanks for all you do.

And because I love this picture......

11.10.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 10

I'm grateful for my job as a teller. I am not going to lie, I complain about my job a LOT. But let's be honest...who DOESN'T complain about their job every now and then? Being a teller is nothing like I imagined. (except for the "deposit and withdrawal" part). There really is a lot of stress involved, and there is a LOT more to it that simple "deposits and withdrawals." You've got about a billion federal regulations, loans, IRAs, check holds, etc. etc.

BUT...it is a good job. I love my co-workers (90% of the time)...the other 10% I just like them. And for the most part, the members rock as well. But I have a learned a lot from this job, and while I can honestly say I don't want to be a teller for the rest of my life, I am grateful that I was the one who got this job.




And for your enjoyment....If you have EVER been a Teller...you will find that all of these are SO TRUE! lol..(really people, you'd be surprised!) So, next time you go in the bank...please be nice to your teller. Chances are he/she really DOES know what he/she is doing!

50 Things I have learned by being a bank teller

1. I know everyone in the world, so I never need to ask for ID.

2. 'I'll be with you in one moment,' means 'Come right up here into my business and breathe your popcorn breath in my face for a while.'

3. Every bank in the world steals money from its customers, particularly the ones that don't keep a register.

4. I'm always kidding when I tell people a check is not any good. I'm a good kidder.

5. I know the balance of every account at the bank.

6. I am at the bank just because I feel like it; my window isn't actually open when I say, 'May I help you?'

7. I know everyone's account number.

8. I know everyone's address.

9. I don't understand how banking works..

10. I have to do whatever the person who gave my customer the check said.

11. I don't know how to count.

12. I don't know how to add.

13. I don't know what the date is.

14. I can read everyone's mind.

15. If I ask for your social, Im trying to steal your identity.

16. I know when every new coin will be arriving.

17. I know how much everyones bills are for the month.

18. We dont sell stamps.

19. We are just here for fun on most holidays, were not really open. We love when you rub it in.

20. When someone asks how you want your cash back, you are supposed to tell them after you get your money back.

21. Apparently people have different definitions of commercial.

22. Your time is more important than mine. I have no life. When you show up 5 minutes before we close to make 10 deposits or open a new account, we dont mind.

23. Everyone with the Bank name tag is related.

24. I am also your secretary.

25. We love to place holds on your checks for fun, we are the only bank that does it.

26. 13 hours and 10 minutes is not enough time for people to do their business.

27. I am in charge of the never ending popcorn, smarties, and coffee.

28. It is polite to ignore someone when they say hello.

29. It is my fault when someone cuts you in line. I should have been paying attention to you and not your money.

30. I know what a checkingdepositwithdrawal for savings is.

31. Being rude should make me want to help you more.

32. I am not really human, I should not make mistakes.

33. It is okay to go into someones office when their door is shut.

34. I have a secret collection of licenses in my cubby.

35. I cant hear. I need you to ding the bell 5 times in a row.

36. The sign that says Next Window Please is just for decoration.

37. I make people wait on purpose, its fun to make them mad.

38. I know everyones pin number to their ATM card.

38. Fraud isnt real, I should give customers exactly what they want.

39. The coin machine is my favorite thing to do.

40. The bank gives out free poinsettias at Christmas, we order them for you, not the bank. Display only means whatever you want it to mean.

41. Please and Thank You are forbidden words at the bank. We hate to hear them.

42. Checking and Savings deposit slips are EXACTLY the same, we just like the color pink and wanted to make them more colorful. Marking through the word savings changes the deposit slip completely!

43. When I tell someone the same thing over and over, Im just doing it for fun. I like to waste my breath.

44. We will break the rules for anybody as long as you gripe for more than 10 minutes.

45. I am a professional coin counter. Even when the machine is broken, I will count the coin for you by hand!

46. I am psychic; when you call I can recognize your voice and pull up your information. My computer is voice activated. Its that fancy technology we have.

47. You dont have to tell me that youve been with the bank for 50 years… I can tell.

48. Even after 5 years, I am a new teller to anyone who has never seen me before. If Ive never met you, I have no idea what Im doing.

49. I make the rules for the banking industry. You can blame everything on me!

50. I'm an idiot.

11.09.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 9

eYe-SiGhT!

For reals! Even though I have to use contacts or glasses to see clearly, I'm grateful that I can see at all. I can't imagine a world where I had NO SIGHT! I don't think I could handle it, especially knowing all the beauty that this world really does have.

So, thank you dad's side for giving me your poor eyesight...at least I have some..

and I'll take this "day of gratitude" one step further to say how grateful I am for stylish glasses. Thank you Candies for making this super cute glasses, that look better in person than in this picture.
So what if I copied my then-16-year-old-sister, and had to get the same glasses as hers (only in brown instead of black!) At least now I'm totally stylish! (I really do get a lot of compliments on my glasses, and I ALWAYS tell them I copied my baby sister! ;)

I think my next glasses will be these....(also by Candies) maybe in pink, maybe not! Who knows.

11.08.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 8

FaLL!!!

I think a lot of times, living in this area we sometimes don't get to enjoy fall. It's almost as if the snow hits as soon as summer is over and so everything is already covered in snow, but this year has been awesome for fall. We haven't had the sudden snow, so the trees have been able to take their precious time changing their leaves and falling to the ground. So pretty! I think fall has some of the prettiest colors!

Greg has to drive to Kaysville every Thursday for class, and he always talks about how cool the trees are, so we decided to take a little trip to get some pictures. Enjoy!

This one was Greg's favorite. It was this bright orange tree in the middle of all these grey ones. Pretty sweet I must say.

my fave...

11.07.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 7

Daylight Savings!

Seriously! I know it kinda sucks when it's spring and we have to "spring forward" but come fall, it's totally awesome! Who doesn't love an extra hour of sleep! I know I sure do! So that is what I choose to be grateful for today!
(c'mon...it's funny!)

11.06.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 6

I'm grateful for the time I get to spend playing XBox games with my hubby.


I never thought I would be a big gamer, but I gotta admit, my husband got me hooked. I always thought HALO was a lame game, but now it pretty much rocks. Gears of War - totally awesome!

Now, it kinda sucks that we don't have as much time to play, but there have been times in the past where we've played until 4-5 in the a.m. (but now we're grown-ups and have to go to work before noon! BOOO!)

But I always look forward to Christmas time where we try to find some super cool games for us to play, and I'm particularly looking forward to this Christmas because we MAY (or may not) get a new cool toy to go along with our XBox...We'll see how gracious Santa is feeling...

But really, I am grateful for the time (what little it is) that I get to spend cuddled up with the hubby, playing shooting games, and getting mad that I suck and can never hit the dudes (and even sucks more when we have to split up on missions, and I'm expected to do some wicked killing!) SUPER FUN!

(FYI -- we finally passed of Gears of War 2! yeah we're pretty much the best ever!)

11.05.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 5

I'm grateful for....


fRiDaYs!!!
Without Fridays, what would we have to look forward to ALL WEEK LONG?!?

Fridays are always the best, because even though one may have
to work, it still means that it's the beginning of the weekend!

Friday nights are for shopping, eating super delicious foods,
and cuddling up with the hubby on the couch, watching a movie,
some game, or the Office.

For sure Thankful for Fridays!

11.04.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 4

I've decided today that I am very grateful for my mom's crab dip recipe. (well, it may not really be hers. I don't know...but I will call it hers since that is where I got it.)

The only time she ever really made it was around Christmas time. Which is fine, I suppose since it made it all the more enjoyable. But I was able to make some the other day, and boy oh boy is it delish! If you are my friend, maybe I will make some for you for Christmas, unless, of course...you don't like crab...then I guess you're out of luck!

I'm grateful that I was able to pig out on this today for "lunch." Super deelish!
(this isn't really it. there aren't huge chunks in it like that...lol, just needed a picture!)

And if you wanted the recipe, here ya goes!

Crab Dip
2 - 8oz packages of cream cheese
1 jar cheddar cheese spread
1 1/2 lbs imitation crab
1/2 t accent
1/4 t garlic
1 t lemon juice
1 t. lemon herb
chives (optional)

Mix them all together & refrigerate.

I eat them with Ritz, but you can use it with whatever you'd like!
(so you don't get a huge jar of cheese spread...this is what I use, just not that flavor. just wanted to clarify since that ingredient wasn't very specific!)

11.03.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 3

Today I'm grateful to know that I am a "Daughter of a King."

Tonight we had our Young Women in Excellence, and our theme was "Daughter of a King." I gave a talk on the topic, and as I was preparing for it, it made me grateful to know that I really am a daughter of God, and he loves me. He loves me for who I am, and I need to learn to accept myself for who I am because, let's face it. I pretty much rock!

Our YWIE turned out really well though. After my talk, we had the girls present their projects that they've been working on, and then we called all the girls up on stage and gave them a sash that said "Daughter of a King" and had our bishop go to each of them and "crown them" and give them a rose. It was awesome. We had some background music playing and it was a really neat experience. I hope it was for the girls as well. I hope they all know that they are Daughters of a King!


And PS....so are you! :D

11.02.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 2

Don't judge me on this one...it's been a long day, and I'm kind of tired!

but after many years of my sisters making fun of me and telling me I had HUGE lips, I've decided today that I am actually very grateful for my "voluptuous lips".

I was looking at pictures I took of myself, and recalling a Rachael Ray episode where I learned how to tell if someone has had lip injections....

Your bottom lip should be 1.5x bigger than your top lip.

When I heard this, I got a little self conscious and started looking at my lips to make sure they didn't look fake. Well, everytime I looked I felt like my top lip was just as big as my bottom lip, but after looking at these pictures, I realized that it isn't entirely true. (haha...sorry, just thought I'd share!)

But I really do love my lips, and I am grateful that they are "HUGE"! (enjoy this random picture of myself! I was trying to get my hair in it...but it didn't work so well....)

11.01.2010

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 1

My fabulous friend & amazing scrapbook designer, Suzy, has presented a challenge to readers of her blog. Because I think it's a fabulous challenge, I'm going to pass it on to you.

And of course, I'm going to do it too....(at least I'll try to! ;)

Anyway...


Today, I'm grateful for a husband who loves to decorate for the "big" holidays (Halloween & Christmas!) Even though sometimes he chooses the coldest nights of the year to set up the lights, and sometimes I get frustrated with the amount of lights that we have, I really do enjoy decorating with him and seeing the final project. I think his favorite is Halloween. We have some pretty creepy things that have scared some cute little kiddos. (I'll post more pictures and write more about our Halloween later...maybe...)

But here is one of the faves....Marcus the Carcass...this year he chilled on our porch swing (so I wouldn't trip over him all the time this year!)


What are you grateful for?!?

10.25.2010

My Days....

consist of...

waking up...getting on my computer...doing the random things on that I need to...

washing my hair, eating breakfast, drying hair, putting on a little make up, get dressed, go to work..

work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work...

come home, relax, eat dinner, some computer stuff, relax, and bed!

That's really about it.


Super exciting, right?


one could say so...

or not...

but yeah...I don't even know what to blog about. kinda lame right?

I did get my hair done. I went dark with some purple (look blue) streaks that totally rock my work! It's still long, and I think I like it.

Last Saturday (16) we had a pig roast...like I literal pig roast. Dig a pit, build a fire, drop a pig in the pit, cover with blankets and newspapers, pig roast. We have a family in a ward who are from Samoa, and they did an EXCELLENT job helping out the Elder's Quorum with this dinner. It was quite the success. Greg had planed on maybe 50 people, but had over 100. I only had to run to the store once to get more ice cream, so we lucked out with the food, and had a TON of pork left over. Really, it was a 250 lb pig. And super delicious! It was a great night, and though I fully supported el presidente in his calling....I hope to never get called to the activities committee...

Anywho. Thought I'd leave you with a picture of me and part of my face and hair. It's all you get. Maybe one day I'll talk greg into getting a picture with me!

10.15.2010

I do...

Have a post

it's about homecoming that happened

only about 2 weeks ago.

maybe i'll post it...

maybe not

it's already written

i've just been to lazy to post it

because it needs pictures

and i'm too lazy to put the pictures in,

so maybe tomorrow...or Sunday!

We shall see!

10.10.2010

10.10.10

Because it's

10.10.10

I just wanted to make a post, cuz that's super cool!

(and it's Gram's birthday. She'd be 104! Crazy stuff!)

10.07.2010

Ding-Dong-Ditched

Seriously...

I didn't know people still did this...

I never expected it to happen to me...

but it did...

tonight at approximately 9:00 p.m.

mature people, real mature...

kinda funny...

but odd really...

i honestly expected someone to at least drop off cookies or something!

guess i've just never been a victim before...

so yeah..

that was the excitement for my night!

totally funny...kinda, right?

maybe it was the same person(s) that stole our flower pots back in July.....

9.26.2010

Mama?

With all the announcements of pregnancy amongst many of my friends, I thought it was time to announce my recent little surprise....


There is a certain photographer that I admire, who also happens to sell photo actions. She totally rocks, and not too long ago she was doing a giveaway for a Lensbaby. Always loving an awesome giveaway, I decided to enter. Like any giveaways there were certain things I had to do, "like me on fb" "mention this giveaway on fb" "purchase something from my shop" etc. etc. So I did those things. Now, I have entered many giveaways in my lifetime, and never won anything. So I didn't expect anything.


Imagine my surprise when about two weeks ago I check my email and see an email from Sarah of My Four Hens Photography. Even more of a surprise when the email read, "Congrats!! You are my LensBaby Composer Contest winner!!" I was super duper excited!!! I received my lensbaby about a week ago, and took it out to play for a minute just yesterday. It's a super cool lens, and I'm so excited to play with it a little more!!


Here are a few of the pics I took with it yesterday. This little grasshopper was the perfect model. Was perfectly still until I was done!

And of course I had to edit some of the pictures with Sarah's FABULOUS actions! I used her "Glory" collection on both of these. (I think! lol)

(Canary Fairy)

(Fantasia)
Needless to say Greg and I are both excited about this unexpected surprise. Me because I actually WON a giveaway (and an AWESOME one at that) and I can't wait to use this lens more, and Greg, because now he doesn't have to buy me another lens!

9.25.2010

Still....

nothing new.

Spent today working and sleeping, and eating pizza and cheese bread.

Did a little work outside.

Walked around Hastings for 20 minutes (yes, I kept time!)

Came home and did a little housework.

Cuddled with the hubby while watching a movie.

Now....just waiting to go to bed!

So busy....all the time!

But gotta love those few minutes of relaxation, right?!?

i know I do!

So, until I have another few minutes...this is all you get.

Maybe next post will be about Greg's new toy that totally freaks me out!
(it's seriously cReEPy!!!!)

9.18.2010

I've been busy!

Really...besides working my real life job, I have been busy taking photos, editing photos, and trying to keep my house clean (good thing we don't have visitors!) So until I have another 10 minute break to blog about stuff...here's a peek at what I have been doing. (to clarify...that would be EDITING this little guys' photos!)

You can see more on my photog blog or my facebook fan page

and one of my many favorites...(mostly cuz he's winking at me!)

9.15.2010

One of these days...

I'll win a fabulous giveaway... (oh wait I did!!! But I'll post it later!) lol...

but here is another blog that I've grown to love, and they're giving away some hand-stamped jewelry (which I also love!) So go over and enter yourself! Maybe you'll be the lucky one!

8.29.2010

Happy Birthday to Me!

So, you thought you missed my birthday, didn't you?

Well, you did, and I'm just late posting about my July 2 birthday, so because you missed it, now is your chance to celebrate with me! (totally kiddding...)

Anyway, so I spent my birthday working all day...12:30-7:15. Loads of fun, not to mention I was supposed to be off at 6:30, but it just so happened that the check system decided not to be our friend, so we got stuck late. But it was still a pretty good day. Greg made me the most delicious (and 100% healthy!) dinner...homemade onion rings, fries, chicken nuggets, and stuffed mushrooms. Yes, it was my request, and yes, that is probably why i look the way I do. But ever since we started making our own onion rings, I've been craving them pretty much all the time.

mmmmm...don't they look delicious!?!? (ignore all the oil that the paper towel soaked up! hehe) Super delicious indeed!

We just spent the night relaxing, and once it got dark (because for some reason Utah likes to celebrate holidays on the wrong days..) We climbed on our roof and watched some fireworks. When I was younger and the Thompson's would put on their massive fireworks show (let's face it, it was the #1 fireworks show in the entire city of Cokeville!) I loved it! But now I can only watch so much before it starts getting boring, so after watching for quite some time, we got bored and decided to climb down. Of course as soon as we got to the ground they had the "grand finale!" Perfect timing! But it was good times, none the less. Here are just a few photos.
Saturday I had to work again (totally lame!) but I made it through. We had a BBQ with some friends on Sunday, and just enjoyed a relaxing weekend (despite having to work! BOO!) But it was a great birthday still. Greg let me get a new lens for my camera, and we also found a fairly cheap treadmill on KSL that we were able to get that weekend (and yes I do use it...just don't ask where it is, and don't ever come to visit!) Sometimes I wish we had a double wide! (haha.....I'm kidding...that is a trailer park people joke)

Ahhhh, so I'm pretty much caught up on my July. I was able to spend some time with my adorable niece and nephews. I really hate that they live so far away. They just keep getting bigger and bigger everytime I see them. But they definitely love me. Lilli tells me all the time that I'm her favorite Aunt, and you can just tell that Alex and Aidan absolutely love me! I have no problem admitting that I am the best aunt in the world! But I am sad they're gone. But I was able to get some pics while they were up. (and no, shari, I haven't edited them....) but here are just a couple of the cute kids.

So yeah, that's all for now!
© GREG & BRE AULLMAN
Maira Gall