The CP

Stormy Sundays

2012-02-12T10:02:00.001-07:00

It's slushing outside. Slushing is a combination of snow and rain. BTS Cake and leftover pizza for breakfast. Netflix is providing never ending options for couch potato time. This is going to be one of those days. The kind where you eat too much and do too little. I'm totally ok with it though.

I'm trying to write on my blog every day again. It's therapeutic, forces me to take more pictures, challenges me to write something interesting even if nothing interesting is happening, and I absolutely love looking back at what we were up to a few years ago. Speaking of which.... tomorrow we will have been married for 3 years.... 3 years! Who gets married on Friday the 13th, the day before Valentines, and President's Day weekend? Us...

As we laid in bed the other night, I realized an interesting change has happened in marriages in the short time we've been married. We used to lay in bed at night, with his and hers lamps, reading a good book to wind down before we fell asleep. Now we lay in bed, perusing our smart phones with access to basically anything we need. Don't get me wrong, we read books too, and now we can read them on our phones if we want.

This picture was taken yesterday while we were hiking up Neff's Canyon. Mark says I look like something from the Sistene Chapel. Funny how yesterday we were hiking in a light jacket and sunshine, and now it's a snow storm outside. That is why I love Utah.

Better Than Sex Cake

2012-02-11T19:26:00.001-07:00

Yes I just put the word sex on my blog. Sorry Grandma. But seriously.... eating this cake is equivalent to sipping your favorite drink while sitting on the beach in a size small swimming suit surrounded by servants willing to get whatever you need at a moments notice and offering to do all of your house cleaning for the next 100 years. Maybe not quite equivalent, I think I would prefer the cake.

Ashamed to say I stole this picture. I just haven't mastered food photography yet and I didn't want you to lose your appetite after looking at my attempted picture. It is not worth the risk because if you don't try this cake you are missing out on one of the best moments of your life. I don't even like chocolate and I'm drooling just looking at the picture. The cake we made still has about 20 minutes in the fridge before it's finished and Mark had to put a pad lock on the fridge to keep me out.

Ingredients

1 pkg. devil's food, chocolate, or german chocolate cake mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk

carmel ice cream topping

1 container Cool Whip

4-5 health or Skor bars chopped up

Directions

Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan and cool for 5 minutes. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the cake. Let the cake cool for a while. Slowly pour sweetened condensed milk over the cake, letting it sink into the holes. Then drizzle some of the carmel over the top of the cake. Let cake cool completely. Top cake with whipped topping. Decorate the top with the heath bar and more carmel. Refrigerate and serve when cold!

Sad Eyes

2012-02-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday I brush Murphy on the deck.....

And every Saturday his face looks this pathetic. Pretty sure he's using his eyes to beg Mark to come rescue him. He decided to take a picture of it instead.

In celebration of our three year anniversary and Valentines next week, we are going to get massages at the spa today. AAAHHHHHHH I can't wait.

It Makes Me Sad That...

2012-02-08T20:41:00.002-07:00

This world is getting to be so dangerous.
I feel it's necessary to carry mace with me when I go anywhere without my husband.
I'm scared to one day send my kids to school.
I can't go hiking alone with my dog for fear of the Millcreek flasher.
You can't watch T.V. without seeing ridiculous amounts of trash, even children's shows.
You can't trust the mail, e-mails or any phone calls you receive because there are so many scammers in the world.

I feel like in this world... even little Utah, you have to watch your back everywhere you turn. I can't imagine the responsibility you feel once you have children to keep them safe. Sorry for the sober post, but it's been on my mind! When I hear all the terrible things that are happening around me, I realize that my problems are minuscule compared to some of the trials others are facing.

The Disastrous Adventures Of Dog Training

2012-02-07T20:46:00.002-07:00

Sometimes my dog can be a real A-face. I decided that it's time to teach Murphy to heel. He's too strong, and often too naughty and it's time to put an end to it. Well tonight was an episode of Teaching Your Dog To Heal Gone Wrong.

Our second round of learning to heal was going rather well. Murphy does good until another dog walks by, he sees a bird, a car starts, a leaf blows in the wind, he sees poo that is sniff-worthy.... who am I kidding? He has a serious case of ADHD and the slightest thing gets him distracted. He sucks as bad at paying attention as I do at keeping a secret.

We're walking up a steep path, leash wrapped half around my waist for some stability, and Murphy hating his new disciplined life. Suddenly this little energetic ball of a beagle comes out of nowhere, no owner in site. It was as if Murphy and Beagle Face were long lost best friends. Like Forest Gump and Jenny reuniting, minus the Washington Monument and water, and much much faster. Murphy raced downhill at full speed, knocking me on my butt.

There was nothing I could do except stay on my butt and act as an anchor to this maniac dog. The beagle ran circles around me as Murphy tested the elasticity and strength of his leash. I knew if I let go, Murphy's loyalty would be to the beagle and not to me. Not to the one that walks him no matter what the weather, pays for his food, cleans up his messes, and constantly shares treats with him.

Somehow the leash wrapped around my wrist, and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to let the leash go. Murphy and the beagle could run off into the sunset and make little ridgeback/beagle babies..... ridgegles, and live happily ever after. Murphy's excitement was much stronger than my butt acting as an anchor, and he pulled me over. There I am.... being pulled down hill on my back, my hand turning blue from no circulation, and I'm yelling, "Muuuuurphy! I hate you so much!!!"

I was finally able to get some slack, and untangle the leash. I stood up, praying that no one was around. I noticed creepy smoker man standing on his balcony watching the circus show I was in. It would have been nice if he offered to do something other than stare at me as if he wasn't at all amused, even though I know he totally was. I gave him a half smile, picked up my dignity, and started down the hill.

Not two seconds went by before Murphy had run a circle around a lamp post. The beagle was loving running back and forth to see how far Murphy's leash would allow him to reach. 2 or 3 good tugs and the lamp post was nearly pulled out of the ground. I left it artistically leaning at a 45 degree angle. I'm sure creepy dude was loving the show.

I eventually made it back to my apartment, right as the beagle's owner conveniently decided to call her dog. Everything that happened was the exact opposite of teaching him how to heal. I love Murphy, but sometimes he wipes me out physically, financially, and emotionally! Can you believe such a cute little face is capable of so much mischief?

Warm Weekends and Longer Days Puts Me In A Good Mood

2012-02-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend was awesome for many reason:

Sleeping in (yes, 7 AM is sleeping in for me).

Catching up on cleaning and groceries.

Making pancakes for breakfast.

Playing tennis. 1.5 games and I am SORE. My tennis muscles are a little out of shape.

Long sunshine filled walks in mountains.

Naps on the couch with Murphy.

Lots of frozen yogurt!

We also broke away from the same 10 dinner recipes we make over and over again..... and made this Lasagna Soup.

Monday comes so fast!

Ok, Just A Few Items of Business:

2012-02-02T21:00:00.002-07:00

-My dog is seriously a freaking monster. He has this rubber duck he chewed the butt off of and he carries it everywhere. When he decides it's time to play fetch he shoves the slobbery buttless duck in your face over and over until you get so sick of it you throw the duck. It's the beginning of a never ending cycle of the worlds worst game of fetch.

-Lately I have a serious man appetite. Like a never ending hunger comparable to a high school football player. I am capable of eating an appetizer while cooking, dinner, dessert, and then a pre-bedtime snack.

-We signed another contract for our apartment.... until November. UGH! I had some serious plans to have jobs in the same zip code, a house, a yard for Murphy, and a smaller gasoline bill by now.

-Tax returns..... woooohoooo!

-Please read this absolutely hilarious post about bras...

Have I Ever Mentioned That I Love Snowboarding?

2012-01-29T17:25:00.001-07:00

Nothing compares to a sunny day, boarding in the trees, and spending time with Mark and my brothers. My snowboarding muscles are a tad bit out of shape though... I feel like I just ran five marathons.

Once In A While I Don't Have To Go To Work Until 9

2012-01-25T09:03:00.001-07:00

These days are awesome. I can make a smoothie, take my dog running, put a little thought into my outfit, eat breakfast at the table rather than in the car, and actually brush my hair. And I even have time to blog about it.

All The Things We Didn't Get To Do Over Christmas Break

2012-01-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

Snow.... finally! Beautiful, glorious, clean, white, wonderful snow!

Night boarding at Brighton, sledding in Kamas, frozen socks and shoes, hot chocolate...... it's almost like Christmas all over again.

A Better Person

2012-01-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

Mark has a basketball game in Kamas tonight. Me? The Wonder Years, Macaroni n' Cheese straight out of the pot, christmas pajamas, and a minty green face mask. I think this is proof that I'm a better person when my husband is around.

A new who-walks-Murphy-who-cooks-dinner schedule with Mark has provided time for me to start working out again. I feel like I'm always pretty active, but that's different than putting on work out clothes, my headphones, and dedicating a good 45 minutes to cardio and weights. It's some much needed me time and a great stress reliever. Until this week, I hadn't lifted weights in a few months. I nearly cried raising my arms to straighten my hair this morning.

Still no pictures of my new hair. Arms..... too sore..... to lift...... camera......

Pictureless

2012-01-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

*I cut my hair!!! I'm loving it, but due to my lack of a shower this week.... I mean.... today..... I'll have to post a picture at another time.
*We saw the new Mission Impossible last night with some friends. I'm not a big Tom Cruise fan, but it was fun to go out!
*Thanks to Park City inviting the indians to do a Snow Ceremony over the weekend, we are getting snow. SNOW SNOW SNOW!!!
*I am one of the few people that works at a school and actually has to work tomorrow. No snowboarding for me. That's ok, everyone is going to be powder hungry mungry.
*My moose dog weighs 68 pounds now! When will it end?
*Our anniversary is coming up! What to do? What to do?
*I have some pictures to share, but could not muster up the energy to put them on the computer. So this is all you get. I know I know.... my blogging quality has been going downhill for some time now. I'm working on it.

Love/Hate

2012-01-09T21:26:00.001-07:00

Love

-Raising Hope. The only other show that makes me laugh that hard is 30 Rock, but I can relate to Raising Hope so much more.
-Only 1 pound to go until I've lost those dang 4 holiday pounds that came so quickly, and are leaving so slowly.
-Days are getting loooonger!
-When Murphy gets excited and starts biting Mark's ears and paw slapping his face.
-That moment after you've brushed your teeth, washed your face, combed your hair, and you climb into bed. Aaaaahhhhhhhh......

Hate

-Waiting 2 more months for the Hunger Games movie to come out..... come on you're killing me!
-Our lack of good snow. I have 4 snowboarding passes burning a hole in my pocket!
-Commuting.
-The wonderful tasty banana bread I made.... that stuck to the pan.
-I went shopping for 2 hours tonight and came home empty handed. I think it's because I didn't have any makeup on. Every time I looked in the mirror I felt like what I tried on made me look bad.
-Crossed. Blah. Matched was not so bad, but Crossed took me several months to finish only to be disappointed by a bad ending.

Happy Holidays

2012-01-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late in sharing my pictures from the holidays. I didn't take as many as I would have liked, but I was too busy eating good food, enjoying warm weather, and laughing with friends and family!

Recent Photography

2012-01-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Now that the holidays are over, I'm excited for photo sessions to pick up again. I seriously love it so much! I started having photography withdrawals about mid-December. I just die when I can capture a genuine laugh from a child, gorgeous evening sunlight, a beautiful family, or the look of excited new love an engaged couple gives each other. I'm still learning so much, and loving every second of it! I'm also saving up one of these babies: a Canon 7D and an upgraded lens..... *drool, moan, kissing and hugging computer screen*. You could say my relationship with that camera is somewhat lustful. Multiply pretty little pennies... multiply!

I recently took pictures for my little brother that just turned 16, and also my best friend's family. Click on each of the pictures below to see more!

Icy River Sliding

2011-12-27T20:28:00.001-07:00

This is the most fun I've had since first grade when my best friend and I would roll up in silky sleeping bags and slide down the stairs. We had no idea we would find this frozen river when we took Murphy up Neff's Canyon for a little hike today.

Heatless Curls Tutorial

2011-12-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

Untitled from Jamie Walker on Vimeo.

Christmas Recovery

2011-12-26T22:53:00.001-07:00

No more treats..... too much..... must stop.......

Today we recovered from our Christmas hangover. Putting presents away, eating leftovers, cleaning our apartment, working out, watching our dog lay around like a pouty half-dead slug. He's got up maybe 5 times today, just to walk to another place and plop down again. Poor Murph, he had a treat/excitement overload. This Christmas was so warm we seriously considered barbecuing. It felt like something was missing without the snow around. One of the things I look forward to the most is sledding with my family so I was a little disappointed we didn't get to do that, but still enjoyed every second with them! Due to being completely consumed with good food and good company, I didn't take many pictures, but I will share the few that I did soon.

Healthy Ramen

2011-12-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

I've been trying make a healthy, japenesish soup for a while now. You know I'm always trying to find ways to make vegetables eatable. In my first version the broth was made with chicken broth, ginger, and sesame oil. Tasted like toilet water. Every time I tried the soup I kept thinking, "I wish this tasted like Top Ramen". I decided to stop trying different online recipes and make my own. I don't know if everyone would like this.... but I have had it three meals in a row now. It's low fat, low carbs, and super tasty! Recipe below.

Ingredients

Maifun rice sticks
1 carrot
1 celery stock
2 C spinach
2 packets of Top Ramen seasoning

Directions

Boil carrots and celery in 4 cups of water until soft. The directions on the noodles say to deep fry them, but they are really good boiled! Add the uncooked noodles and spinach. Boil for 2 minutes or until noodles are soft. Add the top ramen seasoning. That's it!

Heatless Curls

2011-12-21T19:56:00.001-07:00

Behold: my first camera in the mirror pictures.

Before

After

I was going to do a video tutorial, but taking my first mirror self portrait was already a big step to girly silliness. I generally make fun of videos with girls talking about how they do their hair or makeup and I'm not sure I want to subject myself to such ridicule. It might be worth it though. This took me 5 minutes before bed, and 5 minutes to do in the morning. Way better than curlers or a curling iron. All you need is a headband, wrap your hair around it in the fancy special way, get some beauty rest, and in the morning.... wala! Voluminous bouncing curls that last all day. I pulled mine back because the front curls were much smaller than the ones in back. Next time around I will do it a little differently.... and maybe I will post a video of it. Maybe.

Speed Bumps

2011-12-20T20:45:00.002-07:00

There were some definite speed bumps in my day today.... it was kind of a rough one. It began with the unfortunate series of events leading up to Mark's flat tire. The one day in years that we only had one car, Mark got a flat tire several miles from home.... at 7:00 AM. This is a problem for two reasons: We don't have any friends ~~that live near us~~, and even if we did, 7 is too early to call someone anyway. Well I called our neighbor who walks Murphy (she is a saint) and asked her if I could use her car. Then her car wouldn't start, so Mark was on his own. Good thing he is rough and tough and manly and can change a tire.

When the tire guy told me I was going to need 4 new tires so the wear on the tread would be the same, I almost threw up on him. I quickly recovered and just stared at him, mouth open, for a good 8 seconds. I pondered his analysis for a moment, and then said no way Jose. I'll buy one used tired that has the same tread as the other three. Peace.

So I'm feeling a little stressed my friends, and it definitely has nothing to do with the fact that I'm waiting until Thursday to do my first Christmas shopping trip..... nothing to do with that at all. Or our tire, or my other car that is due for her 60,000 mile maintenance which I hear is quite pricey. I think the stress is coming from too much sugar. My body doesn't know how to handle it.

While not browsing Pinterest I came across some quotes that really sums things up.

Never again will I wait until my Christmas break to do shopping. I thought this would be the least stressful tactic. Turns out, it's a disaster. I think I'll start shopping for next year in January, and buy one present a month.

No...... more........ Christmas........ treats.......

Christmas is not about the presents, cars cost money, dogs eat couches, junk food causes weight gain.... these are all facts of life I just need to learn to accept. No point in stressing. Just change what you can, and let the rest be.

So I don't think money in any way brings happiness, but it sure brings less stress when you're smart with what you have. This is a hard time of year to remember to stay within your means, but it's important! Mark and I are learning to cut out the things we don't really want or need, for the things that we really do. Sometimes budgeting sucks, but you just have to do it.

Patience: something I'm still learning. Sometimes I get so angry that we work so far away from home, that we can't buy a house because of it, that we spend a lot on commuting, that I don't have more time in the day, well boohoo. At least we have good jobs that we love, and that we have cars we can drive to work, and because we don't have to work nights or weekends, we see each other a lot more than some couples. Some day we will have a house close to our jobs and things will be even better, but until then we have it pretty good.

I can be a grouch monster. I'm like Oscar the Grouch on a bad day when I'm stressed. I've had several of those moments where you look back and think, "I was that upset about that? What a freakin' wacko." Lucky for me, my husband is a sweetheart. I think he's accepted my crazy spaz out moments, and knows the perfect thing to say to make me chill out. After some ice cream and a moment or two, I stop being so dramatic and realize the world is not ending. When I apologize for my over dramatic grouchiness, he let's it go. Girls hold onto things far too long, and guys can forgive and forget so quickly. I guess that's why we're the emotional ones. If they remembered all the crazy moments girls have, they might run away.

Because this was a rather heavy and somewhat downer of a post, I thought I would leave off on a good note with this picture. Princess Murphy doesn't like to sit on cold hard rocks. He decided my sister's feet was the closest thing to a couch he was going to get I guess. What a fancy pants.

Video About a Monster and More

2011-12-19T07:34:00.001-07:00

My first official day of Christmas break and I'm up at 5:30! By the time my body realizes I can sleep in, it will be time to go back to work. I haven't taken any pictures lately which is my usual motivation for blogging. With many Christmas parties/sledding/snowboarding/good food around the corner, I'll soon have something worth photographing and something worth blogging about. Until then please enjoy my ramblings and this video. Unless we are closely related, you probably won't find this video of my dog funny at all. If you are related to me, and feel like Murphy is part of your family then you might enjoy it. Please don't mind how good I'm looking first thing in the morning.

And as if this post wasn't random enough.... I have a few more thoughts:

First off.... Pinterest. I was very reluctant to open a Pinterest account. In a moment of complete and utter boredom, I caved. I got a glimpse of the photography and couldn't resist. And it took two weeks for my invitation to come. Two weeks people? I do not really care for it much, if you've seen my boards they are very bare. Pinterest is my very last go to after I have exhausted all other hobbies and time fillers including washing my hair, cleaning my toilet, organizing the fridge, doing my nails, bathing my dog, and watching all available documentaries on Netflix. So I'm not saying I don't like Pinterest, I'm just saying it's my last resort.

Second.... as I tried to secretly take a little break at work and read a blog or two, I had to get up from my desk and leave in tears because of this blog. Literally laughing till I cried. Needless to say, my "break" wasn't secret anymore. And I was excited to see this follow up post yesterday. Finally something to replace the lack of writing going on at Hyperbole.

Third.... The Civil Wars. I can not get enough! I haven't been this obsessed with an artist or band since Shania Twain when I was 10. Weather you've heard of them or not, watch these videos I have provided for your convenience and be amazed. Their folksy sound and beautiful harmonies are so relaxing and almost make me look forward to my commute.

Christmas Break

2011-12-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

It's finally here. My two week long Christmas Break! This is very much needed for several reasons: I'm tired, I have not done any Christmas shopping, Murphy recently decided our couch makes a good chew toy so he need constant supervision, and I need to do some serious snowboarding. The problem is there is NO SNOW! I love winter more than anything when it's cold and snowy. But cold without snow stinks. I have several things on my to do list including, make homemade muffins, ponder cutting my hair, eat lots of holiday treats, and go to the gym every morning with Mark at 5:30! And then get back in bed...

Last Night at Dinner Mark said....

2011-12-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Mark: Mountain Dew and I just aren't as close as we used to be. We still see each other, but it's just not the same.

Jamie: I know what you mean. It's probably better though. She wasn't healthy for you. You're better off.

Mark: I know, I know. It's just hard sometimes. I've been seeing water a lot though lately.

Jamie: Water? Really?

Mark: Yeah. She's really bland and sometimes boring, but there's just something I like about her. She makes me feel good inside.

Mark's been throwing out the candy and soda, and eating healthy guys. This means I can cook all the whole wheat, veggie recipes I ever dreamed of. And he eats them! Eating veggies and funny too. I love this guy!

A Christmas Tradition

2011-12-05T19:17:00.002-07:00

I don't think there has been one year that I have not gone to see the lights at Temple Square. This year was especially cold, romantic, and beautiful. We went with some friends of ours and to Village Inn after for some late night treats!

Rough Day Folks.... Rough Day

2011-12-01T20:10:00.003-07:00

I'm lying in bed with my computer propped at the craziest angle. I was stretching my neck a few minutes ago and pulled something wicked bad. Literally can not move my head. I'm in a lot of pain right now, but that's now the worst part. Mark is gone playing basketball and Murphy slid his favorite toy under the couch. He won't stop barking and when I tried to bend down to get it, I pulled my neck worse. I feel like I'm 99 years old. All I want is a heat pad, Murphy to shut up, and my husband, aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.

As you can see I have nothing interesting to write about, but I've already looked at every website possible and I still have another hour until Mark will be home to rescue me. This has been one crappy day people. The winds were so bad along the Wasatch Front that I didn't leave to go to work until an hour after I was supposed to be there. Half way into the drive I wish I had stayed home. I've never been that scared driving in my life. I felt like I was in a scene from Twister. Everything was flying across the freeway and hitting cars: garbage cans, billboard signs, tree branches. I think I saw everything flying in the air except a cow. Now I understand what people mean when they say they were white knuckling it. As soon as I walked into the school I started crying. It was so nerve wracking and I guess I was that relieved I had made it!

If anyone is reading this, I will pay you a lot of money to bring me a heat pad and raspberry banana shake.

Turkey Day in the Desert

2011-11-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

Every other year my Dad's side of the family goes to Moab for Thanksgiving. A little dutch oven turkey, 4-wheeling, hiking, and sunshine. It's one of my favorite family traditions! Everything about the trip, especially the weather, was perfect this year. The only downside was when Murph had a little run in with a 4-wheeler. He's a bit sore today, but doing ok. I feel like an idiot for letting him run with the 4-wheelers after Mark said it was a bad idea. I feel so rejuvenated though after four days of sunshine and playing. The best part is only three more weeks of work until my two week long Christmas break!

The Adventure Hoodie

2011-11-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

I have this hoodie my Mom bought for me in Oregon when I was 14 or 15. I was packing for our trip to Moab this morning and as I pulled it out I realized how many good memories I have while wearing it.

It's been on several camping trips, hikes, and vacations with me. It's thick, warm, super heavy duty, and somehow water resistent. It's perfect for every adventure which is why I always take it and I still have it 10 years later! I don't care if it's old, every fuzzy and lint ball sticks to it, and I already have 463,378 pictures of me wearing it. I can't imagine an adventure without it and I don't tend to get rid of this hoodie anytime soon.

Pioneer Hair

2011-11-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

I was looking at pictures the other day and came across this:

And this:

Holy sick what is my hair doing?

Sometimes my hair looks like this though:

But that must be on really good days. Most of the time I look like a pioneer woman I bet. Not the Pioneer Woman. I don't care about her hair, but she's pretty much my idol. I'm talking Little House on the Prairie hair. And I don't even have a bonnet to hide under.

So the time has come. I've decided to cute it short. Not short short.... just short. It may be a week or two... but get ready hair, it's choppy choppy time.

Deck The Halls

2011-11-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

Decorating to David Archuleta Holiday Pandora, the smell of cinnamon bread in the oven, turkey in the crockpot, and a pine tree candle. Nothing could be yummier.

Banana Feet

2011-11-20T06:38:00.001-07:00

If you don't like looking at pictures of snow, you just might want to stop reading my blog until April or so. We can't get enough of it! Yesterday we went hiking in Neff's Canyon. Turns out we need some of these ice cleats if we're going to do much hiking around in the snow. I might as well had banana peels for shoes on the hike down. At one point I just squat back on my heels and had Mark drag me because I could not stay on my feet.

Today we are baking cinnamon bread and breaking out the Christmas decor! I know you're supposed to wait until after Thanksgiving, but we will be out of town the entire weekend and I just want to come home to Christmas! Last year we bought our tree before Thanksgiving. That tree had as much of a chance at surviving as a popsicle in the oven. It was dead before Christmas, we just go too excited! This year I doubt we can get a tree due to our vegetation eating dog.

Just two days of work next week and then we head to Moab for some hiking, 4 wheeling, and dutch oven turkey dinner. It's one of my favorite family traditions!

Things To Look Forward To

2011-11-14T22:04:00.001-07:00

I always try to enjoy the present, but it's also fun to have something to look forward to.

The day that I get my new camera and lens.
First snowboarding day of the season.
The Hunger Games movie.
Our family tradition of going to Moab for Thanksgiving.
2 week long Christmas Break.
Mark shaving off his Christmas beard. Even though it hasn't begun yet, I can't wait for it to go away.
Murph's first Christmas.
Boyd and Bekah moving back from Georgia.
Sledding.
Parking in a garage this winter. 6:45 AM car scraping sucks.

Goodbye Fall

2011-11-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend I said goodbye to fall and welcomed winter with open arms.

I attended this wonderful event at my school Friday night: Our second annual silent auction.

The power went out. No complaints here. We lit some candles and reminisced about how excited power outages were as kids.

Did some fun photo sessions and edited these pictures. Click the picture to see the rest.

I wore argyle tights to church.

Then we dressed in our winter best and went exploring. Apparently our african dog loves the snow... and his hoodie.

Rexy

2011-11-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

My Mom and I went to Rexburg this weekend to visit my sister at school. It was so fun to spend some girl time together and see how much Rexy is growing! We ate delicious food, laughed a lot, and partied it up! And by that I mean we stayed up past 10:00 two nights in a row! I'll let the pictures tell the rest.

Seasons

2011-11-04T09:51:00.001-06:00

I love fall. In fact, I love every season. Once one season starts, I start to get excited for the one coming after that. I'm always looking forward to the future changes, but enjoying every second of the current season. Utah is wonderful because we have summer, fall, winter, spring, beautiful mountains, amazing snow, and incredible deserts. We almost have it all, the only thing lacking is an ocean.

That was the long way around saying, I've loved every second of fall and I'm getting so excited for our first big snow!

This weekend my Mom and I are going to Idaho to visit my sister at school. I'm so excited to have some girl time and visit Rexburg again!

What's Your Thing?

2011-11-02T20:49:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been noticing..... people. Everyone has very unique mannerisms.... they way they talk, walk, move their hands, pull that weird face... etc. All those weird character traits and mannerisms are what makes somebody unique.... they're what makes someone them. Often when I meet a person just briefly, there is one thing that sticks out, the one thing that I remember them by: crazy eye brows, awesome laugh, awkward walk, great hair, shifty eyes, good makeup, talks to close, ends each sentence with nervous creeper laugh, uses um every other word, great smile, and so on. These aren't the things that make someone who they are, but they are things that stand out when first meeting a person.

What I would really like to know is what's my "thing"? What's the thing that people remember? "Oh yeah, that girl with the pioneer hair", or "I remember her, she talks super fast and laughs about everything". I don't know what my "things" are, but those are some guesses. Too bad I can't people watch myself.

Let me leave you with this picture of nap time.

Hey Baby, Wanna Smoke?

2011-10-21T08:17:00.000-06:00

Now picture me reading that title with the hoarsest, scratchiest, smokiest, oldest lady voice you can imagine. That's what I've sounded like for the past two days. And now it's turned into nothing more than a whisper. I can text and type, but no phone calls. Seriously lost my voice. How do you lose your voice? What physically happens in there that makes my voice only capable of sounding like a dying frog? And it's UEA.... not sure what that stands for, but it means every student in Utah doesn't have to go to school Thursday or Friday which means I don't have to go to work. The majority of people go on vacation, but I am spending my days shopping, running errands, and trying to use sign language to communicate with people. It makes trying to ask the produce guy where I can find garlic rather complicated.

I'm not going to include any pictures or self portraits of my current state. Just imagine me wrapped in a purple blanket, holding a cup of tea, next to a box of tissues and cough drops, with vicks vapor rub fumes surrounding me.

I Take Back The Time I Said I Had an Angel Dog

2011-10-19T19:47:00.000-06:00

Family Pictures

2011-10-15T21:54:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we went up the canyon in search for beautiful fall leaves to get some family pictures done by our friend Clint Carver (click here to check out his stuff). Instead of fall, we found winter!

This May Have Made Me Cry

2011-10-13T20:06:00.000-06:00

I'm not one to usually post You Tube videos, but I could watch this one 1000 times. In fact I think I have. And it makes me cry.... I don't really have any words to describe how amazing this song is so you will just have to watch it.

Columbus Day, Adams Canyon, and Hilarious Pictures of the Murph.

2011-10-10T18:48:00.000-06:00

Mark had the day off for Columbus Day so of course I couldn't let him have all the fun without me. We went hiking up Adams Canyon and holy cow my legs are sore. Even Murphy has done nothing but sleep since we got home. I know I post a million pictures of Murphy because he's basically like our child, but these ones are my favorite and I couldn't resist. I laugh every time I look at them.

Bananas Foster

2011-10-09T08:37:00.001-06:00

I don't know how it's taken me this long to discover the heavenly bliss of bananas foster. It's 3 of my favorite things combined: bananas, cinnamon, and vanilla ice cream. I first discovered Haagen Dazs bananas foster and fell in love. Because Haagen Dazs' version is a limited edition and contains a thanksgiving dinner's worth of calories, I concocted my own version. Traditionally bananas foster is cooked with liquor and/or rum, but my version does not.

Ingredients

1-2 bananas

2 tbs butter

Cinnamon

Brown sugar

Sugar

Vanilla ice cream

Directions

1. Slice the bananas up.

2. Melt the butter in a frying pan.

3. Add the bananas and sprinkle with as much cinnamon and the sugars as you want. The more the better.

4. Flip the bananas over a few times and let cook 1-2 minutes until the sugar has caramelized.

5. Let the bananas and sauce stand until almost completely cool before pouring over vanilla ice cream.

These pictures are not very appetizing. Photography food is very hard, especially mushy bananas covered in a brown sauce. Don't let the pictures fool you. This dessert is fantastic.

Couch Time

2011-10-08T17:03:00.000-06:00

It's a Saturday night and I'm sitting at home, just me and Murph, in my sweats. That must mean there is a BYU game. Murphy is only in a cuddly mood as often as I'm in the mood for Top Ramen: about once a week. Not often enough for Murph cuddles, too often for Top Ramen cravings.

Mark and I went car shopping today. We are once again Jeep owners. Buying cars always stresses me out, and I always tear up in the dealership. Totally embarrassing, but it's a stressful decision! I can't imagine the wreck I'll be when we purchase a house. Those car guys are so pushy I nearly punched one in the face. Hopefully I won't have to deal with that again for a long time. We both plan to keep our cars until they are basically dead, which hopefully will be several years away. And on a side note.... I've been on a search for the perfect yellow scarf. Mission accomplished today.

Gay Light Savings

2011-10-06T19:45:00.000-06:00

Seeing the snow in the mountains today made me so excited for winter! As you may know, winter is my favorite season. There is only one down side: daylight savings. I dread daylight savings more than I dread going to the gynecologist. That's a lot of dreading.

I love this picture because of the snow and the sun; the two go hand in hand. Summer nights rock, but winter nights are not so great. I don't understand the point of daylight savings. All I know is I wake up and drive to work in the dark, and then I get home right as the sun is going down. That only leaves me in the mood for heavy creamy warm food, sweats, and the couch. I've come to the conclusion that daylight savings is a contributing factor to America's obesity.

Why I Blog

2011-10-05T21:46:00.001-06:00

I've taken a bit of a break from blog reading and writing lately. To be honest, it started to bug. I feel like so many people blog not because they like to write, but because they like knowing that people are reading about their lives. At times it's a popularity contest, an adult version of high school. To say I don't care if people read my blog wouldn't be true. If you didn't care at all if anyone read your blog you would either A. Not have a blog or B. Keep a journal. I like being able to share things with my friends and family, make people laugh by sharing embarrassing stories, and if there is a stranger or two out there that finds my arbitrary pictures and writing interesting thats awesome. There are several stranger's blogs I follow for various reasons: to learn something new, because we have a lot in common, we don't have a lot in common but they are higher than me on the cool scale and I would like to be like them, witty writing makes me laugh, etc....

There was a period of time when I was comment crazy. Comment here, comment there, comment everywhere. In return my blog gained several new readers and several comments itself. As soon as I stopped commenting so much, my readers were dropping like current interest rates. I continued to read the blogs I love, but only left a comment once in a while when I had an honest sincere thing to say. It's flattering to know that people like to read your writing, but the standard "nice pics", and "looks like you had a fun weekend" comments from complete strangers seemed so lame to read or to say to other people.

It seems that some people blog and read other blogs for comments and "followers". I've mentioned this before, but how creepy is it that we have "followers"? Sounds very cult like to me. Come.... join my blog..... be a CP follower..... do not look back......you are mine now........ buuuahahahhaha!

Now I can step down from my soapbox. I prefer sitting anyway. I'm ready to start blogging more again. There's so many great things that I've skipped, such as the incredible potatoes and chicken we made tonight with fresh herbs. Photographing and writing about good food never gets old. I'm not going to blog for comments, followers, or to gain sponsors. Not that there is anything wrong with that. If I could make money writing about my life I would. But nothing is more annoying than blogs that are a giveaway or about a sponsor every other post. What? Somehow I tripped and fell onto that soapbox again.

I'm going to continue documenting our life on this little blog for many reasons:
-I love taking pictures.
-I love designing blogs.
-It's an outlet for my artistic side.
-It's great to make other people laugh, even if those occasions are few and far between.
-I hate scrap booking more than doing dishes.
-I want to document our life weather it's repetitive and lame or exciting and adventurous.
-Because I know of at least 2 people that enjoy reading my writings: my Mom and Grandma.
-Because I have made some bloggy friends that I may not get the chance to meet, but we have a lot in common and enjoy getting to know each other through the wacky things we blog about. Modern day pen pals.
-Because I just want to.

And I'm going to keep reading your blogs because I love them! But I may not leave a comment haha.

Now that I got all of that out of me, let me share this picture with you. Mark sent me flowers at work for my birthday which has always been kind of a dream of mine haha. I know this was forever ago, but I have a little bit of catching up to do! Seriously, such a sweetheart.

Photography Love

2011-09-27T22:11:00.001-06:00

The more I take pictures for people the more I enjoy it! Photographing happy people and then seeing how happy they are when they love a picture is so exciting! I really hope to continue learning more about photography and growing my business as time goes on. Check out the shoot I did this last weekend by clicking on the picture below.

This Dog Has Some Crazy Ears Yo

2011-09-25T10:26:00.000-06:00

Smiling Murphy?

I mentioned yesterday that we were going to Tuscany for my birthday. Holy mamma mia I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I'm still recovering from the gluttony and over indulgence. It was worth every bite though.

Quarter of a Century

2011-09-24T16:48:00.001-06:00

This guy is a sweetheart. But he's not going to be so happy when he sees a collage of his are-you-really-making-me-pose-for-pictures-faces. It's my birthday, and he's making it the best day ever. Several plans fell through thanks to a blown out knee, ding dong flower deliverers, and me ruining the dinner reservations. All those things don't matter though. We spent some time in the mountains today, we're going to dinner at Tuscany (yummy yummy oh my goodness I can't wait), and I'm getting a season pass to the Canyons. Whoo hoooo! There couldn't be a better birthday. Unless it snowed I guess. That would be pretty cool.

Restful Weekend

2011-09-18T19:46:00.000-06:00

This weekend Mark hasn't been feeling to well so we didn't do much. The couch and I had some much needed time together, it's been a while. Today we wanted to get out for a little fresh air and sunshine. Who knows how many more days like this we'll have. We went to Wheeling Farm and Murphy was a maniac. He wanted to chase every animal in site. I now have sore arms and an achy shoulder from trying to control him. He's getting so big and strong! Ahhh! Afterwards we came home for a little BBQ. Bacon wrapped chicken yumminess.

Come Back To Me

2011-09-15T20:52:00.001-06:00

I sure wish these things would come back.... and even if some of them don't come back in style, I might bring them back anyway.

Scrunchies- Such a functional item. Cute bracelet/wrist accessorie, and not only does it hold your hair in a pointy tail, it actually makes your pony tail have more body than a rubber band because it's so puffy.
Shirt ring things- I have no idea what these are really called. You know the plastic circular items that you could tuck oversize shirts into? How could you not want to wear an oversize shirt? It's comfy, it hides anything you want to hide, and it looks cute when you tuck it into a shirt right thing. Also, everyone can share clothes because one size fits all!
TGIF- Family Matters, Step by Step.... TV is just going downhill these days.
Tying your flannel long sleeve shirt around your waste. This serves two purposes: hides ugly pant pockets, and when it gets cold you automatically can transform your outfit into a warm one.
Slap bracelets- These are so awesome, I don't think I need to even elaborate on the reasons why fashion is just not the same without them.
Zots and Kablueys- Something about dying your entire mouth blue and filling it with fizzing candy is just too fun.

50 Years Together

2011-09-14T19:39:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated my Grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. 50 years! They are such a great example to me. They do lots of camping and traveling together, and they're always holding hands. I basically hope to be just like them when I'm older. Sometimes I can't believe I've been married for over 2 years because we're still learning so much about each other, and other times it seems like we've been married forever! Because people are constantly learning, changing, and growing, I suppose that you will always have something new to learn about your spouse. How boring would things be otherwise?

My little sister is missing in these pictures because she is at college now. We missed you Lauren!

Dog Lake

2011-09-11T20:22:00.001-06:00

Hiking to Dog Lake is such a good work out for Murphy, and it nearly kills us. I love hiking, but I'm not sure if the continuous up hill hike is worth because Murphy doesn't even get in the lake at the end. Either way, we had a blast. And I went a little crazy with the picture editing program on my phone.

Fall

2011-09-10T08:08:00.002-06:00

Something is in the air, and whatever it is, it's making me go crazy. Within the past 10 days I've turned into a ravenous, starving, junk food hungry, snack attack, candy monster. Please make it stop. Someone said it's because the weather is changing. I guess my body knows winter is coming so it's time to fatten up to keep warm! Thank heavens for big coats and sweaters to hide behind. I can not wait for fall to be here! We've definitely stocked up on mulled cider candles, and cinnamon-nutmeg-fall-smelling oils.

This picture is from fall 2008 when we were dating long distance. We started dating in September, exactly three years ago. I don't feel like it's really been that long!

Bad Things Come In Threes

2011-09-07T17:38:00.000-06:00

My bike mysteriously fell off the bike rack Monday on the way to spend a fun holiday in the mountains. A diesel ran it over and a few other cars bumped into it. And when you "bump" into something while driving 80 MPH it tends to damage it pretty good. It could have been so much worse and I'm glad no one was driving right behind us, but this seriously sucks. We just bought our bikes! I guess Mark can still ride his bike and I'll ride Murph. He's getting big enough you know.

The same day Mark lost his wallet. Loosing your wallet is just the start of many annoying events that will follow: Getting a new license. Canceling all debit and credit cards. Calling any companies that have automatic payments associated with those cards. UGH.

And just to make sure that the sucky events didn't end on an even number, someone backed into our car yesterday. This is all such a pain and happened so closely together you can't help but laugh.

C'est la vie. Right?

Bargains Baby

2011-09-04T07:13:00.002-06:00

I finally have a fancy pants phone which took this picture of our little family driving somewhere fun. Pretty good quality huh? I know everyone else's phone can take pictures this good too, but it's a first for me! So far I've only taken pictures of my dog, I guess I need to branch out a little. This is what Murphy does the entire drive, two paws on the back seat, two paws on the console. What a goof.

Remember when I talked about yard sales a while ago? Well I had a hay day yesterday. I went to yard sales in the morning, and the D.I. and Old Navy in the afternoon. I spent $60 and basically have a full fall wardrobe, minus the shoes. Used shoes are not my thing. I scored some new jeans, a scarf, DKNY jacket, Charlotte Russe shirt dress, belt, pants for work, brand new Nike hat, two Gap sweaters, a few long sleeve shirts, and a bike rack. I'm not one to post pictures of my outfits, so hopefully you can use your imagination. The bike rack was not meant to be listed as a clothing item, but you can picture me wearing it if you want.

Summarization

2011-09-01T21:02:00.000-06:00

I write so infrequently now that I now just kind of summarize the events in my life. I hate that. Not that the events in my life are exciting enough to write volumes about, but apparently I was born with the ability to write several paragraphs regarding things like my socks and beauty products. I've officially finished editing pictures and man oh man it's a lot of work! I'm starting to learn why other photographers charge so much. Now maybe I will have the desire to take pictures of my own life and start writing again. Until then.... how about a little summarization of the past week?

Breakfast in bed from my sweet husband and dog. Best boys ever.
We watched scary movies all weekend. Now I can no longer walk through the dark gym at school or close my eyes in the shower without picturing a creeper coming in the bathroom while I'm not looking.
Our bike rack broke. Stupid $90 of plastic. Hopefully I can find a not-so-crappy one for much cheaper going to yard sales with my Mom this weekend!
Love my job. Hate dealing with rude people. Maybe I'll visit them where they work and go in to harass them and make a big scene.
Mark and I both only had to work half the day today. We spent the afternoon on a date eating frozen yogurt, seeing The Help, and having Japanese for dinner. We don't go on many dates now that we have a ~~child~~ dog to tend to when we get home from work.
I'm starting to sense a little bit of fall in the air. Cooler days and beautiful leaves are just around the corner. Which means my birthday is too!
I think this is the last year that my birthday is supposed to be an exciting event. After this it's only 5 years to 30 and 30 seems to be the age that people start trying to hide their age. Once you leave your twenties you're officially an old adult and each day you wake up your body get squeakier and creakier. Bring it late 20's. I'm ready.
Pandora comedy station. Funnest commute yet.

My First Wedding Pictures

2011-08-28T15:56:00.000-06:00

What a great experience to be there for every moment of someone's happiest day. Braden and Katie are so cute together and it was nothing but fun being able to photograph their engagements, bridals, and wedding day. It was my first wedding so I was a little nervous! I learned a lot and I'm so excited to do another one! Click on the picture to see the rest.

Blog Barf

2011-08-26T19:36:00.005-06:00

I sense some blog barf coming on.

Blog Barf = When one goes an extended period of time without writing on their blog and finally finds time. Rather than writing witty cute posts with pictures and organized information, one tends to blog barf. Please see example below.

Football season is starting my friends. The ever dreaded football season. I love my husband, and I love that he loves his own things, but football is not my thing. If someone were to make a giant list of things that are my thing and things that are Mark's thing, football would be in Mark's top 5 and number 185,492 on mine. If any men are reading this they are probably thinking, "oh what an unlucky man", but he knew what I was when he married me. At least I have Murphy to keep me company this fall.

Speaking of Murphy.... holy cow oh my gosh he is GROWING. I swear I come home from work each day and he's five pounds heavier than when I left. He keeps us active. On odd days we take him hiking or biking up Millcreek Canyon because you don't have to have a leash on those days. On even days we take him to the dog park to see his best friends. Except Lilly. I hate her. She's an 11 month old black lab that must have been trained to hunt with lions or something. She hurts Murphy all the time and never lets up. Her owner doesn't think she's too rough, but people are constantly pulling her away from their dogs for fear of their puppies loosing an ear. She takes all the fun out of it every time and we just end up leaving. What a skank.

My little sister is going to college. I can't believe it. She leaves in a few weeks for BYU-Idaho and I know she's going to have the time of her life. I swear if any Idaho boys don't treat her well I will drive up there and shove potatoes in their ears.

I love my blog and I miss it dearly. I asked to have it printed for my birthday. I would just die if something happened and it was lost in the internet black hole of doom. I want to start printing it once a year to add to my shelve of journals because I don't write much besides on my blog anymore. But then I started to want a new camera and lens more than anything, but that's a bit more pricey than printing a blog. I just keep seeing all this photography that looks so incredible because those photographers have better equipment than me, and they may be better photographers too I guess. I just know if I had some better stuff I could take better pictures and charge more, but I can't afford new stuff unless I charge more so I guess it's a trap. One day though....

I hate when I get in "want mode". I want a camera, I want a house, I want new dishes, I want I want I want. One way to get a fix and get out of want mode is to buy a few new items for the wardrobe and call it good. Oh, and to count your blessings for all the things you do have. But a new pair of shoes won't hurt the process.

Do you realize that winter is coming? WINTER!!! I know I confuse and disgust everyone with my love for winter. I have snowboards and ski lifts dancing in my head as I go to sleep at night. That's another thing to add to my want list: a season pass. If I have to eat ramen noodles for a year and sell my right arm I will find a way.

Mya- 1 Year Old Photo Shoot

2011-08-21T22:03:00.001-06:00

I haven't been writing on my blog much lately and I miss it. School just started and work is crazy. I also did baby pictures and wedding pictures this weekend. Any second I have to sit down at my computer is spent editing. I love every second of it though! If you want to see the baby pictures just click on the picture below. Wedding pictures coming soon! I love love love photography.

Little Man Bum

2011-08-14T11:52:00.001-06:00

Someone said my blog is turning into the Murphy blog. Maybe I will change the name to The MP: The Murph Party.

Anyway, take a look at this picture. Oh my goodness alien dog. Murphy has the longest legs in the world which hinder his running and make him look like a goon when he stands in the window. Every time he does this I laugh so hard. He looks like a human with the littlest man bum I've ever seen.

Yesterday I took him for his first mountain biking trip. He just ran along with me and never once acted tired. I'm so happy I have someone to play with while Mark is at BYU games. Football season gets very lonely for me.

We have officially determined that Murphy is a Rhodesian Ridgeback. He doesn't have the hyena strip of hair running up his back, but everything else is unmistakable. I read that breeders will often abandon the puppy if it is born without the ridge because they aren't worth as much. Maybe that's why he was found on the streets and taken to the shelter?

When people started asking if he was a Ridgeback I had no clue, so of course I Googled it and this came up: RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK, AFRICAN LION HUNTING DOG. Oh my. How funny that the very first toy we ever bought him was a stuffed lion that he still caries around. I don't think Murphy is really capable of chasing down a lion. He's a sweetheart, but mainly because his legs get in the way and he can only run the pace of a fast turtle.

This is going to be one big dog. Right now he's about 35 lbs. Our guess is he'll get up to 80 lbs. We need a yard.

Is Summer Over Yet?

2011-08-11T22:15:00.000-06:00

Two 12 hour work days in a row combined with my death commute and fast food for dinner every night is enough to nearly kill someone. I just keep telling myself, once school starts it will be better. I've loved every second of summer and I don't want it to end, but the week before school starts always bites and then I can't wait for summer to end.

When I say I work at a school people generally ask what I teach, but I don't. My degree is in teaching, but I've decided the administrative route is more my thing. Possible masters in the future? Perhaps. Until then I'm the office manager at a charter school and LOVE it. I love that every day I go into work not knowing what to expect, always working on a different project, and solving different problems. I've had jobs where it's the same thing every day, over and over and it makes me want to spoon my eye out. Gross, I know. That's how bad I hated it. After this week I wouldn't mind a little repetition and staring at the clock waiting for the seconds to go by until I can go home. Right now 4:00 rolls around and I'm freaking out that I only got half the things done I planned on.

As a kid I never knew how much work went into getting my elementary school running. I thought the faculty spent their summers watching Animaniacs and roller blading like me. I think I need to call and thank them.

Weekend Scenes

2011-08-08T19:35:00.002-06:00

* Murphy loves canoeing.

* Fresh raspberries from my in-laws garden are to die for.

* Murphy won't get in the water. When Tasha (my parent's dog) gets out of the lake and shakes, Murphy does too even though he isn't wet. Wacky dog.

* Family parties are always full of good laughs and good food.

* You know you have the best husband you could ask for when you've had a rough week and he brings home flowers. Love him.

Workity Work Work

2011-08-07T12:52:00.000-06:00

I have a serious case of writer's block. Usually I've always got something embarrassing, fun, or at least slightly interesting to write down. Lately the only thing I can think about, and therefore the only thing I have to write about, is my to do list. I think my body and brain has gone into overload after starting a 40 hour work week once again, which of course is always more than 40. I can't write, I definitely didn't exercise once this week, and the only things I can think about are my to do lists and the limited edition Banana Foster Haagen Daz ice cream sitting in my freezer. Work will slow down once school gets going, but until then it's a mad house trying to get everything ready. I will return to things like yoga, writing, working out, and cooking real meals in a few weeks. Until then it's work, work, work, walk the dog, microwave dinner, eat ice cream, and go to bed at 9:30.

So as pointless as this post is, I want to apologize for my lack of writing. Which I always find funny when people apologize for not writing on their blog because really, is anyone sitting around at night saying, "Oh I sure wish she would write on her blog more often...."? Not likely.

Most

2011-08-01T21:41:00.002-06:00

Most embarrassing moment of the week:
Me: "Hi, my name's Jamie."
Girl: "Hi, my name's so-and-so."
Me: "Oh I know you from Facebook!"
Holy cow, can I be any more of a creeper?

Most terrible smell to wake up to: the result of changing Murphy's dog food. He sure showed us. I love playing pooper scooper at 6:00 AM.

Most amazing dinner recipe can be found here. I think I've shared this one before, but it's worth sharing again. I freeze it and take it to work for lunch.

The Fire Swamp

2011-07-30T21:30:00.003-06:00

With this being our last Saturday before my summer vacation ends, I wanted to do something extra adventurous. Mountain biking? On the Bobsled trail that says "advanced aerobic and technical ability required"? Yes please. What's that Mark? You think we're not good enough yet? Oh heck yes we are. Let's go kick that trails butt.

It begins with a mile straight up the paved hill of doom at the top of the Avenues in Salt Lake. Some people buy bikes to ride them. We just like to push ours up hills. Once we reached the trail head I was so pleased with myself for not throwing up yet. Little did I know, just because the trail turns to dirt doesn't mean it's downhill from there. Another fun-filled mile of pushing our bikes uphill while cursing the bikers we always see riding up Parleys Canyon.... and their calves.

Finally, we reached the top and were ready to take the exciting trail down! Oh all that nonsense of walking and pushing our bikes was going to be worth it when we were cruising down the roller coaster of a trail and having the time of our lives!

To say the trail downhill was steep and rutty is an understatement. Imagine riding down a loosely graveled Mount Everest shortly after an earthquake. And so the carrying of the bikes continued. The fun really started when the bees decided to join us. The mud (oh did I forget to mention that at this point the trail had a stream running down it and we were slopping through mud?) was apparently attracting the bees. Lots and lots of bees. We had no choice but to go forward because climbing back up that hill would have surely killed us. I'm sure it was quit the site: the two of us running/falling downhill trying to keep control of our bikes while swatting at the bees and praying they don't get pissed. Didn't I hear that scientists are confused by all the bees that are dying right now? Well they're not. They've migrated to the Bobsled Trail. Mystery solved.

We made it through the Fire Swamp and survived the R.O.U.S. The trail finally turned into what we came for: a curvy downhill roller coaster of joy and happiness. And then.... I wrecked. My first hardcore mountain bike wreck. Bloody road rash and all. This is the first time in my life that I was so grateful I had a helmet on. My head slammed into the ground as the back of my bike flipped over me. I have a headache now, but I can't imagine how I would be filling if I hadn't had a helmet on!

We've decided to stick to moderate trails from now on.

The pictures don't do the battle wounds on my arm and leg justice. Let's just say it was the most terrible shower of my life. I can't complain that I didn't have one last adventurous hurrah though!

Back To Work

2011-07-29T21:21:00.015-06:00

This is my last day getting to do whatever I wake up in the mood for while all those other suckers are at work. Returning to work Monday is bittersweet. I love my job and the feeling that I'm actually doing something worth while, but on the other hand I enjoy doing nothing worth while and spending my days basking in the sun and eating bon bons.

Returning to work also means returning to planned dinner menus and grocery shopping trips. I stocked up at Wal-Mart Fall Apart and Whole Foods today. When I leave Whole Foods I feel instantly healthier, calmer, hippier, and like I can't wait to get my zen on and do some yoga. When I leave Wal-Mart I feel dirty, irritable, and like I just might sock someone in the nose.

I may or may not leave classical music playing for my dog when I leave.

For a good laugh read the last bullet point and comments from this post. Anonymous is at it again.

This morning's neighborly chat went as follows:

Old Crazy Neighbor Lady: So... how do you like living here?

Me: Oh yeah I really like it. I love the trees and all of our neighbors are so nice and quiet.

Old Crazy Neighbor Lady: Well I don't like it. They're raising my rent. And do you want to know what I can't stand the most?

Me: What?

Old Crazy Neighbor Lady: The girl upstairs. She just stomps around all day long. STOMP STOMP STOMP. What did they do? Take away her carpet or something? And doesn't she have a job?

Me: Oh no that's terrible.

Old Crazy Neighbor Lady: I just don't get it. I don't know how she could be so loud. She's tiny. You're fat compared to her!

Me: Uhhhh.....

Bridals

2011-07-29T00:05:00.001-06:00

After several technical issues and threats to throw my computer off the balcony, I've finished the bridals I did over the weekend! Click on the picture to check them out!

Murfinator

2011-07-28T12:21:00.000-06:00

I seriously think that Murphy is an angel dog from heaven. He's so well behaved, we are the luckiest people! Let me just give you a few examples:

He never barks.
He never licks.
He only jumps up on anyone, and if he does it's because they are holding cheese. The second I say "down" he gets down. I didn't even teach him that one.
I don't even have to say "sit" anymore when I am putting his leash on. As soon as he sees me pick it up, he sits down by the door.
Today we went hiking without his leash for the first time. He did so good! If there was a corner he would stop and wait until he could see me. Such a sweetheart!
Murphy is officially house trained. Hurray! He only ever had 5 accidents. I'm so proud.
And the biggest news of all: we put his kennel in our storage shed! We can leave the house and he doesn't chew on anything or bark at all! I don't know what he does, but when we come back I swear it's cleaner than when we left.

My Little Secret

2011-07-25T09:42:00.001-06:00

Park City yard sales my friends. Best. Deals. Of. Your. Life. I waited until they were pretty much over to tell you about them so that I would get all the good stuff to myself. Buuuuahahahaha! (I'm sitting in a big arm chair looking out my window with my fingers lined up together Mr. Burns style). I'm sure there are still a few good weekends left if you hurry, and if you don't hurry you can use these tips for next year.

Favorite summer steals:

Burton snowboarding coat and matching Volcom pants used for one season- $20.00.
3 awesome pottery vases from Pottery Barn- $3.00
New favorite pink shirt- $1.00
Columbia skirt- $.50
Two bed side tables that happen to match our dresser- $6.00 each
2 snowboards, case, boots, and bindings for Mark- $75.00

There are tons of awesome dishes, furniture, and yard stuff that I'm always dying to get, but I promised myself (and my Dad) that I wouldn't get any of that stuff until we're out of this move-every-few-months phase.

Things you should never pay full price for because they are everywhere at yard sales:

Christmas tree stand
Christmas decorations
Dog kennel
Bike rack
Curtains
Quilts
Coats
Pottery
Camping chairs

Yard Sale Tips:

The best stuff is found in the nicer parts of town. If you're from Utah, Park City is the perfect place!
Yard sales are usually done on Saturdays and start at 8:00. You have to get there early to get the good stuff! Getting up on 7:00 on a Saturday might sound like a bad idea. But when you come home with 10 new things and only spent $5.00 it's worth it.
You don't really have to know the town or where the sales are. Just start driving down the main roads and look for signs at each corner. A good yard sale will have good signs so you don't get lost!
Once you find something you want, GRAB IT. If you turn your back for a second, someone else might snatch it.
Don't be afraid to make a lower offer. These people are paying you to take their "junk" away. They just want to get rid of their stuff and chances are they will make you a deal.
If you're with someone else and you both find things you want, go to the person in charge together and make them one offer for all of your items together. "Will you take $10.00 for all of this?" You'll get an even better deal that way.
Make sure you have cash with you.
A good yard sale will display their items so you can see them easily. But sometimes you have to dig for the good stuff.

Pioneer Day

2011-07-24T18:37:00.000-06:00

I didn't take near as many pictures as I meant to over this past week. I was loving every second of it and having so much fun I guess I forgot. Mark had the entire week off of work and all we did was play play play! Seven Peaks, mountain biking, 4-wheeling, Harry Potter, parade, sleepovers, rodeo, BBQ, demolition derby, and a ridiculous amount of good food!

Liz And Bridjer-Photography Session

2011-07-20T22:00:00.000-06:00

Can these two be any more beautiful? I had a blast doing a little shoot with my sister in law and her son. Click on the picture to see the rest!

Idaho

2011-07-19T09:31:00.002-06:00

Because I lived in Idaho for four years, I have so many memories there. It was fun to go back and visit some of my favorite people and places! Our friends Bryan and Shantay were so nice to let us (and our dog) stay with them. We played some tennis and floated the river near Lava Hot Springs.... one of my favorite things to do in the summer! We all left with injuries, but I've never laughed that hard in my life! Mark, Murph, and I then went camping in Island Park.

Please note the state of Mark's racket. I have a wicked serve.

Writing Therapy

2011-07-13T13:57:00.001-06:00

Remember when I wrote this post about journals? I used to spend hours every day just writing. It was the only way to make it through those torturous economics and biology classes. This blog has slowly become my journal, and I miss just writing whatever comes to my head in a spastic unorganized fashion. It's very therapeutic and stress relieving. Before I go any further I'd like to warn you you're about to get a glimpse of what goes on inside my brain. This post may be long, boring, and consist of several random facts about my dog.

The spinning instructor at the class I go to is nuts. I think she's had one too many energy drinks and not enough solid food. She's tiny, blonde and talks extremely loud. I love how much energy she has because it pumps you up and keeps you going through the class. I do tend to get weirded out when she hops off her bike and starts walking up and down the isles of bikes dancing. Not just I'm-so-pumped-I-feel-like-dancing dancing. More like one hand in the air, one hand on your bike, sings in your face, and is definitely rocking those hips a little too close for comfort. You know how I feel about my personal space.

I felt like a proud parent at my son's first soccer game watching Murphy play with the other dogs at the dog park. He's the sweetest thing in the whole world and when he sits next to me on the couch I pretend that he loves me to pieces and he's not just sitting there because it's comfier than the floor. Last night was his first night not sleeping in his kennel. We put his bed on our floor and he slept like a baby. He didn't chew, poo, or bark. I'm so proud.

I had an answer to my prayers yesterday. I've been stressing and praying that we would figure out the best thing to do with Murphy while we're at work. Everyone says to put him in his kennel and he'll be just fine. The thought just made me sick. I tried to think of every other possibility including sneaking him into work disguised as a kindergarten student. He's totally smart, it would have worked. I met the nicest lady in our same building and our ward, who doesn't work and also has a dog. I'm going to pay her $20 a week to walk him during lunch every day. You're killing my budget dog. We should have named you dollars to continue the Quarter legacy. It's totally worth it though. Now at work I can picture him frolicking under a rainbow chasing birds and butterflies instead of being locked in dog jail.

Having the entire summer off of work is freaking awesome. But when it's time to go back, I think I'm going to be ready. I don't know how people without kids stay home. There's only so much cooking, cleaning, and pool laying one girl can handle.

I just found out Netflix is increasing their prices by 70%. 70% people!!! That's just robbery. Those sneaky Netflix dudes. Let's have rock bottom prices for 2 years. Run all of the other movie rental companies out of business, and once the last one dies.... HIYA!!! Jack our prices through the roof and all movie lovers will bow down before us because they don't have a choice. Oh Netflix, you little devil.

Mark's bike broke when we were in St. George which seems like months ago and we still don't have it back. I'm super anxious to go riding. He's taking all of next week off of work so we can play and I sure hope it's fixed by then! Agenda items besides bike riding include: 7 Peaks, tennis, Lava Hot Springs, camping at Island Park, skim boarding in the Great Salt Lake, and eating lots of treats.

I almost fell over with excitement when I stood on the scale and it said I had lost 2 more pounds. Dirty rotten liar. I then noticed it it was on a crack in the tile and after straightening it the scaled revealed the truth.

I don't plan to write things like this often, but today I was procrastinating doing the items on my to do list. If you read to the end of this then you must have been procrastinating your to do list too.

I Have, I Want, I Need

2011-07-12T10:41:00.000-06:00

An awesome job that I love.

The cutest stinkin' dog ever.

The worst split ends you could imagine.

A sweet snowboarding coat that I found at a garage sale for $5.00. Oh wait... make that $3.00. I just found $2.00 in the pocket. Sucka!

My dog to come when I tell him too. He just looks at me like what is your deal woman?

To go to Ireland.

To have more patience. Sometimes I'm kind of a wacko.

To love running. Maybe if my destination was a food court at the end I would be more willing to run?

Every awesome camera lens I see. I just drool over them.

To laugh really hard every day.

A hair cut (as mentioned above).

My family.

To do the dishes.

Walker Family Reunion

2011-07-11T08:39:00.000-06:00

This weekend was spent camping in the backyard, barbecuing, having water fights, playing games, and spending time with family. Doesn't get much better than that!

Dog Lake

2011-07-07T22:18:00.001-06:00

I don't think Murphy is going to be a water dog, but he sure loves hiking! He wore himself out and snored in the backseat the entire way home. I sprained my ankle pretty good on the way down so I will a gimp for the weekend.

My Dog Is A Couch Hog When He Sleeps

2011-07-07T14:00:00.002-06:00

Summer Confessions

2011-07-06T11:06:00.001-06:00

I was laying by the pool and wondering if Murphy was ok sitting in the air conditioned apartment and watching All Dogs Go To Heaven by himself. My phone went off and for a split second I thought it might be him.
Lately I hurry and hop in the shower, blow dry my hair, and put on a touch of mascara at 5:00 right before Mark gets home from work. He doesn't have to know that I hang out in my swimming suit and sweats all day.
Biggest pet peeve of my life: spending 2 hours fighting your way through the stinky isles at Walmart. Getting home and feeling relieved that you bought enough food so you don't have to return to that wretched place for another two weeks. Starting to cook dinner and discovering you forgot to buy one ingredient. GRRRRR...... This happened the other night, and I was so mad I returned home from the store with the one ingredient, and a giant box of donuts!
I was taking the garbage out, with Murphy close behind me. I let the door swing close on it's own, and his paw got caught underneath it. I sat outside our door in a pile of garbage holding him and crying. He whimpered and held his foot off the ground for a good 5 minutes. Worst mom ever.
I totally disagree with cars allowing pedestrians the right of way. It may be the only thing Vegas and I see eye to eye on. It takes a car .01 seconds to get out of the pedestrians way. It takes slow poke pedestrian a year to get across the road. Cars should have the right of way..... and don't even get me started on bikers.

4th Of July Celebrations

2011-07-05T08:34:00.000-06:00

Parades-Fireworks-Candy-Family-Friends-Food

Homemade Ice Cream-Waterfights-BBQ-Sunshine

I LOVE THE FOURTH OF JULY!

I Love My Boys

2011-07-03T11:03:00.001-06:00

Things Mark and Murphy Have In Common:

They love cheese.
They snore.
They like to grab my feet when I walk by.
They love to wrestle with each other.
I take them to the park each night and run them around like crazy to get their energy out.
Never ending poop monsters.
I love them both to pieces.

Mark + Murph = BFF

(Mark's going to love this)

Hiking

2011-07-01T08:34:00.001-06:00

Murph and I went hiking up Millcreek Canyon. Lame that they charge, but I'm practically forced into buying an annual pass because it's one of the few places in Salt Lake you can take dogs hiking. Apparently we can't take dogs up Big or Little Cottonwood Canyon because they might poop and they aren't trained to use toilets like the deer, bears, and cows.

We've come to the conclusion that Murphy is mainly a Vizla (veeshla), which is a hungarian hunting dog. Can you tell? This was my view the entire hike..... I think we should have named him Sniffs.

Where's The Puppy?

2011-06-30T08:14:00.000-06:00

Anyone seen Murphy? Or as Mark likes to call him.... Murfington?

Apparently the reason we haven't made a lot of new friends is because we didn't have a dog, not because we're weird or smell bad. I've met more people at our apartments or at the park in the past week than I have since we've been married. I feel like I'm a member of some special club now. Actually more like I'm constantly in the presence of a movie star. Everywhere I go it's, "Is that Murphy? Murphy! Hey Murphy! Look over here!" Children and adults swarm to him, and I just consider myself lucky enough to be called his friend.

Sorry if this is turning into a blog about my dog. I promise it won't be that way forever. Just think of it like a mommy blog, but a dog blog. Which is much cooler because it rhymes.

Sayonara 15 pounds!

2011-06-29T11:02:00.002-06:00

I've done it! I set a goal to reach a certain weight before summer, and 2 days in a row now the scale has read the magic number. 2 days in a row! That's how you know it's real and you didn't just happen to step on the scale weird while being hungry and dehydrated. I've lost 15 pounds and it's been slow and gradual, but that's how I will keep it off. If I shock my system and diet hardcore, I could lose the weight, but keeping it off would be impossible.

When we moved to St. George my job was intense. I was usually working 11 or 12 hour days and by the time I drove home I was lucky to have energy to stop at the drive-through, let alone go to the gym. Slowly I was starting to get that newlywed chub. I was so busy I didn't notice, or if I did notice my thoughts would quickly turn to work and my to do list for that day. I loved my job in St. George, but I didn't have the time to take care of myself.

Since moving to Salt Lake I now have a job I love just as much, and I'm home by 5! There are several things that have helped me get back to where my body is happy. Here they are in order:

1. Yoga- I think yoga has been the biggest factor. Not that yoga itself magically made me lose weight, but it has helped me more mentally than physically. Running, spinning, and lifting weights gets my heart up and endorphins pumping, but yoga does something else. Not to get all hippy on you, but I feel like I understand my body better. I've pushed it to it's limit, and then been able to go past that limit which is an awesome feeling. It makes me want to work harder and be stronger. I feel healthier, which also makes me want to eat healthier.

2. Food- I love food. Basically I love healthy food and ice cream. I rarely eat processed food, chips, fast food, donuts, cake, etc.... and when I do I enjoy it for a minute, but then I always feel sick after. My body is saying dude get this crap away from me! If you keep those foods out of your system long enough, your body will not crave them. Not having the temptation there is really helpful. My downfall is ice cream. I can eat gallons of ice cream at a time and feel fine. I crave it every second of the day. I just have to make sure that everything else I eat is good for me, so that I can have my daily dose of ice cream!

3. Eat at the right time: I've stopped eating after 7. If I want a dessert I eat it right after dinner and then the kitchen is closed for business. I used to eat fruit and yogurt or a smoothie for breakfast, but I've learned that getting some carbs and fiber in the morning keeps me full longer and gives me more energy. If I had the time I would make an egg sandwich with wheat bread for breakfast every morning, but who has time for that? So I try to eat cereal (real cereal not Captain Crunch), toast, muffins, something with whole grains and fiber so I'm not snacking at 10. Then I load up on the fruit with lunch.

3. Water- Water is like to nectar of the gods. It gives you clear skin, flushes away toxins, and keeps you hydrated. I have a glass of orange juice in the morning, but other than that I try to stick to water. As with junk food, soda makes me ill. Even if you drink gatorade and juice, that's 100s of calories a day. Think of all the treats you could have for that same number of calories if you just stuck to water?

4. Playing- Mark and I have a gym membership which I love, but of course playing outside is always more fun. Now that it's warm we try to do something every day after work. Mountain bike, tennis, hike, longboard, or even play frisbee. Especially now that we have a puppy we have to go outside and play!

5. Gym membership- In college going to the gym was a social event. I would go with my roommates and we would see other people we know and chat it up over the sound of our ellipticals. It's not like that anymore. Mark and I can go together, but we both do completely different workouts of course. Working out is just easier when you have someone to do it with. That's why I love the classes at my gym so much. Obviously the yoga classes are my favorite, but I also love spinning, kick boxing, abs class, and pilates. Keeping up with the rest of the class and trying not to look like a wussy pants is pretty good motivation. Much more than doing it on your own with no one to push you or witness your wussiness.

6. Vegetables- I wish this was listed as #1 and not #6. I know if I could eat several servings of veggies every day I would be one healthy girl. But I just loathe most vegetables. I have tried my hardest to find the ones I like and look for recipes loaded with them. But honestly, I get maybe one or two servings a day... if I'm lucky. I'm just going to keep trying, and one day I'll be a veggie monster! My favorite veggie filled recipe that you have to try are these spring rolls. To. Die. For.

7. Cute workout clothes- When you workout you want to feel good for yourself. When you're surrounded by mirrors at the gym and all you see is yourself wearing an oversized t-shirt and our cut off sweats from high school, your first thought probably isn't, "oh yeah I'm looking good, keep going!" For me it's worth it to invest is some good quality gym clothes that I feel good in. It may sound funny, but it helps me stay motivated to work out!

Letters To Murphy and Others

2011-06-28T09:06:00.000-06:00

Dear Summer- I think I'm loving you more than winter. Do not tell it because I've always said winter is my favorite, but you may be changing my mind this summer. There's just something about not working and still getting paid that I can't resist.

Dear Murphy- The shelter said you were going to be about 40 lbs. Everywhere I go people comment on how big you're going to be. We will find you a house with a big yard soon I promise. Thank you for sleeping all through the night and never making a mess in your kennel. I swear you're almost house trained and it's only been a few days. You never jump and never lick and that makes you the best dog ever. Please hide all Mark's shoes in funny places while he is gone.

Dear Future- I'm really stressed about what we're supposed to do and where we're supposed to go in the future. Please help us find a good house in the right place someday, preferably with jobs we still love.

Dear Stuffed Jalapenos: Eating you was like eating hot lava straight from a volcano. Next time I will definitely wear gloves. Jalapeno finger in my eye at midnight is no fun at all.

Dear Anonymous Commenters- Thank you for taking the time to always read my blog. I do not mind if your views are different than mine. If you would like to leave a comment telling me so, please feel free. There is no need to leave it anonymously. That's just weird. When I picture who left the phantom comment I picture a creeper in their basement evilly snickering as they go from blog to blog leaving slightly disturbing comments. Fess up or you're going to have to answer to this guy:

Engagement Pictures

2011-06-27T09:36:00.000-06:00

This weekend I did engagement pictures for Katie and Braden!

Click on the picture to see the rest.

Meet The Fam

2011-06-26T21:06:00.000-06:00

This weekend we went to Kamas so I could do some engagement pictures (coming soon), and Murphy could meet the fam. My in-laws have a beautiful yard I had a good time taking pictures of. Also some great shots of my handsome little brothers.

Murphy Murph

2011-06-24T20:54:00.000-06:00

Murphy is not your typical 3 month old puppy. We think he was abused before someone found him and took him to the shelter. He doesn't like anyone walking behind him so he always turns to make sure he can see you. He gets very scared when you approach him to pick him up, but once he's in your arms he'll relax and fall asleep. I can't imagine anyone every hurting such a sweet little guy. It's going to take some time before he will trust us, but I'm so glad we were able to get him!

And Then There Were Three

2011-06-24T12:57:00.000-06:00

We're adopting........ A PUPPY!!!!

Everyone, Murphy. Murphy, Everyone.

AKA Murph or the Murph Monster.

Even if he pooped in the car on the ride home from the shelter, and pooped the second we walked in the door..... I still love him.

Brown Bag Apple Pie

2011-06-23T10:40:00.000-06:00

My roommate Shelley used to make this Apple Pie all the time. The recipe I found didn't turn out as good as hers though. Mark was quite happy when I told him on of my goals this summer is to make the perfect apple pie and it may involve a lot of trial and error.

Cooking the pie in a brown bag is supposed to keep the apples extra juicy and not let the crust burn. When I asked the bagger at the store for one brown bag and the rest plastic he gave me an odd look. I explained that I needed it for a recipe I was making. That seemed to satisfy his curiosity and he began bagging my groceries. About 90 second later when I was paying he said, "you don't eat the bag do you?"

Next time I'm going to try a real crust on top instead of the crumbly yumminess, and green apples instead of red. For my first attempt I think things turned out pretty good though! If you have any award winning, mind blowing apple pie recipes send them my way please!

Melon Head

2011-06-22T09:52:00.003-06:00

I have been waiting for this moment since I was 8 years old, and it's finally come.

I remember the first time my Grandma asked me if I wanted some watermelon. "It's red... I like red... it looks juicy... I like juicy.... it smells great... everyone else loves it, why wouldn't I? Of course I'll try some watermelon!" I've never felt so betrayed by a piece of fruit in my life. So beautiful and intriguing, yet it tasted like dirty sour river water. Deceiving little melon.

The worst part is, Watermelon has tricked me every summer since then too. I always think that maybe it has changed. Maybe things will be different this time. I just can't resist that red juiciness, but then I quickly remember the pain and sorrow it has put me through.

Well this summer is different. I was at the grocery store and saw that big old watermelon sitting comfortably on the shelf, looking pleased as can be with itself. "Oh hey melon head, you're looking pretty good today. Want to come home with me? What's that?
You always trick me with your sly ways and every summer I end up hating you? Well not this time fatso. See there's something you don't know. I'm 24 now.
My taste buds have matured, and so have I. I'm not going to let you get to me this time. In the past year I've learned to like asparagus, green beans, and your good little friend cantaloupe. And now I'm going to like you. You will never deceive me again."

We ate the whole thing, and I enjoyed every bite of it.

He Loves Me Even When...

2011-06-21T17:17:00.001-06:00

I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who has been married much longer than I have. I don't remember exactly what she said or how she said it, but that conversation has been on my mind and this is what stuck with me: In 10 years you will not be the same person he married, and he will not be the same person you married 10 years ago. You will both be very different and hopefully deeper in love. You have to make the decision to continue to love each other, it's hard work, and it's worth it.

I can't believe how much each of us has changed already, but I feel like we're closer every day. Each trial, funny moment, fight, and adventure helps us understand each other better and makes us stronger.

He loves me even when....

I have a crazy moment and become completely overwhelmed by something that's really very simple. In loving husband words he tells me to chill out and there's no real reason to worry, and then I feel better.
I wash his wallet and his iPod.
I dread football season.
We've been camping and I haven't showered or done my hair and makeup in several days.
I'm on a junkfood kick and there's only carmel popcorn for dinner. Or the opposite and I'm on a health food kick and make strange vegetable filled recipes.
Wake up grouchier than Oscar.... and looking similar too.

St. George Days 2 and 3

2011-06-20T19:57:00.000-06:00

St. George Day 1

2011-06-18T22:33:00.000-06:00

Friday we decided to go on a spur of the moment trip to St. George. One of Mark's good friends was getting married so we thought we would make a vacation of it! I love summer! Last night and tonight we are staying in a hotel. The next two days we will be mountain biking and camping!

We lived in St. George for a year and it's so fun to come back and visit some of our favorite places. Number one being Orange Peel. Once I found out we were coming here, I knew we were definitely getting an Orange Peel and a Glacier. Why oh why can't I find my two favorite summer treats in Salt Lake? Maybe if I purchase several I can keep them in dry ice for the drive home and then stock up my freezer....

Oh and let me tell you, it is as hot as the devil's armpit here. I do not miss that one bit.

Every Day This Summer Break I'm Going To

2011-06-17T09:57:00.000-06:00

Do yoga at home.
Stay caught up on work... but in my pajamas..... from my bed..... while drinking a smoothie.
Take pictures of everything.
Throw lots of pottery.
Lay by the pool.
Try new recipes.
Have a yummy dinner ready every night when Mark gets home. He's going to love it, unless it's a try-a-new-recipe-day. Sometimes those are a fiasco.
Ride my bike, run, or go to the gym.
Play tennis. And secretly improve my serve while Mark is at work. Then kick his trash.
Look for awesome deals at yard sales, DI, and KSL.
Enjoy every second of the next 6 weeks.

$$$

2011-06-16T17:58:00.001-06:00

Money is a strange thing. I never actually see our money. We have this account we log into on our computer, our paychecks are deposited automatically, the numbers go up, the numbers go down, but I never see any actual money. It's so easy to go into debt for that very reason, you never see it. *Zip Zip* goes the credit card, and it's all yours. Anything you want! If there is anything I try to avoid like the plague, it's credit card debt. The thought of it makes me want to barf. And while I'm on my soapbox, remember how I feel about married people having their own bank accounts? It's weird.

I've read a little Dave Ramsey and I love his envelope system. Make an envelope for each budget with cash in it: eating out, gas, food, clothes, utilities etc... Then you can only spend the amount of cash in the envelope each month. Great! But come on Dave, envelopes? Cash? It's 2011 and I have online banking. But even with a budget and online banking it's hard to know exactly how much I'm spending in each category.... unless you keep a check register. But like I said, it's 2011.

My Mom just introduced us to Mint.com and guys, it's going to change my life. And yours if you want to. I may be weird because I think budgeting is fun, but even if you don't think it's fun this website is super helpful. You can enter all of your financial information into one place, even if you have several accounts from different banks. You can set budgets for different items and it will show you how much you've spent in that budget for the month, and send alerts if you go over. You can also set goals, put in your car and student loans, and a ton of other things. I love that site! We will never go over our budget again! Except the clothing budget, I may be getting gypped on that one.

Now go children. Get rid of your money envelopes, throw out your credit cards, and start budgeting!

Home Again

2011-06-15T16:59:00.002-06:00

I think this is the first time in a month I've actually had 10 minutes to write. Packing, moving, living with my parents, camping, finishing the end of the school year, moving again, and unpacking.... Wheeew I'm tired!

We just hung the last picture last night, I have one more day of work, and then SUMMER BEGINS! I have lots planned: yoga, laying by the pool, camping, road trips.... I can't wait for my new agenda to begin.

This is the view from our apartment. I absolutely love it. Up in the trees and away from the noise. If I pretend hard enough I can believe we really live out of the city. Ahhh some day.

It's nice to have a home again.

Moab Trip- Warning: Picture Overload

2011-06-09T17:22:00.000-06:00

Moab was a blast! We only hiked in water because we're all afraid of the heat. I love going on crazy adventures with my family. I didn't love the water snakes, but everything else was great. I may have caught a lizard to put in Mark's bed tonight. Shhhh....

Guess Where We're Going?

2011-06-03T20:08:00.000-06:00

CAMPING!!!

To this place....

I absolutely love Southern Utah. Some of my favorite memories are the dozens of trips my family has taken there. Minus the time that my best friend and I went by ourselves and nearly died in a flash flood. No joke. We lost all my Dad's camping gear and were pretty shaken up. Guess we weren't as tough as we thought going off camping on our own! We finished the trip staying in a hotel and still had a lot of fun, but it's not something I ever want to repeat!

Goodbye work, goodbye makeup, goodbye cell phone, goodbye shower, goodbye city!

Hello sun, hello red rocks, hello sleeping under the stars, hello camp fires, hello hiking, hello road trip!