Merry Christmas

Happy Fathers Day!

I just wanted to give a shout out to My dad for being an awesome father! He has always been such an amazing support to me throughout my whole life in everything I do from school to sports to jobs to photography, etc etc. He always worked so hard to support me and my sisters and mom physically and financially, he wanted us to be able to try out our strengths and discover things for ourselves and not be limited because of money or work, he wanted us to experience life and have fun doing it! But more than that he was always my emotional support and encouragement! He was always so busy, but he would always drop what he was doing at that moment and come in and talk to me and listen to what was going on in my life and offer whatever advice and insights he could, and I know that time he spent on me often came at a heavy price to him, such as another sleepless night getting the work done that he had set aside for me. He always knows what to say and makes me want to do my best and be better, but without ever making me feel like I'm not absolutely perfect right now. I love his testimony and knowledge of the gospel; I have seen the way it has changed his life and his quiet example of living his testimony has strengthened mine and blessed our family in so many ways! He is also one of the best story tellers I know! He is so personable and makes anytime a good time with his jokes and knack for adventure and getting lost. He has always been so good about taking us along on his adventures and teaching us to be hard working, self reliant, and to have fun doing whatever it is you are doing. I love our camping trips, hikes, climbing outings, target shooting sessions, etc etc.

Dad, thank you for everything!! I really don't know how to express how very much you mean to me and how much I love you and look up to you. You have taught me so much and are so much a reason of who I am today. Thank you!!

To the other father in our family, and my brother in law, Alma, I am so glad you are a part of our family!! You have added to its completeness, and I always have so much fun with you!!! You are an amazing person!! I learn so much from you everytime I am with you, you make me feel like I am the most important person in the world when you are with me. You remind me so much of my dad, you are quite the handyman, and I can always count on a fun time and some adventures when I'm with you, whether its flying a kite, going on a hike and sledding down a mountain, or just wrestling with a dryer sheet!! I love the way you love my sister and nephew, and the way you treat and interact with them. You are also a gospel stud! I love listening to you teach the gospel and lead discussions; you are going to be an amazing teacher!!! Thanks for being such a good brother and friend! You sure set the standard high for my future husband, but I wouldn't have it any other way, you are the greatest!!!

Visiting my home away from home

This weekend I got to go back up to Rexburg and spend a few days there with my fabulous sister and her husband and little boy. It went by way to fast of course, but I was still thankful for the little time I got to see and hang out with my best friends. We did some sweet kite flying on Friday, and the winds were blowing so crazy that the kite was dragging me around the field as I flew it. My favorite trick was I would hop and let the kite pull me, Alma said I got a good 8-10 feet. Even though I'm not as pro as Alma at flying kites (he can do some pretty wicked tricks) I still had lots of fun. That night we went to Alma and Nicole's friends' for an amazing dinner, and then played a game where you each have a piece of paper, and you write a sentence at the top; then you pass your paper to the left and then the next person illustrates your sentence. Then you fold over that person's sentence and pass it again, and the next person has to make up a sentence for your drawing!! It was hilarious!!! Its crazy how distorted the "story" would get. Saturday we had a delicious crepe breakfast then went to the park and fed the ducks. There were sooo many! and they surrounded the bench we were on, by less than a foot! Oh and there was one duck that was way skinny, and it sat up all straight, so the neck wasn't curved, but it was a straight line from the head to the tail.... really weird. Oh and instead of breaking off pieces of bead and throwing it to the ducks, if you throw the whole slice one duck will get it, and then the rest chase it around the park and take bites out of it! It is hilarious!!!! Much more entertaining than feeding them piece by piece. Well later that day we did some swimming, had another crazy delicious meal, and then made a fire in the pit outside and roasted apples, and played horseshoes-- Alma won, but only by a point! After we watched/quoted Matilda.. that movie is so funny! The principal totally makes the movie! Then Sunday we went to church, where Nicole played an amazing hymn medley on the piano (with only an hour notice) and later that night Alma taught an awesome lesson/discussion about the story in Mark 2 (You're going to be an awesome teacher Alm!!!) and we finished out the night with some brownies and ice cream and a few games of uno. Then Monday Nicole and I made some head bands, and then she took me to the airport, only to find my flight was 3 hrs delayed!! Luckily she waited there and so we went to the mall for a little while then got some lunch and had a picnic.. then I had to say goodbye. :( Luckily I will get to see them again in the end of August. It was so fun to see them, and Jagger is getting so big! Its fun to see him develop his personality, and his laugh is so funny!!! I love when he does his sign language too!! Thanks again guys for letting me come and stay with you for a few days and for taking such good care of me!! I always have an awesome time with you guys, and learn so much from you! I love that you are just good, genuine, and fun people who love each other and love/live the gospel. You are such examples to me, and you make me want to be better. Thanks for all the fun times and I love you so much and miss you already!!

Peace Out Provo

good news... I survived finals! :) I got a B on my Sociology
final, and I thought I was going to get way worse than that!
It was an essay final, 5 essays, and we didn't know the
questions before. But we knew the general topics (all about
issues dealing w/ immigration such as language, religion,
etc.) And I felt soooo prepared. I knew both sides of the
arguments, had references I could use from our book, outlines
of his main points and arguments, and I really understood it.
But then I get in there and all that confidence melted
away!!! The questions were in scenarios to where they alluded
to the main topic, but not enough to where you could use the
evidences from the book or the outlines from class discussions
or anything!!! So my answers were way choppy and short, and I
wasn't even sure if I had answered the question or not. And
the last one gave you no direction at all!!! It was like,
say you and your dad are talking politics and he says Guliani
said some quote where he said he promises to end illegals
immigration. He looks at you and says, you don't hear
any other candidate promising that do you?! How would you
respond?? Uhhhh, I wouldn't, I'd roll my eyes and leave,
or else just try to change the subject. lol, only I couldn't
put that because I'd fail. So anyway, needless to say I was
very surprised and very pleased to see I got a B on my exam!!!
But the bummer is I have an 89.something in the class!!!!!!!
Which happened to me when I took a different sociology class
my first semester, and it didn't round up!!! So my GPA
got butchered! And the teacher isn't going to round this
one either, and I don't think there is a curve... LAME!!!
But anyhow, all my other finals went very very well, and I
am still waiting to see what I get as overall grades. Oh man,
so I finished all my tests by tuesday (they all closed on wed,
I had to be out of my apt. on thurs) so I packed up all day
and night wed. Then went on a date that night, came home and
did my white glove cleaning, b/c our cleaning check was scheduled
for 10:45, and I was working that morning, and didn't know if
I'd have time to clean once I got home. So I was up till 3:00
cleaning, then got up at 4:00 to go to work, then I went to
breakfast w/ some co workers and got home about 9:30-9:45 ...
and Liberty Square (my apt complex) was a MAD HOUSE!!!!!! The
dumpsters were huge towering mountains of trash overflowing to
the streets; there were cars parking in the middle of the
streets, in the driving lanes of the parking lot; parents and
kids running around everywhere; things and boxes lining hallways
and balconies-- it was really like utter chaos!!!! Then I walk
into my apt and its the exact same thing on a smaller scale!!!!
Kendis woke up late and hadn't packed up her things, let alone
clean (and checks were supposed to be in an hour!) so she and
her mom are trying to pack things in the kitchen as there are
things strune all over the apt.... Kaylees parents and sister
are running in and out carrying things down... and heather is
trying to clean... So Teresa helped Kendis pack up her room
while I helped do the Kitchen... and by some miracle we got it
all done by 11, and luckily they hadn't come to check yet. We get
a phone call not long after from Heather's brother saying that the
cleaning people just left his apt and they were scheduled at 9:20!!!!!!!!
And that they were being cleaning nazis!!! so we had better use
the extra time toreclean and make sure everything is spotless.
So we did, we cleaned the tracks of the windows, the baseboards,
the doorframes, picked things up off the carpet with our hands...
then we still waited for 3-4 hours!! And for about 2 of those
hours they locked themselves in the office and were eating lunch!!
It was crazy! we were all just sitting there sleep deprived and
anxious waiting with NOTHING to entertain ourselves with because
everything had been packed up. Oh and the worst thing was two of
our friends were moving in for the spring semester, so they had
to put their things in the corner of our living room but werent
allowed to unpack until we had been checked... well they had job
training and interviews and things they had to be at by 3, and
they still had to shower, get ready etc but they couldnt b/c we
hadn't been checked yet!!! I felt so bad, they were way stressed
out! they were trying to dip through their huge pile to find their
clothes and shampoo to go get ready in their old apt and couldn't
find things and were way late... and we didn't want to leave b/c
anyone who wasnt there failed pretty much. even some of the people
who were there failed... a lot of those people actually. It's a
good thing I stayed too... b/c I jsut followed the lady w/ the clip
board around and she said, the radiator cover is still a little
dusty (even though I wiped it off twice...) and she said to just
wipe it down again, and then in the bathroom there was one corner
of the floor I needed to wipe and I passed. But had I not been there
to touch up those two things I would ahve been charged $35 for
someone to come in with a rag and drag it along the radiator!
Thankfully these ladies that checked us out let us wipe down while
they were there so we didn't get charged.. b/c I don't think they
were really supposed to do that. Anyway, so I finally left about 3
and it started snowing as I was leaving!!!! crazy huh??
So now I'm back in Vegas where the snow stands NO chance! Its in
the high 80's -low90's, and absolutely gorgeous at night!!!! I spent
the first day unpacking, going through my old things, cleaning, etc.
Then Saturday I researched jobs and got numbers; then Monday I started
the job hunt.... I sent out resumes, called, applied, and got shot
down quite a bit b/c I didn't have experience... only I
can't get experience b/c no one will hire me-- because I have
no experience.... Its a vicious cycle!!! But I do have a few options,
and I am waiting to hear back from a few more. I will probably either
work at LVAC or for a physical therapist.. So we'll see what happens.

Home at Last!!

Finals are finally over!! While I am glad to be done and have a break, I am going to miss Provo and everyone there. However, I'm ready for a break and having lots of fun with the crazy parents! It is Josh's birthday coming up, and his parent are putting together a slide show for him with people in the ward holding a happy birthday sign. We thought it would be better to take a funny picture -- you know stand out from all those boring posed pictures; make it a little more interesting so all of the pictures weren't the same... you know like it was one of those carnival boards you stick your head through... Anyway, we got to playing and couldn't stop! Dad didn't like it too much... he just kept saying "oh good greif" over and over again.. we had to force him to even take any. And he just laughed and said "I don't like you looking like that dear!" lol. (So sorry dad for posting these, but they just brought me so much happiness I thought Nicole and Alma would want to see them too and experience some of that same joy you brought me!!)I know its backwards... But it's kind of symbolic of our crazy personalities and humor...

Fee Fi Foe Fum!!!! Me want FOOD!!!!

Ahh, the old panty hose vending machines! Classics! lol. I had forgotten all about these until I was home over Christmas and dad was moving out of the storage unit... I went to help him and lo and behold, the machines in all their glory! lol. I remember going with my mom into various businesses and strip malls to get change, restock, or fix the broken or jammed machine (no doubt customers tried to reach in and grab many pair of these fantastically thick, itchy, stretchy skin coverers! and broke it in their attempt!) I didn't really understand what they were back then... but many years later I came to know them and their purposes when I'd go to the garage to grab a pair for my sister, my mom or myself before church. It saved many razor heads, seeing as how we wouldn't have to shave -- just cover it up!!! (this only worked to a certain extent though.. if you went too long w/o shaving, your hair would simply stick out through the tights and you'd earn yourself the nickname porcupine for the day... at least in my mind... ahahahah). Needless to say it was a happy moment to see these givers of concealment again! My dad is looking to sell the collection on ebay (a great investment might I add to all those readers out there) so I took some pictures of the collection. And if no one buys them, well.... they'll make great white elephant gifts for years to come! :)Man I forgot how colorful they are! truly a treat for the leg and the eye!

We also have candy dispensers!

Shmorgy-borgy-borg-borg-borg-borg

So I felt like the crazy chef on the muppets tonight when I was making dinner because I just threw pretty much whatever I had (and my roommates had) into a pot and served it for dinner. It ended up turning out really good though! I started with the Mexican Casserole recipe... but didn't have beef so I used chicken, and seasoned it with basil (i think) then didn't have tomato sauce so I used diced tomatoes, some ragu, and some salsa.... added the noodles and corn, then put in some ranch! yum yum! I also had it with ripped up tortilla instead of chips. Overall it was pretty good-- it was the first time I'd improved a recipe. :) I know its not a new one, but I thought this could count for this month's anyway. Hope you enjoy!

Update

It was our roommate Teresa's Birthday a few weeks ago and so we had a western cowboy party for her!!!! complete w/ vests, hats, and fake mustaches!!! (all compliments of Kendis Roney--she sure knows how to pick those things). The mustaches also make great unibrows :)


Then Nicole, Alma, and Jagger came to visit and the party apparel was still out, and Jagger decided to get into character. I know he's getting old, but boy, they sure are growing hair faster than they did in my day! :) I think its a good look for him though. His alias name is Haviar Garcia! hahahaha

Golden Birthday!!!

I'm not a teenager anymore, I'm a mature and sophisticated young adult now. lol, so how did we celebrate? We had a space part of course! :) I woke up for work, and saw that my roommates had decorated the apartment for me by putting tin foil over one of the walls, and attaching sticky notes, balloons and signs to it to make it look like buttons and knobs, They drew each planet on its own plate (complete with a fact on the back about that planet, such as If Earth had a twin it would be Venus; or Pluto is a dwarf planet lol, those are my two favorites... Thanks Becky for letting me tap into your well of knowledge!!) The hung the planets on the fan blades in order so it was like they were in orbit. They had glow in the dark stars on a wall, a control station, and green cellophane like a portal as you go into the kitchen. So after work (where I received a candy bar) I came home and opened a package my mom sent up for me, and it had a cook book!!! a yellow shirt (the one I'm wearing in the pictures) some mascara, lotion, candy and gum!!!! That sustained me through the rest of the long long day, and when I got home around 5:30 I went with Becky to the Sprint store to fix her broken phone, got lots of birthday calls and then we went home and Kendis had gotten California Pizza Kitchen for dinner, and then we made space helmets!!! Followed by some fabulous presents (wrapped in newspapers with pictures of things like an alien on a stretcher) I got a snow globe egg, a pokemon kite, a frizbee, "brass knuckles" that say GAME on them in fake diamonds hahaha, a pink duck that tells me when the bath is too hot, a movie "Teenagers in outerspace" and "Battle of the Worlds" (I've yet to watch them, but they sure look exhilarating!!) and a dog purse w/ leapord print on the inside, and you can wear the collar as a hair tie!!! woo lol Then Kendis and I painted our nails, I did a dark purple and she did Barbie pink lol, then we tried to splatter then w/ a different color (mine white, hers black) it seriously got all over! it took me like 20 mins to get it all off my hands and arm! lol and Kendis had a little too much flick in her wrist and she got some in her eye!!! she drops the brush and falls to the floor screaming "My eye! Oh oww!" (but laughing at the same time) "I'm serious its in my eye! ahh! ohh!! gahh!!" lol So she runs to the bathroom and washes it off, and then has mascara all down her face, and Becky was like "man, how much paint did you get in there?!" lol- she didnt know it was the make up, well i think she did, and was just being funny. Anyway, after than we did back massages and it was a glorious way to end a fabulous birthday!!!

Cleaning fairy or cleaning nazi?

Okay, so we have cleaning checks every month right?? Well this month I got the bathroom and I cleaned it so well because I failed 3 times before (and I'm supposed to be a custodian... lol ironic right??) even though I clean way better than any of my other roommates and spend seriously about 2 hours cleaning (when I had the oven and 1/2 the kitchen I swear I spent 3-4 and still failed!). So I really cleaned everything to the detail, and I come home the next day to see fail by my name. Grrr! I've been able to laugh it off in the past, but seriously?! I mean this is just getting ridiculous!!! My roommate was like, I think it's because some of us took showers after you cleaned it. So I go into the office to explain my case, but what happens? of course the lady I need to talk to isn't there and won't be in until the next day after my rechecks are scheduled! So what does that mean? I have to reclean the tub to avoid the second fee ($35) and then come in later and state my case. So I do, I reclean it, and it looks exactly the same as it did the first time... some stains, but clean. So the next morning the cleaning lady shows up. Its an old woman, probably 75.. short, portly, glasses (too low of a perscription...just speculations :) And she says I'm here to check the tub, all sweet and innocently. (but oh i know better than to fall for the act) so I go back there and one of my roommates just got in the shower!!!! So I told her I think someone just got in... and she gets all upset, lets out a big sigh like I just took her so out of her way and says all annoyed, "well I guess I'm just going to have to fail it then" and I said, "Are you kidding me?!?!" and she replies "No! I can't wait around here all day, I have other apt's to check!" and I said "even if she gets out right now..." and she just repeats that she has to go... so she asks where the sheet is and I said, maybe I took it into my room... So on my way back to check I knock on the door and have to kick my roommate out of the shower... and then I can't find the cleaning sheet!!! Kaylee comes in and tells me she thinks she saw it in the garbage, so we go digging through the trash with the cleaning lady saying extremely irritated in a raised voice (in the cleaning nazi voice as I like to call it) "You threw it away?! You never throw that sheet away until I clear it!" and "I have to go!" "You never throw that sheet away!" (and she says never the say that check out lady told you you could never return your green sweater Nicole lol, I really had to try not to laugh at how dramatic she was being, and I probably would have if I wasn't so annoyed and angry at that time) lol sheesh we know! calm down! then she says "is that girl out yet?" and I say yes, so she goes back and checks it and comes back "well it passed, so don't worry about finding it," (which is good because at that moment we pulled it out only to find jam or strawberries or something had been put on top of it, and now 1/2 of it was wet and dissolved haha) "but next time, don't throw that sheet away!" Then returns to her sweet voice, smiles and says "Goodbye, have a nice day!" ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!! my roommate and I just stood there for about 5 seconds looking at each other in disbelief with our hands held away from us, covered in trash. Later that day the roommate who was in the shower (and told me why I failed the first time) said that the tub looked exactly the same if not dirtier than the first time I cleaned it (b/c she was in there). And that the cleaning lady was like "Oh, yes, this looks much better!" "Thank you dear, you can get back in the shower now" (in her cleaning fairy voice). I swear! Dad, it's like your haircut story at the MTC! I could have done nothing and she would have said that! My roommate (that was in the shower) said she bets they have a quota they have to fill or something, just like cops, b/c there has only been once when all of us have passed (lol and its usually me who doesn't). I would believe it, b/c there is always full sized candy bars in the office, and a sign in the yard that says "refer a friend and get $50!!" -- here's an idea, just treat your tenants right then they'd refer other girls on their own and you wouldnt have to pay them to do it, and then you wouldn't have to charge for everything to cover it!!!! My theory is that when she was little... maybe middle school or elementary that there was a girl in her class that was mean to her, or maybe she knew a Monique in High school and they were best friends, but then Monique stole her boyfriend or something like that, and she is seeking revenge on me b/c of my name... just one theory, but I think its promising! :) So what's the moral of the story? Check out the childhood of your cleaning fairy/nazi and change your name accordingly! :) Or, if you are a cleaning fairy (manager): give the tenants a break, they usually do clean and they have a LOT going on! Do your job of course, but be nice, and let them reclean it right then if you are there so they don't have to pay the fee. Because they are the ones who recommend others to live there the next semester, so you really get more money from a happy tenant then a failed cleaning check.
Sorry about the tangent, but I just had to get that out there... I find comically ridiculous

Rexburg!!!

I went up to Rexburg about two weeks ago and it was so fun! It was so good to be back up there, it really is like a second home, and it was so good to be with Alma, Nicole, Jagger and friends again!! It felt like I had never left, just like I was back living up there again. Too bad I only got to "live" there for a short weekend. But I sure did a lot in those few days!

The first day I got in we decided to go sledding (seeing as how it was mid January and I had not played in the snow yet... and I live in Utah...) so we went up to the practice fields, where some brilliant mind built the snow up even higher on the hill so that it went above the fence!!! This is not sarcasm when I call this person brilliant, I'm serious! It was so sweet!!! It was a steep hill of joy! Alma and I went down it on the same tube- or air board rather... and it was so funny.. the first attempt we hit a bump -- and you get going down that thing, so it turned into more of a mini jump-- and I wasn't even on the board anymore, but slid right along with it, just sitting in the snow instead of on the board. We were laughing so hard that the snow made our teeth freeze, I think that was the most painful experience of the night! Then we tried it agaiThe first day I got in we went sledding up onn a few more times, and one of them I chinned Alma in the back (sorry about that by the way...) and the next time he didn't even hold onto the handles! so when we hit the bump he fell off and I went sledding down the rest of the hill on Alma, and Alma sledded down the rest of the way on his face! (lol, no apology there --who doesn't hold onto the handles??) Nicole had some rockin rides down the hill as well!! But Jagger didn't want to play... he just sat out with one of us like a lifeless vegetable. No emotion that kid! lol but he does it so cute!


(Just some examples of how cute this guy is!!!)






So after sledding Nicole and Alma went on a date and I met up with some friends and we went to Wingers then back to my friend's to play some karaoke!!! My voice was shot, I mean 4 hours of rockin out in the car on the drive up, and then an hour or so of karaoke! I sounded like a frog the rest of the weekend!


The next morning started bright and early (not as early or bright as it should have) with Alma and I driving up to R mountain, and snow shoeing up the back of it!!! It was awesome!! Snow shoes are seriously amazing! They help so much! We took them off at the top and tried walking around and we sunk down to our shins and were falling over and everything. lol. But since we got a late start and needed to get back to Nicole and Jagger (and a glorious breakfast which I'll et to) we took some of the air boards up with us, blew them up at the top and sledded down the mountain!!!! It was awesome!!!!!!! (disclaimer for any parents reading this... there is a trail that we followed so we knew it was clear of rocks and trees and plants). I went off a little 1 foot drop off and got some air!! lol it was crazy! But the snow was so deep and powdery that it didn't hurt any. Awesome idea Alma!! We'll definitely have to do that one again. So we get home and have an amazing breakfast w/ Nicole and Jagger -- crepes!!!!!!!!!!!! (oh man, those sound so good right now) then we put in some of my laundry and played Ninja Turtles on nintendo!!! (haha, that just reminded me of when we went sledding the first day and Alma was wearing all black and played ninja for a little bit hahaha)

Then later that night we went to the hot springs (smelled like easter eggs that had never been found) but it was fun and my skin was so smooth after!!!







Then after ashower, and another scrumptious meal, I went to Craigo's with some friends, then we went back to Catherine's and played a game where you put the camera on self-timer, and then push the button and call out an object and everyone has to grab that object, and get back in the picture and pose before the timer goes off. lol it was so fun!!!



















Not too hard in a small apartment, but still hilarious results! Then we played curses for a little bit, and then it was off to bed! The next morning I went to church and got to hear Alma give an awesome and motivating talk about being more Christlike, and hear Nicole sing in the choir! (they sounded like angels!!! They were amazing!) Then sadly there were quick good byes and it was off to Provo again.

Thanks so much again for having me guys!! It was so fun to see you! I love you!!!!

Miracle Worker

Richard Simmons: Dance Your Pants Off!!!!

Not only exhilarating and whimsical, but he fills your head with images of butterflies and fairies... oh wait, that's him... but really, its a very practical tape... you learn that running around in circles clapping your hands and singing (with the occasional reverse) not only drops pounds, but tones those muscles!!!! ahahah... it was so fun though!! Totally not something you do to "feel the burn", but just something you do for the experience (usually when you're in an extremely bored or crazy mood; and even then you can only take so much...)
The best part was that two guys from our ward stopped by when we were about 5 mins into our "Celebration" song and dance... lol we haven't seen them since.. poor guys, I think we scared them.

These are some of the sweet moves we learned from him:
This is us getting our game face on ...

We took the challenge, you should too, here are our results to help inspire and motivate you!!:

Before:
from another angle...

After

Us gone crazy after 15 mins of Richard and his shinnangins

Some normal pictures so you don't have the last ones be the last ones you remember and think of when someone says our names. :)