Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Today my cute grandpa turns 84 Years Old! Earlier we met at the Olive Garden for lunch and I will be seeing him again tonight when the entire family gathers at his house for ice cream sandwiches. My Grandpa, Garth, is the most loving man you'll ever meet...a quiet gentleman.

My Grandpa has enjoyed serving in his church calling, as Stake Clerk, for the past 17.5 years (I just called to confirm....yikes, I hope I don't EVER have the same church calling for anywhere near that long!) However, Grandpa spends most days taking care of my Grandma. He does such a wonderful job taking care of our CrAzY old lady who suffers from dementia. The love and patience he shows her everyday is inspiring. I can only pray that Joel still has a little patience left for me when we reach our golden ages......Nah, never mind, life is too short and I have too much fun keeping him on his toes ;)

Happy Birthday Grandpa! We Love you!

Wordless Wednesday...

Christmas Eve @ Brent & Christi's 2003

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

I'm Back!

Early last week the unthinkable happened.....my laptop kind of died :( Both the battery and the power supply have been unreliable for the past few months. However, last week they both completely gave up...I know, it was awful! Now I've got to find the time to go back and blog about the pictures that I posted via my phone and try to remember the events from our Thanksgiving weekend.

Today my new power supply and battery were delivered! I love UPS and I MUST give a shout out to Amazon.com...THEY ARE FABULOUS! I thought Joel was CrAzY when he came home and told me he wanted to sign up for Amazon Prime....it's $80 a year (paid for up front)! He was sold on the streaming stuff....I wasn't impressed....that's why we have netflix. However, now I am sold! With every Prime Membership you get FREE two day shipping and FREE returns. During the first 30 days I have already saved more then the $80 on shipping charges that I did not have to pay for, which leaves more money to buy books ;) I love it!! What I did not love was trying to shop Cyber Monday on my daughters netbook...it was NOT super fabulous!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Jr. High Field Trip

Where everyone knows his name ;)



So, what happens when they have replaced all of the moving parts on the right side.....start on the left side, duh! Last Thursday my dad went into surgery to repair the torn....stuff....in his left knee. Crazy old man doesn't know his limits any more! Dad, I'm going to tell you the same thing I tell Tiny Ry....Please start acting your age ;)

Monday, November 21, 2011

Busy Night



Today Ryan, my sister's husband, graduated from the Weber State Police Academy!! We gathered together with Ryan's family for a potluck dinner to celebrate. We are all super proud him! Ryan's dream is to be on the Weber County SWAT Team....CrAzY, I know! However, with school now out of the way, his dream is easily within reach. Awesome for him....scary for my sister ;)

Congratulations Big Ryan!




We left Ryan's graduation dinner and headed to our cities Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. Ky is in the choir at school again this year and this ceremony is one of their annual performances. Luckily the weather cooperated this year. Last year it was a snowy 24 degrees while they were singing....brrr!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Rico Suave...

...Rico...


Last week Christi's cousin, Cody and her husband Casey, came into town from Colorado for a family funeral. While they all attended the funeral I had the pleasure of protecting Rico from the Devil Dog, Jack. I spent the entire morning with Rico on my lap, he would cry if I put him down...it was so sad :(

During our short acquaintance I fell in love with Rico and I would have taken him if I thought there was a chance that Fisher would play nice. Fisher does not know how to play nice with other dogs...he LOVES people...other dogs, not so much. He tolerates Zoe as long has she knows that he is the alpha dog in the house.

HOWEVER...ever since they told me the cute little guys name was Rico...like Rico Suave...I've had the stupid song stuck in my head! Too bad I can't roll my R's like Gerardo ;o)




...I just thought I would share...
Now hopefully you have this stupid song stuck in your head too!

Living with Sjogren's...




This is an example of how red and dry my eyes get as a result of having Sjogren's. They actually look wet here in this picture because I had just put my drops in...otherwise it would have been extremely painful to keep my eye open as long as it took to take the picture. Every morning I put my eye drops in and then again a couple times a day. However...if I get busy and forget...this is the way my eyes end up looking and feeling like for several hours.

There is a night time eye lubricant that I can put in at night, right before bedtime, but I struggle using that. Once I put the greasy stuff in my eye lid my vision goes beyond blurry...making it so I can't read. Not reading at night?? That's just unacceptable ;o)

Most of the time I'm not out and about when they get like this...however when I am, especially at church since it's first thing in the morning, I'm constantly getting asked if I'm okay...if the kids are okay...if there any thing they can do to help me...etc...etc...I try to assure them that it really is just extremely dry eyes.

Once the drops go in...my eyes either clear up really fast and everything is back to normal or my eyes will get worse for a short time...depends on how long it's been since the last time I put the drops in. If it gets worse...it's an ugly mess...or should I say I'm an ugly mess. My eyes will finally start to tear up and then it burns and stings and my eyes won't stop leaking. Fun stuff, right?

***NOTICE - My eyelashes are FINALLY starting to grow back!! I ripped off my eyelash extensions a few weeks ago and I miss them terribly! Hopefully after the holidays I can get them back on....once holiday stress is over I might be able to stop picking at them and just leave them alone again!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Friday Confessional. . .



1. I confess that I have not read the entire Twilight series...I read the first one, couldn't get into the second one and stopped there. I knew the movies were going to be coming out and decided that I would just wait to see it in the theatre. I'm always disappointed when I read a book first and then see the movie. The book is most always better then the movie, so for me it's one or the other.

That being said...

2. I confess that I would NOT have taken my 10 year old daughter to see Breaking Dawn if I would've had any idea that it was going to be as graphic as it was. I heard AFTER we saw the movie that it was originally rated R and they had to continue to cut scenes until they got a PG13 rating. I heard AFTER we saw the movie that people thought I was crazy for taking her to it......BUT NOT ONE PERSON TOLD ME BEFORE. Susie told me that even the book isn't that graphic, but I'm going to have to read it for myself now to try to judge if she's going to see part 2.

3. I confess that it was REALLY HARD to stay up until 4:45am then get up at 9am. I'm getting too old for that. I thought for sure I was going to fall asleep during the movie but then I got my second wind and read for almost 2 hours after I got home. Last time I looked at my alarm it was 4:45ish...got up at 7am to get Joel and Ry out the door for school and work, then went back to bed until just after 9am. THEN...on top of that....once I made it into work I had to work on the S&B estimate AGAIN for another 4-5 hours. NOBODY should have to deal with that mess on less than 4 hours of sleep, lol ;)

4. I confess that is 7:32pm on a cold and snowy Friday night...and I'm going to bed! Good Night!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

The night is finally here.....


FOR BREAKING DAWN!!

Tonight is the first time that Ky, and her friend Kalysta, will be coming with me to one of the midnight shows. Ky has been SO excited! The three of us will be going to dinner at Chili's with Susie and Christi, over to Walmart for snacks, and then we will all wait for our movie to begin...at 12:25am, while hanging out across the street from the theater at Fat Cats (bowling)! It's pretty much the same thing the girls and I have done for the last 3 movie in the Twilight series...can't break the tradition...that would be bad ;)

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Wordless Wednesday...

Ky 2 yrs old -- Ry 5 yrs old

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Longest Commute Ever!

Last night Joel was on the Frontrunner when it hit a car in Kaysville... (ksl.com) From there the evening went something like this....as per our text messages:

(J) 4:25pm - We just hit a car...I'll be late.

(H) 4:26pm - Nice.

(J)4:27pm - Yup...Amazing we couldn't even feel it, only heard it then passed the wreckage.

(H)4:27pm - Do you want me to come and get you?

(J)4:31pm - Yes. I don't know where I'll end up. Probably Layton. We're stopped in Kaysville.

(H)4:31pm - K, I'll head to Layton.

(J)4:50pm - KSL Radio just interviewed me on air...that's just weird.

(H)4:50pm - Sweet! 102.7?

(J)4:51pm - Yes. Maybe TV too.

(J)5:05pm - Grandma just heard me on TV...called my parents :-)

(H)5:10pm - Sweet! I'm here in Layton....There are cars everywhere!

(J)5:10pm - Chopper 5 is here now.

At this point I sat in the parking lot talking to him, trying to referee the fights going on at home via phone, and reading my kindle....it was awesome....NOT!

(J)6:24pm - We're still not moving. Go home and wait there. I'll just come home when I can.

(H)6:15pm - Okay, the kids are starving...Sorry :-( Love you!

(J)6:16pm - It's okay. I'm just reading tech news. Love you too.

(J)6:21pm - We're going to move.

(J)6:21pm - BUT, they can't say which way....Jeeeeze

(J)6:22pm - We're not going to a station. I'll see you at home.

(H)6:28pm - Were are you going?

(J)6:29pm - They say we are going to go south a few hundred feet and get out at the crossing where the accident happened...BUT we haven't moved yet.

(J)6:59pm - We're moving!!

(H)6:59pm - Finally!

(J)7:02pm - **He sent the picture at the top of the blog...the van is on the tow truck**

(J)7:10pm - Oh man. I'm on a bus. It's going to Ogden, according to the driver. He said he'll also stop in Roy...It's crazy how unorganized they are.

(J)7:25pm - Just went past Roy. Awesome. Ogden is the first stop I guess.

(H)7:25pm - Nice. What a long night...I'm sorry.

(J)7:40pm - I'm in Roy!! See ya in a minute.


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Ry's First Duck Hunt


Last Thursday night Ry passed his hunters safety class.....darn it anyway ;)

RY 0 -- Duckies 1


This weekend Joel took Ry and his friend, Taylor, out duck hunting down in the wet lands...clear out west of here. Ry was SO excited to go. Him and Taylor both shot a couple of times.....AND MISSED!! Yeah for the duckies!!

All three of them came home sore, wet and exhausted. Ry now understands why guys spend so much time training Labs for duck hunting. Apparently it's not a lot fun wading around in the cold muddy water for hours on end...SERIOUSLY?? I could have told him that!

Ry is determined to teach his old dog a few new tricks, lol....poor Fisher. However, try as he might, it's not gonna happen. Fisher is a spoiled sissy dog...he likes long naps in the sun or to be curled up warm in Ry's bed...snug as a bug in a rug :)

Ry has big plans to go back out duck hunting again next weekend with my brother-in-law, Ryan. Once again, I will be at home praying that the innocent duckies survive and the boys come home empty handed....again ;)

Undeniable Truths. . .

Very funny....and so true! I, once again, borrowed from my super fabulous friend, Staci!

1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing stinks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that
you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blu Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.

13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this – ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? **** it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

21. Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the
mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

31. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cellphone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my *** everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Friday Confessional. . .


1. I confess that I love listening to the Bob and Tom show in the morning. It makes me laugh.

2. I confess that it I think it's too early to be playing Christmas music. I'm deleting radio stations that are already playing Christmas music from the preset buttons in my car.


3. I confess that I'm looking forward to this coming week. It's going to be a super busy week but a lot of fun......Well, it will be fun once I get that stupid S&B estimate done (Grrr!). The week starts with a field trip on Monday and ends with the BAP, Inc. holiday party at the Timbermine Steak House on Saturday. I'll blog about it all next weekend!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

He's Old...but we already knew that ;o)


Happy Birthday Grandpa Bob!

Wordless Wednesday...

East Canyon 2008

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Update on Zoe Lou Ellen


First thing yesterday morning Joel and I took Zoe in to been seen by our NEW vet! Dr. Kathleen Ford, at Quail Point Veterinary Hospital, was fabulous! She knew right away what the problem was and set her on the road to recovery. Our OLD vet just shook his head and said, "well...I don't know what to tell you". NOT very helpful!

Dr. Ford gave Zoe a shot of cortisone for the itching and swelling and showed us how to clean her ears and how to put the medicated drops in. Zoe has a yeast infection in both ears. Wow, it really was that simple. If the swelling and itching returns within a week then she's allergic to her dog food. If the swelling and itching doesn't return for several weeks...then she has seasonal allergies. SERIOUSLY!! Why couldn't our other vet figure that out? It's so frustrating! Zoe ears have been SO bad...swollen, itchy, and full of sores...for way to long!

My sweet Zoe has already begun to shown signs of getting better and is returning to the Zoe that we know and LOVE!

** Yep, that's snow in the back of our truck :( Yesterday was the first snow storm of season **

Grandpa & Grandma L.



Yesterday we meet at Gold Corral in Layton to celebrate Joel's Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary. My Mother-in-Law's father passed away when she was very young. Grandma Mona met Dudley later in life...needless to say, they got married and he raised grandma's 5 kids as his own.

Yes, I'm sure you can already guess that there was A LOT of us there yesterday to help them celebrate. 5 kids...with their kids...and their kid's kids...there's even a few great great grandkids! Yikes! The family completely filled the back meeting room.

Grandpa and Grandma are the cutest couple...Grandma's got flare, spunk and style that's all her own...stern looking Grandpa is really just a giant teddy bear that loves to tease. I adore them both! I wish them many more years of happiness.

It was great to see all of Joel's family...his cousins are some of my favorite people. They don't get together often enough and it's always fun to spend time catching up. However, we will all meet together again in just a few short weeks....Bianca's homecoming is next month! WOW! I can't believe that she's already coming home from her mission :) It's going to be great to see her again and to hear all about her adventures!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Friday Confessional. . .



1. I confess that the best concert I've been to is Jimmy Buffet's in Las Vegas. It's the only concert were it's just as entertaining to watch the crowd as it is to watch the stage. Those "ParrotHeads" can be WiCkEd CrAzy! Mom & Dad....you both should be embarrassed ;)

2. I confess that I was sure that I was dying of a heart attack on my birthday. That afternoon the entire left side face went numb and pain was shooting down my arm. I'm not handling getting old very well...so all the way into be seen, Joel kept teasing me that I was just having a panic attack. Well...it ended up being a pinched nerve in my neck, which is way better...scarier...something way more than just a panic attack :-P Okay, not really...lol :) But at least everyone, including myself, got a good laugh. Seriously, Why me? *blushes*

3. I confess that I squealed, like a little girl, and ran from the room yesterday when Jack, Brent's dog, brought a half dead rat into the office to chew on. Honestly...it was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen! I'm not sure it's arm was moving because Jack was chewing on it or because it wasn't all the way dead yet. I probably would have just left the rat in the office and went home if Brent hadn't had been there to take care of it. YUCK! *Shivers* THANK GOODNESS BRENT WAS THERE!!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Wordless Wednesday...

The house in Uintah were I grew up.