Edward

No caption or explaination needed... this picture says it all!

BUT for those who don't know, this is a Edward from Twilight! My co-worker's parents put him at her desk for her birthday. Thanks Chelsey for letting me take a couple of pictures with him. Although I HATED the first movie, think that Edward is no where cute enough, and Bella needs to take some acting classes I CAN'T WAIT for New Moon to come out this week and I am glad I have a sister who wants to see it just as much as I do.

Happy Birthday D-Guy!!

Friday was Dan's birthday. It was a very low key birthday, which I think he liked, but it was hard for me. I love to surprise Dan, but since I did surprise birthdays the last two birthdays and I knew I couldn't top last years (going to Hawaii) I thought I would give him his wish of just a nice night with friends.

For dinner we went to Bombay House with Ben, Mark, and Matt. Bombay House is a new favorite and it didn't disappoint. I told the waiter that it was Dan's birthday in hopes that he would sing to him in Indian, but he just brought a dessert out and as he walked away said, "I don't sing". It was pretty funny.




After dinner we went to the movies and saw Fourth Kind (I don't recommend it). Although the movie wasn't the best it was fun to go.

Saturday we went to Brent and Jamie's to watch the BYU game. Dan loves cupcakes so that is watch I made for him, and what we brought to share. Poor Dan, sometimes he really does get treated like my child... here are your cupcakes to bring to class to share with everyone :) He is a good sport and it was a great game making his Birthday even better!





I love you Dan and I hope you know that I think you are the most amazing person ever!

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mom's birthday. Usually I can only send a card saying... Happy birthday, I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. This year, however, it was different. No I didn't get to celebrate with her today, but since my parents came up for my niece's baptism last weekend, my sister and I couldn't resist having a party for her. It was so much fun to plan and make a wonderful dinner just for my mom. She is such a giving lady that is it a treat to be able to do nice things for her.

My mom is also the type of person who makes present buying easy by just picking it out herself then telling us what it is we bought her. This year was also great because we got her the large cupcake pan that she has been wanting, and she had no idea. I think this was the first time I have seen her be so excited to get a gift that she didn't know she was getting.



My mom blowing out her candles with the help of the grandkids.


My parents with all the grandkids, what a good looking group!


Mom I hope you had a great birthday, you are such an amazing woman and I am lucky to have you as my mom. Thanks for all you do for our family. I love you!

The Final Days of Halloween

We had a great Halloween this year. The weekend before Halloween weekend a group of us went to the Haunted Forest. IT IS SO GOOD. We love the Haunted Forest and had a lot of fun!

Waiting in line to go in, I am glad Dan kept me decent in this picture.


I was leaning forward because I thought Dan was trying to trick me by getting me to come closer so he could scare me. After the picture I turned around and there was a scary guy right in my face who scared me to death and causing to scream VERY loudly!


Me Screaming


Another successful Halloween outing!


Friday the 30th was my work Halloween Party that went really well. I made my Chocolate Triffle (sorry no picture, but it looked amazing). I died the whip cream orange so it looked more festive. I also made my caramel popcorn which was a big hit. I dressed up in Karate clothes and Dan came in regular clothes, I was just so happy to have him there. I think he only came for the food and to sit in the massage chair, but that's ok :)

My parents also came into town on Friday and stayed with Dan and I for weekend. My niece Jayda was baptized Saturday morning, and we were glad we could all go and watch, we are so proud of her! So Friday night my parents, Dan, and I stayed up and watch some British murder mystery movie that my parent brought, then we watch Psycho a favorite of my mom and Dan's.

Saturday (Halloween) my parents went out with the grandkids Trick-or-Treating while Dan, Mark, and I went to This Is The Place huanted village. We went last year and it was just as good this year. We like that it isn't very crowded so you don't know when people are going to jump out at you and they changed it a lot so you don't remember what will happen. I have to admit, Utah does a GREAT job making Halloween fun!

Check and Check

This weekend Dan I got 2 more things accomplished off of our figurative Halloween Checklist. Friday night we had some friends come over to Carve Pumpkins. This is probably my favorite Halloween activity.

It was a lot of fun and I think a big success. A few important things to remember when carving pumpkins; you need LOTS of space for everyone, LOTS of little carving tools (most of them break by the end of the night), and LOTS of time. Here are the results:

My Pumpkin


Mark's Pumpkin

Matt's Pumpkin

We also went to a Haunted House. Saturday night a big, and quite random, group of us went to Nightmare on 13th. It was a great way to kick of the Halloween season and it didn’t disappoint. Nightmare on 13th is rated one of the top 20 Haunted Houses in the U.S. I think the best part was the line. Although long, one section of it has 2 large screens that show 2 sections of the haunted house where people get scared. It is so great to watch and laugh at everyone at they got scared. The other part of the line you think you are just watching these animated characters, Freddy Krueger and I don't know who, talk to you, then the lights go out and when they come back on stuff would drop from the ceiling. Although I have had this happen to me in years past I still jumped. GOOD TIMES!!

A MUST READ

This little blue book is a MUST READ if you are a married woman! It is called "Behind Every Good Man" by John Bytheway. If you don't know who John Bytheway is, he is a LDS Author who seems to be able to write and speak in a way that is entertaining, but gets the point across so perfectly, and he has done it again. I was in Desert Book and saw this book displayed and flipped through it thinking it would talk about how amazing wives are and that they are the glue that holds a family together, etc. I was so wrong and glad that I think so much of myself to pick up this book. It actually talks about how to help our husbands be that man we want him to be WITHOUT us forcing him. I love Dan and he is the most amazing husband who takes great care of me. Of course there are times when we have disagreements, but we have come to this great partnership after 3 years of work. How I wish I had read this book sooner.

Like I said he is a LDS author, so the focus is bringing the Holy Spirit into your home and letting it work. This can not happen if there is a negative feeling in our homes because we are criticizing and nagging our sweet husbands all the time, thinking that we are just “helping" or "reminding” them to do what they “should” be doing already. As we all know criticism and nagging don't work, if anything they do the opposite. It talks about how to best communicate with your husband and help him take the lead as a husband and father with your positive support. Obviously this isn't a fix all, it takes time, and our husbands will never be perfect (neither will we) but it will at least help us have happier attitudes toward our husbands; therefore we will be happier in general. Is the saying not true, when mom/wife is happy everyone is happy?

I could go on and on, but I want you to read it for yourself. It is REALLY short and easy to read. I will admit, I probably wouldn't go get this book if I read about it on someone else's blog, but please consider it. If you don't want to buy the book, call me or leave a message on my blog and I will lend you my copy. It will be worth it I PROMISE you!! And if you don't go to my church this is still of great value, the principles behind it apply to everyone.

A Difference Between Boys and Girls

There are MANY differences between boys and girls, but the one I wanted to blog about today is on scary movies. I use to love scary movies and for some reason never got that scared. Since getting married I have disliked them more and more. This weekend I reach my max with scary movies and hope to never watch one again. It is Halloween time and a favorite thing for Dan is to watch scary movies. We usually will save all the scary PG-13 movies for this time of year since most are R. Last Friday night our friend Matt who works in the media department at the Library invited us and Mark to come after hours to watch movies in the little theater. We were all very excited, brought popcorn, blankets and put in the first movie: Haunting in Connecticut. It wasn’t before too long that I was almost completely under my blanket, curled in a tight ball, and my eyes closed tight. I really thought I might die in the chair I was curled up in because I was so scared. Now here is the big difference, the guys were talking and laughing about how unreal everything looked. WHAT? I am ready to die of fright and they are laughing and having a good time. I do think deep down they are talking and laughing to keep themselves from getting scared, but none the less I don't know how they can watch such scary movies and not be scared.

Anyway, I survived that night and had a talk with Dan that I am unable to participate in anymore scary movie nights unless I have seen the movie before or approve of it. I tried to be a fun wife, but this is one thing you are the guys are going to have to do on your own. Girls…. Let’s going shopping or put in a chick flick!

Football, Football, and more Football

Each year the football season seems to start earlier and earlier. August comes and Dan starts to get this grin on his face that can only mean one thing, football is here. Growing up my family never watched football, or really any other sport for that matter. Dan’s family, on the other hand, probably never missed a game! In fact his mom still goes to watch and support the Kahuku High School team ( this is where Dan played growing up). When Dan and I got married I knew he liked football, but little did I know that when we were dating the few moments I wasn’t around him he was either updating his fantasy team, watching a game, or catching up on things that he missed on Sports Center. Apparently there are people whose T.V.’s never seem to stray from ESPN.

As the years have passed I have come to accept that football will ALWAYS be a part of Dan’s life. I also think Dan has come to accept that when football season starts I will NEVER be nearly as excited as he is. Although I put up a stink by acting like my life is over and that I have lost my husband for a few months, deep down there is a small part of me who actually likes football. I like that it gives me a fall feeling. I like that it is something that Dan likes and I can sit and watch a game with him, unlike when he plays basketball at night and I am left at home. I look forward to having a son for him to share his excitement with ( I hope I didn’t just jinx us). I like that I know what play action, calling an audible, and false start mean. And I love that Dan likes me by his side to share in the exciting moments and that we both cheer for BYU.

Things that I will never understand or don’t like about football are that the ball is placed so casually on the field by the referees after each down, but then they use precise measurements to see if a team earns the first down. I don’t like that I feel bad for some random team that is losing in some game I am only watching because Dan is, and then feel even worse for the team that was ahead then gets defeated at the last moment. They worked so hard all game long to lose in the final seconds. I don’t understand why games have so be SOOOO long and why a team feels the need to call a time out with 2 minutes left in the 4th when they are down by 30. Seriously give up so I can go home or change the channel already! I will NEVER understand when Dan’s says that he feels like his team just broke up with him after a hard loss like after the BYU vs Florida State game. Or the insane excitement like after the BYU v Okalahoma game where Dan apologized to our unborn children sayting that was the happiest day of his life! Hello what about the day you married me?? Oh well as long and I am near the top I am happy :)

As I said before, whether I understand it or like it, football will always be apart of Dan’s life and he knows I will try and be excited, but will probably never really be into it. Here are some pictures of our football adventures from this season.


Dan, Ben, and Laura celebrating after the Oklahoma Victory. Most of you are probably wondering what Dan is wearing, yes a Lava lava. That is one Hawaii trait that I don't think he will ever stop.


BK, Dan, Jen, and Brian after the Florida State game. This was one of those games Dan felt like BYU broke up with him after.

Brian just graduated from Florida State so it was fun to have him and his wife Jen out here visiting for the game. Dan went to high school with Brian so it is always fun when they get together.

Jen, Ben, Dan, and Brian.


Dan's sister Liz, her husband Chris, Dan, Me, and Dan's niece Laura at the BYU v. Utah State.

Although I don't have a picture I must add that we go the Jamie and Brent's house to watch the away games and usually have a BBQ. It is always a lot of fun over there with all our friends.


Dan’s younger brother Ben made the Weber State football team this year so we have had fun watching his games and supporting him. Football is better when you know someone who is playing! Dan has also loved looking at Ben’s play book each week. Yes the X’s and O’s you see drawn on chalkboards in movies really do mean something.



Ben and Dan in Ben's jerseys.


GO BEN!!

This past weekend Dan's sister Liz and her husband Chris came out to visit from Hawaii. They have kind of made it a tradition and we love having them here. As you can see from above we all went to the Utah State game together, then Saturday we went to Ben's game.


All of us with Ben after the game.

Later that night the boys headed off to the Priesthood session of conference while us girls went to a movie. After we all went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner.




Although this isn't football, I wanted to add this... Sunday afternoon Dan, Ben, Laura, and I drove the Alpine Loop to look at the fall colors. This picture really doesn't do it justice, but you can see the beautiful colors of the trees changing.

My (our) New Car!

Monday Aug 31st we bought a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe. I blogged before about my poor Pontiac Sunfire being backed into and that is was the last straw that set me on the hunt for a new car. First some memories about my Sunfire.

• It was my very first car. It was given to my by my parents after my sister got married and didn't need it anymore. August 2000 - It has been good to me for 9 years.
• It was a SUNFIRE... not SunBird or Sunflower as many people mistook it for.
• It was called the white rocket by my brother bc it was small and increasingly shook and rattled the faster I went.
  
• I at one point fit fellow stat girl Jenny Martin and 3 basketball playings in my car. No that doesn't seem possible, but I did it.
• It safely transported and survived the many little children that I babysat.
  
• It got drove me to Utah and California MANY times.
• I got many tickets in it, pulled forward into a yellow pole at the library, lightly rear ended a little old lady in a truck, but nothing serious. I did get rear ended, and backed into twice by other people.
• It was the car that Dan and drove away in after our wedding.
  
• It was my reliable friend.

In the end, there were usually had 3-5 lights lit up on the dash at all times. I couldn't unlock my doors in the winter. The defrosters stopped working, and I couldn't set the presets on my radio, so it stayed on one station 90% of the time. I loved that car, but it was time to move on. Ben, my brother-in-law, is going to Weber State so we gave it too him. I hope he loves it like I did.


I don't think he loves the car, but loves Having a car.

Goodbye car, I will miss you.

I have had my new car for about a week and a half now and I love it. It is so fun to drive and I love that it is bigger... hopefully it will be a great family car. I have never been into naming things, but a friend kept asking me what I was going to name it and I finally decided on Miley. You might be thinking, Miley Cyrus, and Yes you are right. I love her new song, Party in the USA, it was the first song played in that car and probably the most played song to date. So I thought naming it Miley it would help me remember when I got it. Hopefully it will treat me as good as my sunfire. I look for many new experiences and memories in this car.

Hiring

I really do love my job. I think I love my job for 2 reasons. 1) I love to work. I was raised having to do chores, be responsible, have pride in what I do, and be dependable. I feed off of the compliments and promotions I get at work. It is like I have a competition against my self to be the best. 2) I get paid to work. Work is something we have to do and growing up I had to do whatever task my mom had for us to do, usually for free (sanding something, pulling weeds, etc.) Now I get paid and get to be in an air conditioned building. I love my job.



BUT there is one thing I HATE about my job. I HATE hiring people. I am the Office Manager so it is my job to keep the place staffed. We have 2 front receptionists, one who works in the morning and one who work in the afternoon. For some reason that is the hardest job to fill let me explain.

Anyone who has half a brain and can do the job well, usually leaves for one of the following reasons:

• Gets married


• Gets pregnant


• Gets a new job


• School conflicts

With the luck that I seem to be having lately one of those things happens within 3 months of them starting work here.

When it isn't one of those things, I get stuck with these types of girls. In the interview they seem clean, well kept, happy, stable, competent, and excited for the job. I hire them and something happens. It is like a whole new person comes to work, an evil, irresponsible twin. For example, the last girl I hired seemed great. She lasted 11 days. Of those 11 days she was gone 4, 2 of which she just didn't show up. Of the remaining 7 days she actually came she was late 3. Not like 10mins late, but 30 or more. Seriously, it can't be that hard to get to work and get there on time. All this is to say, parents who have raised or at least tried to raise responsible children, Thank you.

So here I am, ON LABOR DAY, in my office waiting for the next batch of interviewees to come and deceive me. Wish me luck.