You just never know...

Last Night...

2011-02-20T16:34:00.006-07:00

We watched my niece and nephew last night...
Thank goodness Patrick was there as entertainment lol
We had dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Smileys,
then went home for some movie watchin, some ice water?,
some fruit, and of course, lots of laughing

Warning: The dog gets a little 'excited' in the begining... fyi

Update, Catch-up, Yada-Yada

2011-01-09T18:29:00.002-07:00

Here's the run down:

Christmas came and went, it was, in a word, bittersweet.Thank you my familia for the thoughtful gifts, I love them!
New Years came and went, it was, in a word, boring!(It was the first New Years Patrick and I had alone since we met and my dear husband fell asleep at 7pm lol)
Speaking of my sweet spouse, he's decided to "grown is hair out"... I am not a fan.
I finished school and started my externship this past week! I get to do 200 hrs at an obygn clinic.
I may have said 'vagina' at church today.
I may have also said 'vagina' at church last week too.
I've chunked up... I need to un-chunk
Recent trials in my little life have started to turn me into a not nice person... I really dont like that.
On the plus side, I got a new Dr and "Baby Makin' 2011" has officially begun!
I'm going to start looking for something new, different, and/or new and different to me to do once a month... I know what you're thinkin'..uh, what?! I know, it sounds good in my head, I'll let you know.
I've been told that my face needs 'help'... do they have an app for that?
Biggest pet-peeve: People talking to each other while in separate stalls in a public bathroom!
I know this will shock some of you so sit down.... I probably should have read growing up. I'm pretty sure being a 'reader' whilst young would've helped me in college. There, I said it.
I know I'm not the greatest blogger, but I appreciate those of you who hang on with me!

Goodnight Ya'll

Best Pillow Fight.... Ever

2010-12-24T22:56:00.001-07:00

It started out... innocent. A little boy and a little girl.

Then the big girl stepped in....

You wanna piece of me ese'?

An Attempted sneak attack:

Dont mess with me maaaan!

Well Aint That A beep

2010-10-08T21:25:00.004-06:00

Can you guess which of these events DIDN'T happen in the last 10 days?

1. Got 5 tubes of blood drawn
2. Had 3 EKG's done
3. Had a vehicle pass away
4. Celebrated Patrick's birthday
5. Was referred to a cardiologist
6. Made the most delicious chocolate, chocolate, chocolate cake EVER
7. Bought a car
8. Made my own cake plate stand
9. Lost all trust for a relative
10. Decorated for one of my favorite holidays

Answer to come soon!!
(Isnt this exciting lol)

Taking a breath.

2010-09-29T22:25:00.001-06:00

I needed this reminder today....

A Letter & The Haps...

2010-09-19T17:52:00.004-06:00

Dear School,

I regret to inform you that I am over you.
The pages and pages of homework, the hours of driving to and from class, the memorizing of 65+ surgical instruments... Oh! The memorizing! I am over it all!
Unfortunately, 'the man' says I must keep trucking along. I must learn the 'right way' to manipulate tools, set up trays with a tiny pair of 'tongs' while not speaking but using hand signals, when I know in the 'real world' that I will be able to speak and just glove up and use my hands that Heavenly Father gave me!

You're lucky I have to stick around for a few more months school, otherwise I'd be outta there!

Sincerely,
Me

In other news... School started back up, I'm taking radiology, coding, and 2 advanced patient care classes. I'll be started my externship in January..cant wait!

Falls a commin'! I wanted to start a tradition that on the 1st day of fall (which will be this Thursday) I will make a fall-ish type dinner. Since this will be the 1st year, I'm going to try a pumpkin chili recipe that I found. We'll see if it sticks.

I also joined a gym. Seems that when you stop working at the airport and start sitting at a desk all day, the chub comes back! Well, the chubs gettin the boot! We'll see if it sticks. :)

This month we went to a funeral for Patricks Aunt who passed away from stomach cancer. Have you ever been to a funeral surrounded by accusations of murder, druggies buying up the dead lady's pain killers, having the funeral stuff at THREE different locations, dead flowers and all the soda you could drink? Well my friends, this funeral was all that and more!

My cousin Jason's wife had their 2nd bebe and my other cousin Andrew got married!

We also went to a surprise birthday party for his other auntie. She cried when we yelled 'surprise'... I love it when something good makes someone cry! :)

Speaking of making people cry, Christmas is coming and it has been a goal to make mom and pops cry over our gifts. I need some ideas people!

Speaking of crying again, my gramma and uncle are moving back to Utah next month(?).
I cant wait.

I'm goin to see a new Dr. at the end of this week... Lets hope he can help.

I want a vinyl cutter. You know, a machine that will cut out vinyl into words and shapes for me so I can make awesome stuff? Let me know if you have a hook up!

I leave you with an image of what I'm doing right now.... Any guesses?

My weekend...

2010-08-15T22:01:00.004-06:00

One week down of my 'break' from school.
Got my grades from summer semester... A, A, A, A-, B+ (darn that B!)
Saturday I helped clean the church, had a yummy cinnamon roll AND
saw a dead body!
Made banana bars with cream cheese frosting.
Taught a lesson to some chicks about service.
Made this:

(Patrick asked if we were gonna hang it in the closet) lol he's fired

Studying...

2010-08-01T21:06:00.006-06:00

And playing this song over and over again....

I need an excuse...

2010-07-31T09:17:00.003-06:00

Its 9-something in the manana and I am studying for finals and finishing up assignments for school but I'm not feeling it. So let me drop some mental vomit...

This week I have finals. Let me clarify, this week I have 7 finals... in 4 days. Boooo!

Our ward had a cake auction last night to raise mula for the youth and scouts. I made a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. It weighed 5.2lbs.

I'm not ready for summer to wind down... I've been in classes for all of it.
No flip flop tan to speak of. It's just not right.

The month of July I tried for the very first time, a blueberry, a raspberry, and a blackberry.
In that order.

I am a fan of Boston Med.

Sometimes when I close my eyes I can hear the ocean and smell the salty water.

Turquiose and grass green = awesome.

I am outraged that I have not bought any basil or eaten any pesto this summer!
(see, the exclamation shows outrage lol)

I miss my Aunt Mary and Grandma... if I think about them i cry. Stopping now.

I decided that for my practicum I want to do labor and delivery/obgyn.
You know the saying, those who cant teach? Well...

I'd like to find some really cute flats in every color of the rainbow.
(not rainbow colored flats, that'd look weird)

Last night Snoop Dogg kept showing up in my dream... to grab my booty.

I had my 6 month checkup... no cavities. Again.

I have an appt in a couple weeks for that OTHER kind of checkup.
I might have cavities for that. hahaha Wouldnt that be weird.

J is for....

2010-07-28T17:27:00.001-06:00

Jewelery : I'm a bracelet girl.. the chunkier the better. If I had the time, I'd make big chunky bracelets that matched everything I owned.

Jeans : I love the IDEA of jeans, in my head I'd wear them with EVERYTHING, all day, everyday... In real life I can never get a pair that fits the way I want it to (like butter preferably). I'll keep trying...

Journal : Argh! Why are you so hard to keep up with?! I would love to say that I have volumes and volumes of my life documented but really I only have a handful of books that span over 30-something years... horrible.

Jeep : When I started college (the first time, you know, when you were SUPPOSED to be in college) I saw one, I wanted one, I still want one:

Jelly Shoes : I am a fan of Jelly shoes. Granted they make your feet sweat like a hooker on nickle day, but, I love all the colors they come in and it reminds me of being little and being able to go from dry land to water whenever I felt like it. Amazing!

Weekend Haps

2010-07-05T20:31:00.008-06:00

I love my family so much!

This weekend Stace came up from Vegas to visit, Uncle Pat came from Illinois, it was the 4th of July (Happy Birthday Aunt Mary!) and Asians new baby 'pounder' was blessed!
I love spending time with all these awesome people...

Gathered around the table at Jamie & Asians new house

Patrick working on his 'depth' photography... I guess lol

Pops, Uncle Pat & baby pounder bonding
(his initials are lbs... if you were wondering why)

Asian & Suzy Chapstick
(I'm framing this picture, LOVE it)

He smelled like a baby... I was in heaven

2010-06-12T09:25:00.001-06:00

I MAY have cut my hair......

Sssshhhhh... Wanna know a secret?

2010-04-02T21:12:00.005-06:00

I'm gonna tell you guys something that I dont think I've ever told ANYONE.....

For as long as I can remember I've wanted to be a part of something that others may find offensive and dangerous...

Here's a hint...

(I used to own a pair of these bad boys by the way)

Are you ready?

I've always wanted to be a Roller Derby Girl

Are you surprised, shocked or in utter disbelief?

Well, its true. I dont even remember what started it but everytime I see someone rollerskating or watch a movie that has derby girls in it, I secretly wished I could be doing it too!

What would my name be? I guess it would depend on what the name of the league I was playing for was called. Maybe I could be:

Ana Stesia
Gogo Baibai
Kit n Kabootie
LL Cruel J
Miss Conception
Nokka Ho Down
Nurse FlatlineHer
Pain Fonda
Polly Wanna SmackHer
Shiv Tyler
ZsaZsa LaGore
(all REAL derby girl names)

Well, until I find a great name and a better place to play (Salt Lake only plays on flat tracks... thats just like skatin in a circle on the street) I have a little more time to fine tune my skills.....

And buy some skates

The letter I....

2010-03-31T16:03:00.001-06:00

Oh, I'm still doin it folks...

Ice * I HAVE to have ice in my cup, it doesnt matter if its 100 degrees outside or 20, drinking a refreshing beverage that has no ice in it is inhumane. In a perfect world I would have an endless supply of PEBBLE ice on hand at all times...

IGNORE * If you REALLY want to push my buttons and get me all kinds of crazy... ignore me when I talk to you. This will get you punched in the Aorta so fast you wont have time to spell it.

INFERTILITY * This is a super sensitive subject. I've dealt with it for the better part of 10 years now and am coming to a point where I'm probably going to close this chapter. (Strike that, I'm not ready to close it yet) If you have the blessing of being able to conceive and give birth to your children, I envy you so deeply. It kills me to go to baby showers and births... please forgive me if you've seen me at any of these and thought I was uninvolved or unsupportive, it was all I could do to even show up. I apologize if I offended anyone, please dont take it personally.

IMMUNIZATIONS * So, in order to be in my medical assisting program I had to show proof that my immunizations were current. Well, I had no clue how I was going to get all that info together, especially the ones from California, SO, I had to get ALL of them again! I was SURE I was going to get diphtheria, hantavirus and probably elephantiasis all at once...

good thing I didnt.

INDEPENDENCE DAY * (I never call it that by the way) I love this holiday!
1) Its in the summer 2) fireworks, duh 3) BBQ's 4)my favorite Aunt Mary's birthday!

ICE CREAM * Baskin Robbins peanut butter chocolate & nutty coconut.... nuff said

Ramblings...

2010-03-30T21:36:00.003-06:00

I'm horrible at bloggin, I apologize... I've got 3 old posts in draft mode cause I never finished them (I'll throw them up this week) and it seems when I do post its either a couple lines and a bunch of pictures, or just alot of random thoughts... which is what today will be lol

The problem is this... I dont have hilarious stories to tell like I'd like to!

This is my day:

Get up, get the kids up
Get hubby's lunch ready (most days)
Get ready for school
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Drive to school
Learn, learn, learn
Get home just before girl gets out of school
Go pick up boy from school
Help kiddos with homework
Make dinner
Kiss hubby when he gets home from work
Eat dinner
Clean up
Do my own homework
Have family meeting
Family prayer
Send kids off to bed
Read blogs, facebook or more homework
Pass out in bed

See? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz boooring!

Oh wait, I do have something....

You guys have been sworn to secrecy though...
I'm serious, dont keep reading if you cant be trusted!

Ok, here goes....

You know I'm a step-mom right?
These munchkins are 10 & 13.
Its hard, real hard but I'm finding my niche...
Anyways,
The 3 of us were at the kitchen table doing homework and taking turns looking at the Shopko ad.
Me first, then the girl, then the boy.
While the boy was looking at it, I got up to wash some dishes.

Then it happened.

The boy snuck out of the kitchen with the bra and panty page of the ad and stashed it in his room....

Then quickly came back in the kitchen with mutterings of wanting to look and see if a game he wanted was on sale...

Eeeewwww

I dont even want to think about it...

Goodnight ya'll

Yesterday...

2010-03-20T08:30:00.005-06:00

Patrick & I were sealed for time and all eternity yesterday... It was a VERY good day

What I'm thinking right now...

2010-01-09T20:49:00.004-07:00

I'm becoming more of a night person... I also get more accomplished later in the day than I do in the morning

I really , REALLY need to organize my time better so that I can get all my school work done and get good grades

I'm grateful I wasnt born with any deformities

We started the paperwork to cancel my previous sealing in November and we're still waiting, I hope its ready for Pat and I to be sealed by our anniversary in March

I like valentines and St Patricks day better than Christmas
In fact, I think I like all the holidays more than Christmas... except Thanksgiving, thats last

I wish I didnt wait so long to go back to school
I'm glad I went back to school

I wonder if I could pull off the "50's" look

I really want to do something different with my hair

I'm excited to wear scrubs
I have great veins

I cant wait for the sun to come out and it to get warm again

If I had to go through all the trials and heartbreak from my past again to meet and marry Patrick I would do it in a heartbeat

I love the quiet

I sure love my mom.... and I miss her alot

One of my resolutions this year was to stop baking for pleasure and just bake when I had to for some event.... I baked 3 times this year already but now I dont have anything until the 31st... I'm already having withdrawls lol

I wish I had more money, shoot, I wish I just had enough money lol

I hate being on my period... I need chocolate
Sound like a reason to bake I think

I'm enjoying the kids more, I'm glad

School starts Monday. I cant wait to be done so I can have skills

I want to learn how to make chunky bracelets and necklaces

I'm tired... Goodnight

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T05:55:00.002-07:00

I've been up since about 3:45....

Lots of thinking
Lots of worrying
Lots of wondering
Lots of being grateful...

Merry Christmas Everyone

Lets Start Over Shall We?

2009-12-02T22:23:00.007-07:00

So much for my Thankful week lol
After Stace came home I got all kinds of distracted and passed out every night from the long days filled with laughing :)

Thanksgiving was great... good food, good people, good times.

EXCEPT...
Belle does NOT like me.
whatever

Friday Stace and I went BLACK FRIDAY shopping! It was fun, it was early, we were tired.
(I bought 2 pillows, thats it lol)

Saturday we had family pictures, it was fun and we got some really cute prints... you'll see um later.

Stace left on Sunday, or shall I say "Sadday" :(

Fast forward to today....

I wanted to do something with the kids that was more about giving than receiving so tonight we picked 4 families, made mint chip brownies and played 'secret elves'.

The kids took turns running up to the doors of a few neighbors, rang the bell and either took off or hid so as not to be discovered.
They both thought it was so fun! Of course, they HAD to dress in dark clothes to be 'ninja-like' lol

(me and P@ were laughing watching them)

We'll be doing this every week this month!

Day 3

2009-11-25T23:10:00.003-07:00

Mel McDaniel (who?) has an old song called "Baby's got her Blue Jeans on".
My Grandma used to sing this song to us when we were little and say it reminded her of Stace.

I picked my sister up at the airport this morning... and thought of this song when I saw her.

Today I'm thankful for my sister.

We are completely opposite and yet I love being around her. We did alot of laughing today and I'm sure the rest of the week/weekend with be just as funny.
She is a Diva. A sassy crack up who doesnt take any crap from anyone.
I admire her greatly.

How lucky am I to have a sister like Stace.

Love you dork

Day 2

2009-11-24T23:05:00.003-07:00

Sometimes you have to think really hard about what you're thankful for on a particular day.
Today was one of those times.
Today was rough... no, today really sucked.
It was one thing after another all day and I kept thinking to myself
"What are you gonna say you're thankful for tonight?".

I think what I'm thankful for today IS tonight.

I'm grateful that when I have a crappy day, the night comes and I can lay in my bed and sleep. I can take a deep breath and pass out, knowing that tomorrow will be better (hopefully)

A Week of Thanks...

2009-11-23T22:49:00.004-07:00

Today I am thankful for my Patrick...

There was a time, not too long ago when I thought that marriage (again) and children were probably something that I just wasnt going to have in my life.

Lemme back up,
I have ALWAYS wanted to be a wife and a mother. My earliest memory was when I was 14.
Then in High School I was the Vice President of
FFA (future homemakers of america, thank you very much).
Then again, right after high school I was sitting with a group of friends and we were going around in a circle saying what we wanted to 'become'. I said a wife and a mom.

Its what I've always wanted.

Then, choices were made (not the best ones) and I found myself in the middle of an extremely challenging and difficult life. Looking back, I believe it took me so long to change the situation I was in because "this wasnt the way it was SUPPOSED to be" and I was holding onto the "idea" of how it should have been a little too tight.

When I finally let go and moved forward, I became a different person. For the better.
I am much, much stronger than I once was and I like it.

When I met Patrick I knew what I wanted and was SURE that I would not let myself be put in a similar situation that I was in before. And I didnt.
Patrick treats me with kindness, respect and love.
Yes, sometimes he farts right next to me in the store and then quickly leaves so that others will think it was me, but thats ok. And I may have just washed his iPhone in the washing machine for the SECOND time... thats sort-of-ok.
He is thoughtful, caring and funny.
He is a great provider and carries things in the house for me.
He's always concerned about my finger :)

He is what I have always wanted and what I deserve.
I am thankful for the trials I went through and the person I have become because of them.

I love my Patrick very much and am very grateful for him.

Whoo Hooo

2009-10-05T21:40:00.007-06:00

Its here! October is here!
As much as I love the summer, I get so excited when October comes! The only thing better would be if after October we went straight to Spring, that would ROCK!

This weekend I went Fall crazy, I had a break from school, the kids were at their moms and I decided to pack my mini vacation with October festivities.

For treats I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies:

P@rick and I drove around and strolled the Halloween stores, looking at all the spooky ideas. I normally just decorate in pumpkins but this year I went a little crazy and added skulls to the mix:

Specimen jars and a BOO banner

Skull wreath for the door

(I realize it looks like a heart.. its not, its a circle lol)

I let the little girl decorate the outside of the apt with Danger tape, spider webs and various rubber animals...

We're ready.

A Letter....

2009-09-29T19:15:00.002-06:00

A Letter To Mr Biology
(inspired by Rookie)

Dr Mr Biology,

Are you kidding me? Making the switch from Chemist to Biology teacher must have rocked your world. Somehow you have forgotten that you are NOT teaching at Yale or Harvard, but at a humble Community College. I appreciate that 3 pages of my test were in take home form; using the internet helped a great deal to answer questions (except for the 2 that NO ONE could find). Imagine my surprise when I walked into class and you handed me a PACKET of the 'in class' portion of the test, along with the Scantron which you smiled and said "You wont need to use the Scantron until you get to page 6". Seriously? Did you know that I have other classes? Do you think that I can look and a drawing and tell you what molecule it is along with the atomic number and lewis structure drawn out? Well brother, I cannot. When you told me I should have the periodic table memorized by the second week of class I thought you were just kidding.

I now know that Chemists/Biology teachers dont kid.

Hoping that reality hits you really soon...
Strugling Student

The Letter H

2009-09-26T22:12:00.002-06:00

Oh, I havent forgotten people....

Happy Husband... I'll tell you what, this dude is a positive one! Always looking on the bright side. Comes in very handy when I want to line people up and down my block and just slap them! lol

Halloween... My absolute favorite holiday! The leaves, the smell of autumn, the CANDY, oh the candy. Patrick asked me how in the world I could love Halloween so much when I hate anything scary. I told him " Oh, I just like the nice parts of Halloween, you know, candy, pumpkins, little kids dresssed up like animals, THAT kind of Halloween" hahaha

Hair... I have hair. Its semi-long. Its ALWAYS been long, except for ONE time I cut it almost to my chin for Locks of Love (sorry, that was ugly). Well, I've been thinking about choppin it off. What do you think of these:

I dont know if I could pull it off... its tempting

Hello Stranger....

2009-09-26T20:58:00.004-06:00

There is a somewhat dim, hazy light that I THINK I can see at the end of the tunnel...
I'm aiming for it :)

Things are calming down (a little) so I find as I sit here at the computer working on the take home portion of my Biology test, I would MUCH rather update my blog.
It makes total sense when you really think about.

I DID get the boot at work, but wasnt too worried about it on account of my school loan and unemployment getting me through. Um, thinking honesty IS the best policy and maybe it would actually HELP, I marked that yes, I was indeed going to school when I applied for the unemployment. Well, I got denied, BECAUSE I am going to school full time and therefore they could see no possible way that I could also work full time, and if I couldnt work FULL time, there would be no help. (Picture steam coming from my ears)
Now I'm freaking out.

Summer semester is over, got an A in both classes (thank you very much). Fall semester started last month and lets just say I have been having flashback after flashback of days in my younger years when I was teased (by family mind you) of how I was NOT the sharpest crayon in the box. It has been 15 give or take years since I went to school and I am Strugglin'! Things are not registering in my little brain and it will be all I can do to pass 2 of my classes with a C. Thank goodness for my medical terminology class, that class I love and its the only class during the week that I dont want to throw my notes, book and pencil up in the air and walk away!

We now have both the hubby's kids living with us, the boy is 12, the girl 9. Being a step-mom is hard, I'm more than a babysitter, but not their mom and finding where I fit in, and what my boundaries are has been a challenge. I'm grateful for Patrick and his understanding, compassion and love for me. He's awesome.

Lets lighten this wah-wah fest shall we?

Fall's almost here :) Fall is my FAVORITE time... halloween! I've already decided and prepared for my October treat making, get ready! Speaking of treats, this weekend the kids were at the moms and I had a nice quiet house. I made TWO things I have never made before. First, friday I went to a backyard get together for the YW in my ward, I made Recees cup peanut butter cookies. YUM. Then today, I made... wait for it.... homemade soft pretzels :) I didnt like the way I was making the knots so I made little pretzel bites. Double Yum.
Both recipes are going into the recipe box!

It makes me so happy!

So many things, so little time...

2009-07-26T15:54:00.009-06:00

I know, I know, it's been quite a while since I blogged. I KNOW! Here's the thing, school, work, family, other family.. I'm busy! (thats not an excuse, I know everyone's busy) OK, I'll work on it, I'll do better! ConsidHow are things going? Dont ask. Lots of trials right now...

But everything is fine and things will get better!

Its the least I can do to tell ya the highlights, right? OK....

Summer semester started and is done in a little over 2 weeks. I thought I'd be able to finish my nursing pre-reqs by fall semester but it looks like I wont be done till spring, I somehow managed to save all my bio and chem classes till these last 2 semesters.. Good job Stepharoo!!
I cant wait to be done!

Work. Work is a pain in my you-know-what. I'm 75% sure I will be getting laid off at the end of August, we'll see.

Church... I love going to church, its peaceful. I just got a calling as the Laurel advisor. For those of you that dont know, that means I'll be helping teach the 16 & 17 year old girls in our ward. I'm excited, ok, maybe not excited, but I do think it'll be fun and interesting.

Did you know that a mother can file for child support even if she doesnt HAVE the kids? And did you know that your husband can have that said support garnished out of his check whithout any say from you? Did you also know that if this mother did this fraudulently that you and your husband then have to file charges against her, work with an investigator and jump through hoops even though YOU are the honest ones? You didnt? Me either... until now.

Home. Its my favorite place to be. I love being home, making dinner, cleaning the house and spending time with my hubby, its my favorite.

Speaking of home, the boy started football yesterday. Football practice, football games, sitting in chairs watching and cheering. Its kinda cool.

Still speaking of home.. we're trying to have a babe. Frustrated with Dr's who arent on top of things and are real 'busy'. Gimme a prescription pad, I learned how to read one so I can write my own now thanks :)

The heat. Oh the heat. How you torment me with your fiery rays. Did you know that the airport is 10-15 degrees hotter on the tarmac? Yup, I feel it. Oh, and they said that buying us ice is no longer in the budget. Um, ok, maybe if a passenger isnt going to finish their drink I can have it. (Hahaha if you know me, you know I would'nt do that in a MILLION years! haha)

What else... OH!
What do you do if the boy has somehow 'lost' the drumsticks to our RockBand and your brother-in-law and sons are commin over to play?
Answer:

I came to a conclusion. I love cupcakes. I've always loved cupcakes but then it became 'in' and 'cool' and I didnt want to admit it. It started with this shirt on this baby:

My name is Stephanie and I love cupcakes.
There, I said it. I gave in and went to a cupcakery. $2 for a TINY cupcake? Please!
Gimme $1.00 and I'll make you a normal person cupcake, promise.

What else.. Oh, here's a good one; Ex got evicted from his apt and is dodging them so they went back in the contracts to see who the last person was on them with him... ME! So I got a letter from my work about an intent to garnish $3,500.... Um, NO. Patrick and I went to the court and requested a hearing...Waiting for the court date... Talked to idiot Ex, he's aware. They are SO not going to get a dime.

See, I tried telling you there was alot going on... you didnt believe me did you?

Did you know that when your muffler is 'going out' it can make your sweet little mini van sound like a street racer with a condition?

They came out with coconut M&M's..... you can only eat a couple every few days otherwise you cant taste the coconut. AND, the candy coating's too thick. Consider yourself warned.

Ok, I'm tired.
Dinner's ready and I'm now going to make some brownie cupcakes with a cream cheese peanut butter inside. Oh Yeah!

Updates and General Info.. zzzzzzz

2009-06-13T07:13:00.009-06:00

Things are busy. crazy, good & bad so I decided to give you the jist of whats goin on over here....

Where to start? Oh yes yes, YES... My sweet husband surprised me with a massage! At a Japanese spa! Be quiet! I have never had a massage in all my days and WOW that was SOOO relaxing! Work is kicking my butt on a regular basis and this felt so, so nice! Unfortunately the efforts of an awesome massage chick were quickly wiped away the next day :)

I finished Spring quarter at school with some pretty good grades and just started Summer session last week. Let me tell you I DO NOT like pre-req's! They are a pain! I'm fine takin them but you cant register for them until the grades from the 'pre' part are in and by that time the class you want to take is full, so even though I can register for fall classes now, I have to wait until summer classes are done and grades are turned in to be able to...aarrrgghh. (Ok,vent over)

Speaking of school, the boy (which we lovingly call him) graduated from 6th grade! I find it interesting that they dont call it a graduation but a Promotion... He's been promoted to middle school in the fall, whoo hoo! We're very proud of him:

And to round out the last few weeks, Pat has been on a mission, a BBQ mission. More specifically he is searching for the perfect rub, sauce, smoke, cooking regimend that will give him the BEST bbq! Watching the Food Channel, looking at how to's on Youtube and recipes online. WELL, last week he decided to give it a try, a dash of this, a sprinkle of that, rub rub rub... Oila! BBQ!
He was SOO excited!
He bbq'd for HOURS!

Yeah, they burned lol BAD

NOW I'm working :)

2009-05-19T14:56:00.003-06:00

They laid off 235ish people from my work.. I BARELY made the cut. Along with all those getting the boot, they got rid of my position which was going to Delta planes, grabbing our bags and running them to our planes. SO, as of Friday, I am a ramp worker, meaning I only work with our planes now; bringing them in, unloading the bags from the cargo bin, loading new bags into the cargo bin and pushing the plane out. Let me just say that I'm sore in places where I didnt know I could even GET sore, I'm sweaty, REAL dirty and have ALOT of bruises on my body! But its good; for the last 2 years I've been afraid of getting that up-close and personal with the planes; What if I ran the plane into the bldg!? What if I ran a plane into another plane while I'm pushing it back?! (ok that one ALMOST happened, good thing I had brakes lol) Anyways, I'm glad I'm on the ramp, its a GREAT workout, I get to be outside for HOURS at a time and its summer (which I LOVE).
Winter will be another story... we'll see what happens :)

Routines... Patterns...

2009-04-16T08:46:00.007-06:00

I was washing dishes yesterday, thinking about things that had happened and things that were going to happen, people I had talked to, errands I needed to still take care of and homework that was waiting for me.

Then I noticed the dishes, I wash dishes in a certain way; plates, bowls, cups, small containers, big containers and bowls, and last, the silverware (I hate washing silverware).

I thought about other things I do in a certain order; Shower:
Shampoo hair first, then put on the conditioner and let it soak in while I wash everything, then shave everything, face gets washed last, then conditioner rinsed out of hair.

Most of the ironing I do is with my left hand, getting the sleeves and ties (if there are any) ironed first

When I fold laundry I make piles; tops, bottoms, towels, then socks (socks are always done last) and in those piles, the biggest items go on the bottom and the smallest on top.

Why do I do things in a certain order? I think its because its just that, order. I feel in control when things are done in a certain way, and I think things go smoother.

Thats all, just something I was thinking about :)

On a side note, being married to Patrick is wonderful!
I'm the happiest I have ever been in my entire life....

I'm no fool...

2009-04-01T21:32:00.000-06:00

I dont like this day, nope not one bit.

Patrick on the other hand TRIED to get me, twice.

First time he put toothpaste in some oreos... too bad it was blue toothpaste :)

Second time it was conditioner on the toilet seat, fortunately for me I ALWAYS look at the toilet seat before I sit down because I live with 2 guys :)

Nice try brotha'

Here comes the.... lol

2009-03-18T09:11:00.005-06:00

Last Monday Patrick and I got married...

This man is THEE best thing that has ever happened to me.
He makes all the past pain and hurt worth it.
He makes me feel so good and warm and happy.
He's funny and smart and very kind.
I am a lucky and blessed lady.

We just ran over to the Salt Lake Courthouse... quiet and small. In a year we will be sealed in the Temple and then we will have a big party and invite everyone! Mark your calendars!
In addition to becoming a wife, I also became a step-mom to two kids; Libby is 9 and Ako is 12. Oh, I will be a cool step-mom, dont worry. :)

I'm very happy!

Well, there you go...

2009-02-27T12:10:00.002-07:00

Just a brief side note to those of you who care about my
confection controversy a couple posts ago;

Dove chocolate has come out with this heavenly

Dark Chocolate with Coconut Caramel

shut your mouth!
I cant compete with that...

My Weekend...

2009-02-23T14:36:00.004-07:00

I've been dreading my 35th birthday for awhile... 35, this gigantic number that says really nothing unless you're not married (which I'm not) or if you dont have children (which I dont). So I decided in my head that when I hit 35, pretty much its all over.

I started getting sick on Thursday night, again, no big deal except that I dont get sick! I mean it, I stay away from sick people and I wash my hands. So by Friday I felt like bricks were sitting on my chest and a bowling ball was on my noggin. I had to work that morning and then came to the hobbit house, took a long, HOT shower and got in bed (couch lol). Around 5pm Pat and the kids brought me a dozen cookies and orange juice from Paradise Bakery... aaawww how sweet! Then they went away and I laid back down. Around 11pm they came back and brought me dinner and a gallon on orange juice. I'm so lucky!

By the time Sunday rolled around I was feeling only a little better... We all went to church that morning, went over to Pats for lunch and hung out. Later that night we took the kids to visit their mom and Pat & I had dinner. Then we went over to Pats parents house and hung out for a minute, the kids mom dropped them off and we all went back to Pats. The kids were watching a movie in the living room and we were in the kitchen talking. Pat had been carrying a piece of paper around all day and writing on it. Everytime I asked him what he was doing he'd say 'none-ya' lol.

We were sitting at the kitchen table and he grabbed my hand and started reading the words that he had been jotting down all day... It was a BEAUTIFUL poem-ish thing about his life before me and now. Then he got on one knee in the middle of the kitchen and asked me to marry him :) He pulled out a CTR ring and said that he was giving me this temporary ring until he gives me the real one when we get married because he 'Chose The Right' woman and for me it was supposed to mean 'Choose The Ripley' (thats his last name) hahaha It was very sweet.

35 turned out to be not so bad...

Um, I said yes :)

I'm an addict...

2009-02-16T20:37:00.004-07:00

This may come as a shock to some of you but her it goes...
My name is Stephanie, and I'm a sugarholic.

That sweet, granulated goodness. That heavenly delectable deliciousness.
I cant get enough, I eat sweets EVERYDAY!
When people at work want some candy, all they do is look for me, I'm Packin' People!

WELL NO MORE!

I'm also packin on the palatable pounds, and it needs to stop!

I can bake up a storm and not eat ANY of it....easy, but I ALWAYS have a bag or two, or three (three's pretty much my limit, thats a lie I do things in evens... lets say four) bags of candy in my possession at ALL times. I cant resist, I AM weak...

Humor me for a moment...
Runts, Chewy Runts (which are hard to find), Recees Peanut Butter cups (the little ones) and my favorite, Peanut Butter M&M's....

OH the memories! I will miss you, my little morsels of mouthwatering confections.

The Letter G

2009-02-07T17:31:00.004-07:00

There's lots goin on right now but I'm tired lol
I'll do G instead...

Green: This is my FAVORITE color! Real, grass, true green. It feels fresh. One day I will have a scrapbook room, and in that room I will paint the walls this beautiful green and have white trim. Oh yes I will...

Grapes: I like the green, seedless kind. Not a fan of the red/purple ones, they dry out my mouth and make it feel chalk-y. Also, grapeseed oil is AWESOME for your skin!

Glasses: I unfortunately don't have perfect vision and had to get glasses in high school. I dont like them, I feel like those horses with those guide things on their eyes when I wear them. Lasik would be awesome but I'm too afraid something would get bumped and I'd be left with even worse vision, a lazy eye or a lazer burn across my face; that would be horrible :)

Garden: I dont have one and I dont know how attentive I'd be to one BUT if I did have one, which I think would be so cool, I'd have onions, basil, squash & watermelon YUM

To be continued...

Eatin' Out

2009-02-01T18:54:00.008-07:00

On Friday Nina, Patrick & I went to P.F. Changs for lunch. Nina's hubby Jared was given a $25 giftcard and Nina was nice enough to share it with us. I've never been to the Chang before but a girl who lives by my parents said they had an amazing 'Great Wall of Chocolate' cake that she used as her wedding cake so that was the one thing I was going to get for sure get! First, a couple of eggrolls; they were ok, nothing special. Next, some crab wontons; now I LOVE those fried wontons with cream cheese in the center but these were YUCK! Weird mushy crab and if there was cream cheese, the crabs ate it. Alright, now the meals... Nina got sweet & sour, it was ok. Pat got sesame chicken rice bowl; a little spicy and so so. Pats also came with egg drop soup, he thought it tasted like ocean, I thought it was good :). I got catonese noodles & chicken; noodles were really wide but it tasted ok. So far, nothing special, just so-so. I ordered a piece of the cake to go and waited for the bill... $55 bucks. Hhhhmmmm so NOT worth it.

Later that night I decided to have a little taste test with the cake. On Wednesday we celebrated Pats sons birthday and I made a chocolate-chocolate chip cake with vanilla frosting. So I had Pat close his eyes... the verdict? Pat said the only reason he knew the difference between the cakes was because the one I made was starting to dry out lol Otherwise, NO DIFFERENCE! And here's the kicker, I made our cake for about $4 and that ONE SLICE of Changs was $8! Please! We laughed and decided to finish off our cake. :)

So, we experienced the Chang, got to hang out with Nina for a minute and take a break from a crazy week.

No Pain, No Gain...

2009-01-23T22:14:00.002-07:00

This semester I decided to take a Yoga class. I figured I could use the relaxation I heard it brings and I have never done it before and wanted to try it. Wednesday was the first 'real' day we yoga-ed....

Downward facing dog, Cobra, Bridge, Warrior, Half sun salutation.... They were tricky!

I learned that my feet sweat, alot, and it was hard to hold my ground when my feet keep slipping on my mat (any hints would be helpful). I felt good after class, limber and energized! The next day, hhhmmm not so much. I was in PAIN! Parts of my hurt that I didnt know even existed! Did you know there is a line on each side of your stomach where there's supposed muscles? I didnt! Everything around my arms, belly and chest hurt like a beast! But, it was GOOD PAIN! I'm excited for yoga, I think it'll help me strengthen some of the muscles I lost after my surgery and develop some of the muscles I didnt know existed!
Plus, it makes me feel great afterward and helps me relax.

Besides, I'm pretty sure I'll get more 'bend-y' and who DOESNT want that? lol

The Letter F

2009-01-16T17:38:00.008-07:00

I'm bringin it back folks!

FAMILY
I love my little family so much! I dont have many cousins, aunts or uncles, nieces, nephews or siblings, but I am greatful for what I have and that Heavenly Father everyday for my wonderful family!

FAILURE
I am scared to death that I am gonna mess up this opportunity I have to go back to school and become a nurse... nough said

FEMALE
I have a love/hate relationship with the fact that I am female.
Things I love: we have WAY cuter clothes, shoes and jewelry than guys do.
I do have a problem with the amount of emotions I have no control over. There have been many instances where I KNOW I am being a girl; analyzing, mulling over, the back & forth... PLEASE!

FEBRUARY
My second favorite month...the month of love! February has tons of good in it: Uncle Pats birthday, MY birthday, George Washingtons birthday ;) (all the cool people).

FERTILITY
My life has been a roller coaster on this topic. Will I; Wont I, Can I; Cant I, Should I; Shouldnt I. I'm tired and trying to accept the fact that it just may not be meant...

FEATHER
As in my feather pillow... its my favorite pillow and if I am stying over somewhere or traveling, that pillows commin with me!

This is just a few of my F's off the top of my head...
the rest of the alphabet will be appearing on a regular basis now lol

How could something so simple, be so wonderful?

2009-01-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

I made cinnamon rolls a couple weeks ago, not a big deal but this was the first time I made something with yeast! I was nervous at first, made sure I had my thermometer so the milk was the right temperature for the yeast and Presto!
They were good but not so pretty:

See, the problem was that I could only get the dough so thin and smooth with my hands, I didn't have a rolling pin so it was tricky.
I was at mom & dads house and noticed Grandma B's rolling pin on top of the fridge covered in dust. *Lightbulb moment* I asked mom if I could have it, she said yes and I was off to bake again! Well, I made the rolls last weekend for Patrick & the kids. This time they turned out SO much better!

I'm in love with a rolling pin....

He knows whats up

2008-12-28T00:41:00.003-07:00

If you know me, then you know one of my FAVORITE foods is Octopus! I love it! I usually have it for my Birthday and Christmas. If you think its rubbery, you havent had it made right, the key is to boil it first, then bake it in the oven with onions and coconut milk for a LONG time so it gets nice and soft. YUM! This year I made a pan of it to take to Patricks family Christmas party and saved a little bit for myself :) I took it to mom & dads Christmas morning to see if anyone wanted to try it. No takers... EXCEPT my sweet baby nephew Stone Face! He was so down with it! Here's the proof:
What a smart baby!

Have we met?

2008-12-14T08:29:00.002-07:00

The first time I met Patricks dad we were sitting in the kitchen at his parents house and his mom had just come home from visiting some ladies in their ward. His dad was doing the normal asking me about myself...he was really nice and pretty funny, I felt really comfortable talking to him, not nervous at all. At one point he called me Vickie. Excuse me? Everyone stopped talking and starting laughing. Apparently one of the ladies his mom had just seen was named Vickie and he got confused. Ok, no problem. We kept talking, laughing & then his dad said "Sorry for calling you Vickie" to which I unbelievably said "Its ok but do it again & I'll smack your face". WOW! Now normally you wouldnt say something like that to your boyfriends father.....not me though! Luckily he busted up laughing and we continued talking. ~whew~
Now, I THINK I'm on good terms with him but I'm not real sure cause I havent seen him since then! Whenever Pat talks to his mom on the phone she always asks how Vickie's doin so I think I'm safe!

Another day Pat & I were over at my mom & dads house sittin in the kitchen talking and mom said to Pat "Dont be mad at me if I call you Sam" lol
She said when she looks at him she thinks 'Sam'... reasonable enough.
The weird thing is that he has an older brother named Sam.
Whenever I talk to mom, she asks how Sam's doin.

So, there you have it, two people who have REAL names but are called something else.

Thats all I got,
Vickie

Recap...

2008-12-11T10:25:00.004-07:00

So lets see, Thanksgiving came & went. Stace came down & it was really nice to see her. Unfortunately it was also finals week @ school and my Psyc teacher was kind enough to give us our exam to take over Thanksgiving! Thanks!

Patrick & I went shopping at 5AM on Black Friday lol we went to 5 stores and bought ONE thing! hahaha oh well, it was fun.

Played Scrabble that night (Me, Pat, Stace & Dad). If you ever have the opportunity to play with Dad or Stace, be prepared to PLAY! They're ruthless and they'll make fun of you :)

Saturday morning Mom, Asian, Belle, Stace, Me & Patrick went out to breakfast. Belle was very entertaining...especially when she stuck her straw in the maple syrup & drank it :(

I am very greatful for my family!

(On a side note: Uncle Pat was in the hospital and I'm SO SO greatful he is home now and I hope he's ok and will get better...LOVE YOU)

My finger

2008-11-24T11:02:00.002-07:00

You may or may not know about my finger.... Those of you who do know and dont get, let me explain in detail.

I would say it all started about, oh, 6 years ago maybe? It was winter and I went outside and notice that my ring finger, at the base of my nail, on my left hand started hurting. Let me rephrase that, it felt exactly like I had slammed it in a car door! Some of you might be thinking, "thats pretty extreme Steph" yes, yes it is. IT HURTS JUST LIKE THAT! I immediately ran in the house and stuck my hand under the faucet and let hot water run on it. In a matter of seconds it was gone. I remember thinking "what the crap was that"?! After about 3 years of this I decided to go to the Drs... I actually went to 2 Dr.s. This is what I told one of them:

ME: Something's wrong with my finger, when I get cold it feels like its being slammed in a car door and it wont stop until I get warm again.
DR: Meaning?
ME: I run in the house and stick my hand under warm water in the faucet.
DR: That doesnt make any sense
ME: Thats why I came to see you
DR: Let me look at my book (proceeds to grab this cliff note like version of medical ailments)
ME: It also hurts if I myself am not so cold, but I go outside and I have to go pee.
DR: (looks up from book with a VERY strange looks on face)
ME: Yeah, so if I know I'm going outside I have to make sure I pee first
DR: So, it hurts when you're cold and it hurts when you pee?
ME: Yes.
DR: (still looking confused)
ME: But it can be cold outside and if I myself am warm, like all bundled up, then it might not hurt at all. :)
DR: (looking @ book) I dont see anything in here even close to what you're describing.
ME: I was thinking maybe it had something to do with when I was going to school to be a nail tech. Could I have caused some kind of nerve damaged to the base of that nail what with all the acrylic being put on and ripped off?
DR: (humoring me I think) Yes, yes that could be it.
ME: Hhhmmm, well, can we just cut this top part of my finger off?
DR: (looking REALLY shocked) It hurts that bad?!
ME: Yup, real bad.
DR: Well, we dont usually cut body parts off randomly. Besides, what if you had phantom pain?
ME: True, if its gonna hurt I'd rather have a finger there.
DR: It doesnt hurt when its warm right?
ME: Right
DR: Maybe you should move
ME: I'm not letting this finger run my life!

Fast forward to 2 years ago.... I was sitting in my apt. on the couch watching TV. It was August. All of a sudden it felt as if someone were stabbing my finger with an ice pick! I looked down at my finger and started yelling! Ran to the sink and let the water run over it.. NOTHING! IT WASNT WORKING! What was going on?! It stopped after about 10 seconds (which felt like forever) I looked down and there was a blue dot under my nail. Had a blood vessel just popped? That had to have been it. Man that hurt! So now, on top of the whole cold=pain thing, I cant touch anywhere near the base of that nail, it is so tender. The blue dot is still there. If I hit it or bump it, oooohhh man! I also cant snap with my left hand anymore

Anyways, so there's the story. Its a mystery that lives to this day. I'd go to another Dr. but I dont want them to touch it lol

So if you ever see me bent over a sink, always have my left hand in my pocket or wonder why I'm always waiting to go to the bathroom until the last minute, now you know.
I'll be better when winter's over...

Dreams...

2008-11-10T13:02:00.003-07:00

If money were no option what would you do?

I would have my own bakery.

I adore baking, for realz! I love to make stuff and give it away. Just ask people at my work, they know :) Its all I can do to not make something everyday. Last week I made chocolate chip cookies, coconut bread & cinnamon chip cookies.

This week I'm gonna make some dirty snowballs and half moon pies. Whoo Hoo!

When I bake, I turn on my music real loud and dance around the kitchen, have I said how much I love it?! Anyways, with the holidays upon us I desire to bake twice as much, if there's something you want, let me know.

If you guys have any really good recipes you could share with me that would be great!

Also, if anyone has a grip of extra money, lets talk!

Halloween Week Re-Cap

2008-11-03T08:17:00.006-07:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! I just love it! The fall leaves, the smell outside, the CANDY, everything! I decorated my little stairwell with a black lantern & cobwebs and bought 8 bags of candy...(hahaha) On Tuesday, Patrick (thats his name), me and his 2 kids went to This Is The Place haunted village. It was scary, but not too scary.

Then Wednesday I made witches fingers (cookies) and a graveyard cake for work. The cookies turned out horrible, but the cake was yummy. On Thursday night I made another graveyard cake and some dirty snowballs that I transformed into eyeballs for Pat to take to work on Friday. Halloween night I worked for a little bit and got off early, got my candy ready and NOT ONE TRICK OR TREATER! lol Good, more candy for me :)

)

Be Quiet!

2008-10-27T13:49:00.003-06:00

So, hi! Remember me? hahaha I know, I know!

So, here's a quick update on the haps...

#1: I moved out of the basement! Yup, I moved at the end of Aug. I live in a (little, tiny) studio in Sugarhouse :) Can I just say I was always anti-East Side but I LOVE it here! It is so peaceful and beautiful and I really dig it! Gas was KILLING me going back and forth to work so now I'm much closer and am loving being on my own and having my own space again!

#2: Another reason I love where I live is because I am approximately 5 blocks away from my man, thats rights boys and girls, I have a man. :) Snack Pack introduced us in July and we have not gone a day since then without talking or seeing each other. He is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am greatful everyday for him :)

#3: I, just like my beautiful sister-in-law went back to school. I KNOW! Whats the big deal you say? Well, I have not been to school in, um, 12 or 13 years (dont do the math)! So, I am just now starting to not FREAK as much. Most of my classes transfered from Snow so I dont have to take too many before I get my associates. School is hard...thats all

I think those are all the major developments in the last few months... I'm exhausted but now I can be a better blogger and I will be! Once a week is my goal!

The Herp...

2008-07-16T19:17:00.006-06:00

I know I know... HI! I'm back and ready to blog!
Last couple weeks have been a roller coaster and yeah so lets try this again.

Most of you who know me also know that I get 'Cold Sores'. Now, those of you also know that I ONLY get cold sores when I am EXTREMELY stressed out. I believe the last time I got a cold sore was when I was getting a divorce a couple years ago. Well guess what?!
I've had oh lets say SIX cold sores in the past 3-4 weeks!!! Somebody put me out of my misery! My bottom lip can only handle so much!

Anyway, I'm thinkin the 'drama' is over and now my lips can have their needed rest.
Wish me luck!

This, That & a new 'Do'

2008-06-29T20:32:00.005-06:00

So, its been awhile since I last blogged. Not much has been going on, Snack Pack, Me & Stace drove down to Vegas to move Stace.. LONG drive but fun! Stace cracks me up! We ate at In-n-Out in St George, YUM

Then last week Snack Pack & I drove up to Manti for the Manti Pageant, it was nice.

Worked, worked worked: Got a REAL nice tan from all that workin, AND a REAL nice Farmers tan on my legs, yeah!

Last night The Pack and I went to Taylorsville dayzz and watched the fireworks:
Awesome! I heart fireworks so much!

I also decided to add a little blonde to myself for the summer:

Thats about it! More stuff to come!

SNA

2008-06-12T09:20:00.006-06:00

Orange County... The O.C... Newport Beach

Snack Pack & I went there yesterday.
Neither of us had ever been there & his daughter was going with some friends
so he invited me to fly down & kick it for the day.
We got to the airport, nice by the way, its called the John Wayne Airport :)
His daughter & her friends went one way and we went another. I didnt know about this trip till the night before and I'm usually the one who finds out about the town and plans a little so we know what we're gonna do. Snack Pack was in charge of this one...he had no plan lol. It was a little rough at first cause we knew nothing about where we were or what there was to do, (we had 6hrs to kill).
We decided to fill our bellies at the ihop across the street first & plan our attack of the O.C..

We jumped on the city bus and rode it! We ended up at a stop on Avocado & somethin and started walkin towards the ocean.
We walked alot! It is SO pretty there, and CLEAN! lol
Not at all what I'm used to seeing in California!

Oh my goodness how I LOVE the ocean! I cannot express in words the love I have! The smell, the sounds!

For not 'planning' anything, this was such a GREAT day!

Frisco Aftermath...

2008-06-06T21:36:00.005-06:00

You know how I told you about all that walking me & Snack Pack did?
Yeah well:

I guess the 'bright side' of this is that my Farmers Tan moved up! lol

Wear Sunscreen Kids!

Rice-a-Roni Town

2008-06-06T17:02:00.001-06:00

Me & Snack Pack went to San Francisco!

We got there Wed evening rode around on the BART for a little bit, ate dinner & watched the movie "Definetly, Maybe". Pretty good movie.

Thursday We took the BART to the Pier and walked up to Fishermans Wharf (Pier 39) to eat and look around.

I put my nose to work! I LOVE the salty smell of the ocean!
It brings a wave of peace & calm over me like nothing else can.
I did ALOT of inhaling!There's a bunch of these platforms with seals on them. They just laid around barking and pushing each other off into the water:

This is the Golden Gate Bridge:

We ate at a place called the Wipeout Bar & Grill

I wanted to try something 'different' so I had the fried shark bites.
Nothing but glorified fish sticks haha

Snack Pack had Fried Calamari, I've also never had that: I liked it

There was so much more to see & do, we just didnt have enough time! There's still the Ripleys Believe it or not Museum, Ghirardelli Factory, the Sourdough factory, a Carousel, the Trolley, Lomard Street, Alcatraz, Chinatown & Little Italy, SO SO much stuff to see & do!

Hair-capades

2008-06-03T18:47:00.003-06:00

I woke up one morning REALLY early, laid down on my couch, curled up under a blanket & turned on the TV. I stopped on HSN... Have you ever watched this? I watch HSN & QVC all the time, just to see the cool things you can buy. Well, this particular morning, Toni Brattin was on.
I like watching Toni, she's got alot of energy & is real 'peppy'.
So, she was going on about her hair pieces and was talking about summer and when its hot outside & maybe you're sweaty and your hair falls flat and wouldn't it be nice to have beautiful curly locks all summer long? "Yes it really would" I said out loud. So I did it. I bought hair. It was on sale AND had free shipping so pretty much I felt it was destiny....

See, you can even tell! lol I was gonna wear it to work but then had a horrible image of me driving behind a plane and getting blasted with air and my 'hair' flying off! hahahahaha
I'm not gonna tell you when I wear it, we'll see if you even notice!
I think its gonna be a 'good hair day' all summer long!

Happy Birthday Princess!!

2008-06-01T20:20:00.004-06:00

Today is the Princess' Birthday!
We had a lovely birthday dinner at mom & dads with
hambugers, corn on the cob, potato salad and watermelon & grapes.
For the birthday dessert... chocolate peanut butter ice cream from Baskin Robbins! YUM!

I LOVE my sister so much! She is hilarious & always makes me happy! She lets me vent or cry or be mad or whatever & loves me anyways!
She is my favorite sister and I am grateful every day that I have her in my life!

Happy Birthday Stace, I LOVE YOUR GUTS!

Oh sweet summer!

2008-05-16T20:12:00.003-06:00

Well its official....
Summer's JUST about here...
SNO SHACK is OPEN!!
Whoo Hooo!
I get so so excited when I see that little blue building get ready with their delicious sugary syrups & Ice cold...ice. heehee
I went to go look at some apartments tonight & seeing as it was 7pm and 70+ degrees outside: I'M GETTING A SHACK!

And if I have to tell you what flavor I got, well, you just dont know me & you should get off my blog! lol

So I drove, looked and had my frozen treat.
What a GREAT night!

Lunch

2008-05-15T22:01:00.005-06:00

So I went to Los Angeles for lunch today... lol

Actually Me & Snack Pack flew into LAX and went to In-N-Out for lunch, then came back home.

I've heard alot of hype about In-N-Out but have never eaten there, until today.
There is the regular menu:

And then there is the"secret menu" that has been carried word of mouth:

So I got a 1x2 (one pattie & 2 cheese slices) animal style
Pretty darn tasty!

After lunch we walked around for a minute, a gay guy tried to pick up Snack Pack, then we got on the plane & headed back home!

Its so fun to be able to do this kind of stuff!

No, I'm not a polygamist...

2008-05-12T20:16:00.004-06:00

Mondays & Tuesdays are my favorite days to come to work cause all my 'girls are there. We all sit together at the same table & laugh and joke and play cards and just have fun. Well, today as I walked into the break room I heard laughter... my girls were laughing at me.
Why? My hair... I braided the two top sides & pulled them up with a pony tail.
This is what I heard today:
How many kids do you have?
What ranch do you live on?
I see you got your hair done!?
And lots of just quiet, not so quiet giggles.

I agree, this is NOT a good hairstyle for me, but I was exhausted last night & didnt take a shower so this morning I threw the braids on.

It WAS a pretty funny day, thanks girls!

The office...

2008-05-09T10:37:00.003-06:00

I Heart "The Office"!

I think this show is hilarious! The best part is, if I cant watch it Thursday nights, I can watch the full episode on NBC. Here's a clip:

Night Owls...

2008-05-01T17:46:00.002-06:00

I like to sleep, no wait I LOVE to sleep. You might be wondering when I do my sleeping...well, my answer would be IN THE NIGHT. Yes, for many years I have been sleeping in the night. Its dark, its quiet, its night. I have a friend I'll call 'Snack Pack' and this friend has been texting me & sending me e-mails between the hrs of midnight and 4am. Why isnt Snack Pack sleeping? Why is it that some people can stay up ALL NIGHT long like its nothing?! When I was younger and I used to go to the 'clubs' (lol) I'd usually get home around 2 or 3am and the next morning & I felt like what I can only describe as 'getting run over by a truck'! When me & Nina went to NYC, well, you saw the evidence of that lack of sleep, NOT good! I just want to know what posesses people to stay awake when they should be asleep. Go to bed people!

Am I in the 'Twilight Zone' or something?!

2008-05-01T16:32:00.003-06:00

So I ran into my ex-husband today... havent seen him in almost a year and havent spoken to him in about 6 months when he called to see if i wanted to go out to lunch with him for his birthday (to which I politely declined). This event alone wasnt really that big of a deal since I'm over it. I carry no bad feelings, I dont wish a swarm of angry bees would attack him, I dont even mind that he's got a girlfriend & a job. Good for him! We've moved on! What I do have a problem with is that every time I happen to see or talk to him, he wants to know how likely it is that he & I will get back together. I told him today, "not likely at all buddy". We shared a small question/answer period, he asked me out (to which I again politely declined), then we went our separate ways. I got in my car and was surprised by the wave of sadness & frustration I felt. It wasnt that I missed him, because I SOO do not, I think it was just that I wasnt planning to be where I am at this stage in my life. I also was frustrated because while I am having a HECK of a time meeting a man that wants a relationship with me, I've got this winner who treated me like, lets just say crap, who is always ready to get it on! Gimme a break! What is wrong with this picture!? What is going on!? BTW I blocked all comments cause I wasnt trying to throw myself a pitty party or look for an ego boost. Just a little frustrated & just needed a little vent. K I'm done

Scrapbook Expo

2008-04-18T13:46:00.006-06:00

Me & the Princess just got back from the Scrapbook Expo! I think this is my 5th or 6th time going. There are some die hard scrapbook ladies out there man!
Got some good deals & got to spend some Q.T. time with my sister, she cracks me up!

NYC

2008-04-11T15:31:00.018-06:00

NEW YORK CITY

So, me & Nina decided to run over to New York for the day :)
We took the Red Eye Wed night-which now I know WHY its called the Red Eye, stayed all day Thursday & came back Thursday night, I agree, lack of sleep isnt pretty! lol

First thoughts of NYC - Its STINKS!
The subway smells like urine & stale water

We went to Grand Central Station, which was cool. Its very big, lots of people runnin around:

After we went to Chinatown & Little Italy where we ate at a Brick Oven Pizza place, it was really good & fresh tasting!

There are a TON of apts in NY, and they are on top of all the stores, restaurants etc. So Cool!

Then we went to Times Square:

This is the MTV bldg where they tape TRL

There are so many people EVERYWHERE!

And SO much honking! I have never heard that much constant honking in my life!

Oh, yeah and we saw the 'Naked Cowboy' hahaha

It was a fun trip but we were EXHAUSTED!
I will definitely go there again but next time I'll stay over night!

Ode to a Coconut...

2008-04-06T12:56:00.008-06:00

I'm in LOVE with coconut...
I'm mean I actually ADORE the smell & taste of coconut or anything pina colada related..

I dont ever remember NOT loving coconut, the color, the smell, the taste..its heaven. Come to think of it, Grandma Wanda might be the one who introduced me to this wonderful smell. I remember her always wearing Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil, smelled SO SO good!

I have coconut body butter, I burn coconut candles, have coconut oil that I wear mostly in the summer, I drink Pina Coladas, if I get a sucker its always coconut/pina colada. I use coconut air fresheners in my car:

I carry coconut lipgloss in my purse, wear coconut hand lotion & use coconut body gel.
I cook with coconut cream/milk and bake with coconut syrup & extract. (I do wish they made coconut extract in a bigger container than the 1oz, I go through that stuff like water)!

The only thing I dont like is shredded coconut on cakes.. yuck

Just finished making coconut chocolate chip cookies as a matter of fact.

Have you ever eaten octopus with coconut milk & onions..
OH MY GOODNESS!

Well, I just thought I needed to share my love of coconut. When I close my eyes and smell this exotic seed, I am on a beach with the warm salty air lightly blowing.

heehee I love it!

Work Perks...

2008-03-27T20:43:00.012-06:00

So, I havent really used my flight benefits like I should and now that its getting warmer me & Nina thought we should start going places.

Today the plan was CALIFORNIA!

Nina brought her daughter Cam along who is 4yrs old and VERY cute!

The 3 of us flew into OAK & out of SFO.

THE PLAN:
Visit fishermans wharf, check out Ghirardelli's,
go over to Chinatown & back home.

Thats what we WERE gonna do: lol

First, its was SNOWING this morning! (STOP already!) and our flight that was supposed to leave at 8:40 didnt leave till around 9:15ish
Then, when we got to Oakland, Nina thought it would be a good idea to check our return flight. Now, this flight had about 20 empty seats and we were like 3rd & 4th on the standby list...
Last Night.
Today however, we discovered that the flight was OVERSOLD by 3! So, Nina called work trying to find another flight that we WOULD be able to get on. There was one leaving at 3:30 that looked ok. By now its, oh, like, almost 11:00. Hhhmmm, we still need to get to the Frisco airport.
Ok troops, ixnay on the plansay!

We took the shuttle to the BART station & rode that to the San Francisco Airport

By this time (12:30) we are hungry, we needed to eat! Here's my thinking: the airport is like a jail... they know they have you, you are stuck, and so they charge
OUTGRAGEOUS amounts of money for EVERYTHING!
The only place to eat in this particular section where we were was a Bar & Grill. I had the chicken wing appetizer, Nina had a hamburger & Cam had a kids burger.

TOTAL: $38.00

I KNOW!

The funny thing was, they had these HUGE metal forks & cheap plastic knives, hahaha
Way to stay strong on that security guys!

Anywho, we got on and got home! Even though we didnt get to do anything we planned, we did
have alot of fun! (And it was free)!

By the way, we DID get our Ghirardelli chocolate!
(From the airport gift shop) lol

Taste Buds...

2008-03-23T19:28:00.004-06:00

This week at work I tried 2 new foods that I have NEVER tried before...
I know, I'm new to the world lol

First: Edamame.... apparently its soy beans, which if thats true why dont they just call them that then. I dont know. What I do know is that I LIKE them! I ate them heated up with salt.
Thumbs UP!

Second: Pink Grapefruit.... A guy at work gave me 2 segments. I said "are they supposed to taste like this"? He said "what do they taste like"? I said "Like an orange dipped in earwax"!

Yea, these I DO NOT like! Thumbs DOWN!

I'll be trying more foods & rating them soon...lol

Happy Birthday Belle!

2008-03-11T21:48:00.000-06:00

She's the big T-W-O!

We had a "farm" party with bandanas, cowboy hats, pigs in a blanket & a bunch of other animals.
Everyone had a really good time, Good Job Jamie & Asian!

Playin with grandpa..her favorite

Princess 'gettin down'

Poor Asian...

2008-03-07T13:20:00.005-07:00

So this morning this little brother of mine had a surgery to repair his deviated septum. My mommacita had the same surgery a few years ago and it worked great! Much less sickness & alot easier breathing.

Dr said this weekend's gonna suck... Feel better soon brother!

*FYI when I type Brian on a text message "asian" comes up 1st, thats why :)

Letter E

2008-03-04T21:03:00.003-07:00

I've been stalled in my alphabet blog 'cause
I dont have anything good for E.
Let me just get this one out of the way already!

EARS: I have a pair; and on those ears I wear earrings, just simple diamonds (fake of course) or hoops. Sunday at church I was in the bathroom and one of my favorite hoops fell off my ear as I flushed and dropped in the toilet. Good thing it went down the drain cause I was NOT going to go in after it!

EGGS: I dont like them, not at all. I take that back, maybe once a year I'll eat a scrambled one, oh, and last week a neighbor lady brought over chile rellano, I guess it has eggs in it but I couldnt tell on account of the chiles & cheese.. Yum

Dr Scholls EXERCISE sandal: Grandma B used to wear these & I always wanted a pair. Not that comfortable, you're walking on wood, but when I wear them I think of her and smile.

I'm doin it too!

2008-02-29T18:56:00.004-07:00

Here's the list:

2 names you go by: Sephalo & Steph
2 things you are wearing now: maroon flip flops & maroon shirt
2 things you want or have in a relationship: Humor & Respect
2 of your favorite things to do: Baking & Listening to Music
2 of your least favorite things to do: Opening doors & Moving
2 things you did last night: Visited Belle & T-Bone, hung out with my momma
2 people you last talked to: Mom & Pops
2 things you are doing tomorrow: Working & Making cookies
2 longest car rides: nada, I LOVE long car rides, probably UT to IL though
2 favorite holidays: Halloween & Valentines
2 favorite drinks: Orange Soda & Chocolate Milk
2 things about me you may have not known: (1)I once got pulled over for drunk driving coming home from a church dance lol. (2)I am SO not cool with germs!
2 jobs I have had: Color correctionist for Clairol & YMCA counselor
2 movies I would watch again & again: 50 first dates & Princess Bride
2 favorite foods: Cheese & Chocolate
2 places I'd rather be right now: In my own apartment or on a beach

Random Thinking..

2008-02-28T20:19:00.003-07:00

Well Hello! lol

Its been a busy coupla weeks so I am playing catch up now:

*Went to Ihop for breakfast & watched "The Bucket List" last week with my girl Ata
(it was alright-both the french toast & the movie)

*Drove to Provo, went to Archivers AND wore my flip flops for the 1st time in 2008 (whoo hoo)

*Me & Stace went to Parrothead Island Broiler & Coldstone for my birthday dinner (yummy fries)
Thanks for the birthday shout-outs Stace & Rookie!
(I will officially NOT be "counting" how old I am anymore!)

So, I have always thought it would be so cool to live "above" something, you know like above a restaurant, a bookstore, just "above" some place. I've been in Salt Lake almost every night the last couple of weeks and they have those there... alot of them lol so cool

To Be Continued...

Red Light Special...

2008-02-15T14:08:00.002-07:00

So, last night @ mom & dads house, dad asked me to put some new bulbs in the hall light fixture upstairs. I asked him why since the ones that were in there were still working. He explained that when he & mom get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom or get a drink, they cant see very well so he got some new bulbs that were softer, so the light wouldnt bother them & "wake" them up but so they could still see. THEY'RE RED Stacey & I found this hilarious! When Stace came upstairs I turned them on and said "Welcome to the LOVE shack" lol followed by stacey calling it the Devils Lair, followed by us calling it the Red Light District & then singing "Roxanne" by the Police & "Red Light Special" by TLC hahaha Oh dad

Valentines...

2008-02-14T21:04:00.003-07:00

I Love Valentines Day... even if I am single, I still love it. Its just a special day to reflect on the LOVE I have for the people around me. (Although I do think its ridiculous that the exact same flower you can buy for $2.00 on January 28th is now $19.99) Made some yummy cupcakes with little candy hearts on top & took them to work today.

Happy Valentines Day...

My Theme Song...

2008-02-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

2008 has only been around a few weeks and the ups & downs of my life are in full swing!
Mary J Blige.. (I love her) has a song called "Just Fine" and I DIG it!
In addition to my word for the year being PEACE, I'm needing to remember to stay positive when things dont go the way I think they should & this song has screamed out to me:
I'm fine just the way I am!

Its on my iPod, its my ringtone & now it's my theme song!
Thanks Mary!

Any Help...

2008-02-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

I want a cool blog with no link bars!
I get the jist of the whole layout thing but if someone could steer me in the right direction & give me some pointers as to where I can get some cool backgrounds, that would rock. Thanks!

What Color Are You

2008-02-04T08:18:00.001-07:00

Got this off of Alices' blog...Thanks Alice!

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Blue

You're blue — the most soothing shade of the spectrum. The color of a clear summer sky or a deep, reflective ocean, blue has traditionally symbolized trust, solitude, and loyalty. Most likely a thoughtful person who values spending some time on your own, you'd rather connect deeply with a few people than have a bunch of slight acquaintances. Luckily, making close friends isn't that hard, since people are naturally attracted to you — they're soothed by your calming presence. Cool and collected, you rarely overreact. Instead, you think things through before coming to a decision. That level-headed, thoughtful approach to life is patently blue — and patently you!

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/rd/50651/color/index.jsp?testname=colorogt&resultid=E

And Just Like That * POOF *

2008-01-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Its over...lol
Yup, Mr Wonderful has decided that he's not totally ready to date because he has some issues to work on. Thats great, could you have "discovered" that before I started to dig you?
Oh, and by the way I'm "awesome"

Whatever

Ya'll wanted to know...

2008-01-26T09:22:00.001-07:00

So yes Ladies & Gentlemen, I had a date. Actually I've had 2 dates this week and I have another one on tuesday (hee hee). He is a guy I met at work, he works part time in the night & I would see/talk to him when I was working a double or picking up someones shift. One day we were waiting for our flights & he said "We need to talk later" Um, we're talking now, but OK. lol Then he texted me and asked if he could call me. All of a sudden I was 16..oooohhhh a boy wants to call me! hahahaha So, it took a couple of weeks for our schedules to match, but they did & we went to the Gateway for dinner & a movie. No awkward silence, very comfortable. He always opened the door for me and waited for me to walk into places before him. He is a very nice, funny guy & so far seems like a good person. So, with an opened heart & mind, I am just taking it one date at a time.
So far, so good. Now you know :)

The Car Saga Continues...

2008-01-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden I am having issues with my van like no other!
So I guess what was wrong with it (see previous post) was that there was a wire behind a fuse that was out. It took the mechanic 2hrs to find the problem @ $70.00 an hr. Yup, $160.00 total.

Then, a couple of days later it was having a hard time starting, "Oh Great, somethin else"
Dad tightened the battery connection & it seems to be OK, still having a little trouble.

THEN, last night I had a date (I know) and my car was parked in the driveway. I moved it before he showed up to my normal parking space under the cover. When we got home, he noticed a bunch of glass on the carport... "hhhmmm my car was parked here earlier"
Looked over at my van and YES, the whole back window was shattered. Got that fixed today $230.

Mind you this is all happening within DAYS of each other.. "OK, thats enough now!"

Brian..

2008-01-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Today is my Little Brothers Birthday!
The BIG 3-0

We went over to Bri & Jamies house on Saturday night and had
Pizza, Salad & Cheesecake,
opened presents & played with the kids. Good Times!

Brian's a Great Brother, Husband & Dad!
Happy Birthday Bri!

Car Troubles...

2008-01-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

My car has been making this loud noise when I turn my wheel so yesterday I went over to Brians to have him take a look at it... Leak in the power steering line. Ok, no problem. Then I said, "Hey, while I'm here can you put my cd player in for me?" It was me, Bri & Belle in the van, she lasted a couple hrs then got hungry so I took her in the house. While in the house, bri hooked up my radio, got it going fine & started to put everything back together. The car was running and a metal prong touched the metal fram inside the van
POP * SPARK* CAR DIED!
Burnt the fuse to the fuel pump, so he fixed that, checked to see if there was power, yup to everything. The van just isnt getting gas.... Find out tomorrow if I need to buy a new fuel pump. Oh well... These things happen

Letter D...

2008-01-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Dancing
I like to dance... no wait, I love to dance (when no one's watching)

Daydream
I'm a daydreamer. I dream up scenarios that will probably never happen.

Dead Bodies
Lol.. I find them pretty fascinating. Saw a cadaver in college, way cool!

Digital Camera
I LOVE my camera! I love taking pictures and am so greatful to whoever invented it!

Driving
It takes my mind off my troubles or it lets me ponder them, VERY relaxing!

One Word

2008-01-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

I think me & Stace have the same brain sometimes...Lol
I have been wanting to do the One Word for the year thing
(see Stacey's Post)
and have been thinking about what word I wanted to use.
I started it with moms birthday post:

Enough said...

T-Bone's Blessing

2008-01-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

T-Bone got blessed today.. Brian did a great job!
We all went to Jamies parents house after for brunch which was yummy!

"No photos PLEASE"

Mommacita...

2008-01-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today is my Moms Birthday!

We have a tradition in our family that the birthday person gets to pick the meal, so tonight everyone came over for Taco Salad & Cheesecake.. YUM!

My wish for my mom on her birthday is PEACE,
Peace of Mind
Peace of Heart
Peace of Spirit

I love you Mom very much and thank you for all you've done for me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Yeah for 2008!
I stayed up until 11:15, then had the thought: "Really"? So I went to bed. hahaha

Have been doing ALOT of thinking about this new year and what I want to do differently and what I want to stop doing. One thing I WANT to do is make some decisions.. I have a great fear of making the wrong decision (about ANYTHING) so I just dont make ANY decision. I cant explain the feelings I have that a choice I make might potentially jack up my life. THAT is NOT a good way to live! I'm standing still and everything and everyone is racing by.

So, I am going to work on not only MAKING a decision but also ACTING ON that decision. It wont do me any good to make a choice and then do nothing about it!

So, I need help! Any words of encouragement will be GREATLY appreciated!
Wish me luck!
HAPPY NEW YEAR

Welcome To the Familia...

2007-12-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

Today my cousin Jason married his girlfriend Marcy...Yeah! I love Jason, he reminds me alot of Brian. Their colors were Royal Blue & Silver & it was held at the Silvercrest Reception Center. It was a very nice ceremony and the couple looked very happy. They had some really yummy eclaires & chicken salad on croissants! lol Congratulations you two! WhoooHooo!

Marcy & Jason Andrew & girlfriend Aunt Vickie & T-bone

Merry Christmas

2007-12-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

Just a couple a notes about Christmas...
Monday night (Christmas Eve) we had a family get-to-gether. Both sides were invited & it was nice to see everyone. We saw Jordan, who we havent seen since he came to Utah & he brought his girl Katie and their 2 kids. VERY cute! Katie is really nice.

Christmas day was just as nice, Christopher came over and visited for a little bit. Jamie & Bri & the kids came around 11:30 to open presents. It was fun watching Ashlyn open presents. She was a sleepy girl though..maybe too much excitement..lol

Dad & T-bone

It was a very nice day & I am greatful I could spend it with so much family. I really miss the ones that couldnt be there. Love you guys, Merry Christmas!

Letter C

2007-12-11T07:22:00.002-07:00

CHOCOLATE
I love chocolate!
Especially DARK chocolate!
Its pretty much the best thing ever....

CHEESE
My name is Stephanie and I'm a cheese-a-holic

CAFE RIO
Thay have the BEST salads, and don't forget the lime-cilantro dressing!

COSMETOLOGY
So, I decided that I would really like to go to school and learn this. I used to work as a color repair consultant over the phone for Clairol and really liked it (the hair end side not the lunatic people calling about why their hair "down there" didn't turn out like the girls hair on the box)!

Coconut
I am in LOVE with this flavor/smell!

Curling Irons
I really don't know what I would do without this invention!
Thank you
Madame CJ Walker & Jessie T Pope!

Coloring
I LOVE to color..
It's very relaxing & really calms me down

Letter B

2007-12-06T20:45:00.001-07:00

My Brother Brian:
I am so proud of Brian and the things he's accomplished in his life! He has a good job, a very nice home, a beautiful wife and 2 gorgeous children. I remember when we were younger and Bri would come home late at night and tell me about a fight he was in...lol Good times! I am really very greatful for him and miss him alot (even though he lives 5 minutes away)
He's a good boy and a great brother!
I love you VERY much Bri!

Books:
Yeah, I dont read but I LOVE kids books that have a meaning or message and that are funny...
I dont have any kids but I DO have 2 bins FULL of spankin new childrens book that I LOVE!
I also am trying to read the Book of Mormon.... I say trying cause I can honestly say that
I DONT LIKE TO READ! lol and I have never read the BofM from start to finish.
So even though I started it this year, my goal is to finish it next year hahaha dont laugh

My Pop...

2007-12-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

Today is my Dads Birthday! He's the big 5-7!
We all went to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner and then came back to the house for carrot cake & presents.

I love my dad for always taking care of our family
I love my dad for his "funny" sense of humor
I love my dad for how much he loves us

Happy Birthday Pop!

Letter A

2007-12-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

So I got this idea from a couple of cute girls at church... I have no familia of my own and my life can be VERY boring at times. So, I am going to blog through the alphabet..yup, I know your excited! Here we go...

The airport: I LOVE working there! Outside;(except now when its FREEZING) running bags back & forth! Its so relaxing, just me, my tug & my thoughts aaahhhh

Americas Next Top Model: lol I dont know, I dig this show...I just think its funny that "pretty" has a race to find the "best" :)

I'm an Aunt: I am so thanksful to have Ashlyn & Trent! They are so sweet and precious to me

Christmas Cards...

2007-11-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

Friday & Today Me and Stace Have Been Making Our Christmas Cards.
I Love, Love, LOVE Spending Time With Stacey, She Is SO Funny!
Mom Joined In And Made A Few Also, It Was A Great Day!

Thanksgiving...

2007-11-22T19:45:00.001-07:00

I have So Many Things To Be Thankful For

Wonderful Parents Who Would Do Anything For Me
A Sister, Brother & Sister in Law Who Are Very Patient With Me
A Beautiful Niece & Nephew Who Make My Heart Happy
Aunts, Uncles & Cousins That I Miss Very Much
Great Friends That Stand Beside Me
A Heavenly Father Who Knows Me & Loves Me

Thank You, I Love You

I've been Elfed...

2007-11-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

I'm officially kicking off the Holiday Season... hahaha Thanks Stacey!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9558249612

I'm an Auntie (again)!!

2007-11-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight my new nephew TRENT JAMES SMILEY was born!
7.96lbs 19in long Happy Birthday Baby!

The Open Road...

2007-11-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

I LOVE to drive. Not running errands & stuff like that (although I do like to do that) I mean DRIVING, getting in my ride and cruising. Sometimes I dont have anywhere to go & I drive around looking at stuff, other times I do have somewhere to go but I take the long way there (remember I hate driving on the freeway). I just love driving around listening to the radio or my cd's. I do ALOT of thinking when I'm driving. Sometimes when I'm stressed out about something or just have alot on my mind I jump in the car... the problems are usually still there but it makes me feel better!

Toughen Up Buttercup!

2007-11-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

I have a good friend at work named Nina... Nina doesn't take any crap. Well, she informed me that I really need to be more aggressive..yeah I know, I admit I'm not very tough. I think its good to be nice & kind, but I also think its very important to stand your ground. So, I'm going to work on being more assertive, not second-guessing myself, and stop apologizing when I have no reason to. This is going to take some time... Thanks Nina!

Laid To Rest

2007-10-30T14:41:00.000-06:00

We had a little "service" for grandpa today.... Aunt vickie took some of his ashes in a little acrylic box. Mom & Stacey said a couple of nice memories, they put him next to grandma & then we had a nice luncheon at mom & dads ward. It was a sad day but a nice day...

Trick or Treat Street

2007-10-29T22:32:00.000-06:00

Tonight I got to help out at "Trick or Treat Street" with my singles ward over at the Expo Center. They set it up like a town and kids went from door to door trick or treating. It was so fun! At one point I was doing 2 doors at the same time and a big group came, as I gave them their candy they would go to the next door (which I was also doing) and were waiting for someone to come. I ran over to answer the next door and a little boy said "Were you upstairs"? Yep, thats why I took so long! haha A little while later another little boy said "Is that your sister next door?" Uh huh! hahaha

Packin Up

2007-10-27T21:38:00.000-06:00

Today Aunt Vickie, Mom, Me, Stacey & Brian went to Grandpas to pack up his apartment. Grandpa had already said who got some stuff, but the rest was up for grabs. We went through the rooms and picked what we wanted and took the rest to D.I.. It's was kinda weird to be going through his stuff knowing we wont be seeing him anymore. On a brighter note, I love spending time with my brother & sister! I think they are SOOO funny (Even if Bri was super crabby in the begining)! I wish we could hang out together more.. I sure love them!