Freedom!

Let Freedom Ring.........whoo-hoo!!! I am officially done with Fall semester 2009! Good-bye creative dance class, good-bye stupid movement problem worksheet, good-bye five page children's literature final, and good-bye children's picture book that took me 40+ hours! Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye! I sure do love my freedom!

The Latest Projects

These are my two latest projects that I have been working on:
1- This is "Mrs. Ladybug's Art History". It would probably be used for 1-3rd graders. What happens is I show the students a piece of art and we answer the questions found on the spots. The spots are actually dettachable and so when we begin the ladybug doesn't have any spots on her at all. After we have investigated the painting long enough, all of her spots should be there! This is probably my favorite of all the projects I have done all semester. And this is a picture of Fluffy, the three headed dog. This is my second project of the week. We did a play in my drama class. The play consisted of several scenes from Harry Potter that were changed or altered by one small decision made by one of the characters. Anyways, I am a horrible actor. I will just admit that now. I am a behind-the-scenes kind of person. And that's exactly the job I got; sound crew. UNTIL, they needed someone to play Fluffy. So I got to be one of the heads. My dream role.....NOT! The play was fun but I am so glad that it is over!

Upcoming projects: Dance lesson plan and teaching practicum, Art unit and presentation, drama lesson plan and group presentations and music colored picture book.

Happy Birthday Caroline!

Happy Birthday to the greatest 15 year old sister ever!Here are ten reasons why I love Caroline so much:

1 - She is hilarious! She can totally make you laugh until you are crying and your stomach hurts.

2 - She is so sweet! She never has anything mean to say, ever!

3 - She is very giving! She is always giving her things to other people. (Mostly Margaret :)

4 - She is so helpful! She is always willing to help anyone in need. (Me, with my homework!)

5 - She is musically talented! She has the most beautiful singing voice. I love to sing the primary songs with her!

6 - She is very creative! She creates amazing drawings and stories. And she is always coming up with something clever!

7 - She is so smart! She has amazing grades in school and always seems to know the right answer to any question.

8 - She is so fashionable! Even when she thinks she looks less-than-amazing, she does! Even her "comfy" clothes are stylish!

9 - She is determined! She knows where she wants to go in life and how she will get there.

10 - She is the best 15 year old sister ever! She is always there to talk to and get advice from!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I LOVE YOU, CAROLINE!!

Yeah, It's Been a While

Yeah, it has been a while since we have posted anything on our blog. Sorry everyone. But seriously school has taken over our lives. The only reason I am posting anything now is because I am totally procrastinating my math homework...I am even trying to formulate an excuse for me not to go to class tomorrow morning. UGH! Why can't it just be Thanksgiving break already?! Well here are some things we have done since September:

Our sister-in-law, Melissa, had a baby shower for her baby that is due in about two weeks! It was fun to go and support her and her little baby! Congratulations Melissa! We also finally got a BYU sticker for our car. Now, I am not a huge fan of bumper stickers. Actually, I hate them. However, we have given four years of our lives to Brigham Young University and felt that should be displayed on our car for everyone to see. :)

We also had a great Halloween! Thanks Margaret for letting us take you and your friends trick or treating! Jake and I had a fun time painting our pumpkings! (If you would like to know the reason why we paint our pumpkins instead of carving them, you can ask Jake. haha!) I think they turned out so cute! On a sad note, when we came home from our trick or treating in Lehi we only had one pumpkin sitting outside our door. Yes, Jake's little pumpkin was missing!

I am in my arts semester of the elementary education program and am constantly swamped with little and big projects of all shapes and sizes. One requirement I have had has been to read 1800 pages in addition to the ten required books for the class, children's literature. I LOVE it! I have already exceeded the 1800 pages and am still reading lots and lots of books! One of my more recent projects was this puppet: Sam. He is obsessed with math and loves to draw graphs. Yes, he has a character. My theater teacher told us that as we made our puppets they would tell us who they wanted to be. (Gag.) So I guess this puppet told me he wanted to be Sam.

Jake has been super busy with his business classes but is loving it! He is going to be a great purchaser someday! He is also the best husband in the world! Tonight he made me dinner and had the laundry done when I came home from class!

Well there is a quick update. I really hate writing long blog posts like this so I am determined to keep this updated more frequently.

Adventure Week-Friday

Friday was a good day but not so adventurous. But still good!
Our main activity for the day was spent at Costco, Target and Smith's. I know you're asking, 'why three stops?' Well I will explain:
Costco: We had coupons and wanted to use them! The best things we bought were Sweet n Salty peanut granola bars, a 24 count package of Sun Chips and a 170 paper plates. :)
Target: This trip was used to pick up the finishing touches of my sister-in-laws baby shower gift. I love shopping for baby stuff. I am lucky that Jake puts up with me...:)
Smith's: We had been talking about how we had not been to Smith's lately. So this is where we decided to do some last minute grocery shopping. You know, pick up some fo the essentials: Hamburger Helper Lasagna, for example.
So although we didn't climb any mountains or ride any roller coasters, a trip to the grocery store is always an adventure!!!

What a GREAT and ADVENTUROUS week!

Adventure Week-Thursday

Sorry, there aren't any pictures for Thursday's adventures. However, it was still a great day! We slept WAY in and man, it felt good!
The first activity of the day was a stop at the local nickelcade. :) I had never been to one before and decideded it would be a real adventure to visit. We spent $5.00 in nickels and played all sorts of fun games. I love the Ski-Ball game and we also found a gem: a bowling game in which you put a nickel in and try to get in a certain hole. Depending on which hole it goes in you get a certain number of tickets back. The majority of our tickets came from this game. What did we buy with our tickets? Well we decided on candy and traded our precious tickets for eight now and laters and six tutti-fruities!
The other highlight of the day was the sealing of my cousin Brantlee to her husband and adorable little son! Jake and I were so grateful to be invited! I absolutely love the sealing ceremony and loved to see this special family being sealed together forever!
Afterwards we spent the evening at my parent's house! Love you family!
It was a great day!

Adventure Week-Wednesday

Wednesday we decided that we would drive somewhere. We didn't know where, just somewhere. So we headed south...towards Mapleton, Payson and Salem. This is one of our favorite things to do, drive somewhere unexpected and admire the many beautiful areas of Utah. It just so happened that Jake's ancestors are all buried in the Mapleton cemetery. So we stopped and took a few pictures. The sprinklers just happened to be on and we had to time our pictures just right so we didn't get soaked! haha! If you look closely you can see that Jake's shirt is really wet! While driving we found this Arabian temple right in the middle of the valley. So random! Margaret, we could say this is Jasmine's castle! Right here in Utah!!!

In Payson we decided we needed to find a snow shack. It was hot and we were thirsty! So we stopped at this place, the "Snow-To-Go." We walked up to the window and asked if they took cards, of course they didn't. So I walked back to the car to get the check book. On my walk back to the charming little shack I found two dollars!!! They were old and crinkled and looked like they had been sitting in the sun for days. Jake and I decided that they didn't belong to anyone and so we bought our snow cones with the two dollars! We just laughed and laughed when we got back in the car and we now call that our "Snow-To-Go Miracle!"

Southern Utah valley is beautiful! And if you ever need a delicious snow cone we definitely recomment the "Snow-To-Go" in downtown Payson. And who knows? You might find yourself in the middle of an adventurous miracle!

Adventure Week-Tuesday

Tuesday was a fun day...it was mostly spent buying books (as seen below) and paying for both tuition and the student health plan. These are all of my books! They are so exciting and I can't wait to read all of the children's novels!!! However, they sure cost an arm and a leg. After paying for everything Jake and I just looked at each other and laughed a hesitant laugh. :) Wow, it was a lot of money!

However, I guess we weren't too disturbed because we had Sonic for dinner. There is nothing better than a Dr. Pepper with ice drunk through a straw! Sure makes every worry go away!

We also spent an hour of our day at the doctor's office. I get cankers all the time and this week I have had a grand total of SIX! I decided enough was enough and the doctor prescribed a mouth wash for me to try. Thanks goodness it was not a creme or ointment!!! I thought I would spare you all the pictures...:)

It turned out to be a pretty adventurous day!

Adventure Week-Monday

Jake and I have been working hard all summer long and haven't really had a break. We decided we needed one desperately. So we took this whole week (August 24-August 28) off from school and work. Well I have to work on Friday but it is only for about two hours. We have been calling this week long break our "Adventure Week." We decided that we were going to be adventurous (as adventurous as we get) and do whatever we wanted to the whole week. So here is what we did on Monday. :)
We started the day by going up to Gandolfo's in Lehi. We had coupons for free breakfast sandwiches and we ended getting a free drink as well! We each got the Upstate sandwhich and it had sausage, eggs and cheese all on a bagel. It was so good! Monday was also Margaret's birthday!!! She turned seven and I think she had a pretty awesome day! She took treats to school and came home to a ton of presents. Some of the things she got were some art supplies, a book, an art easel and a movie! What a lucky girl!!! Oh, and that awesome cake was made by Caroline! Isn't it amazing?

Jake and I also took a tour of our dream house. It is for sale in Lehi and it is selling for an amazing price! We have been looking at it for a couple of months now and decided to see the inside. It is so adorable! Notice the cute red door and the cute lamp post and the cute star on the garage! The inside was pretty old (the house was built in the 30's) but had SO much charm! Too bad we are still in school and can't afford anything like this....

It was such a relaxing day and full of little adventures. Monday was a great start to our Adventure Week!

Tagged!

Ok everyone I know these take about ten minutes to read but I will try to make it interesting. :)
A: Age - 21
B: Birth Year - 1987
C: Chore You Hate - Well I hate doing laundry, but I think it is because we have to walk to our laundrymat.
D: Dog - Henry and Lucky. Both given away.
E: Essential Start to Your Day - Breakfast! When I wake up that's usually the first thing I think about.
F: Favorite Color - Green and I love brown.
G: Gold or Silver - Depends on the outfit. I have mostly silver though.
H: Height - 5'7"
I: Instrument(s) You Play - Piano, harp and I played the flute when I was in Junior High.
J: Joyful Occasions: Anytime that we are with family. Date nights with Jake. Mornings when I look awful but Jake still tells me I look beautiful. :)
K: Kids - None....but hoping for one in the next 16 months or so.
L: Living Arrangements -Living in beautiful Provo.
M: Mother's Name - Edee
N: Nicknames - Lorna Doone, Lo-Lo, My grandpa called me "Lizzie-long-legs" when I was a baby.
O: Overnight Hospital Stay Other Than Birth - Don't think I have had to stay there overnight before. Hallelujah! I hate hospitals...
P: ???
Q: Quote from a Movie - "Here, take my lucky scrunchy. It helped me pass Spanish" "You passed Spanish because you...[edited for content:)]" "Yeah, luckily!"
R: Right or Left Handed - Right.
S: Siblings -One brother, two sisters.
T: Time You Wake Up - 6:30am.
U: Underwear - Of course!
V: Vegetable you dislike - I really could live in a world without cabbage. Yuck!
W: Workout Style - What is that? :)
X: X-Rays You've Had - My nose and a few others.
Y: Yesterday's Best Moment - Jake and I went crazy at Wal-mart and bought WAY too much then we went to Arby's for dinner and purchased the family meal. We are already starting to spend like we have a huge family. haha!
Z: Zoo Favorite - Well the only one I have been to is the Hogle Zoo. So it's my favorite.

Ok. There you go. Now I tag Nikelle and everyone else who wants to be tagged!

New Carpet

Well this summer the Wymount people, whoever they are, decided that we needed new carpet. This is a picture of the new carpet. Jake is convinced that they stole from a casino somewhere in Wendover. :) It has been two weeks since they replaced our carpet and it still stinks horribly! It's super ugly but at least we know it's clean and whatever junk we find on it, it's nice knowing it's our junk. haha!
This is what we had to do with all of our furniture. What a mess! Notice the bed and headboard along with our coffee table and of course our huge couch.

This is a picture of our old carpet. It was such a neutral color and matched pretty much everything! I liked it so much I took a picture of it. Oh, and that is our vaccuum.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Jake and I went and saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince this past Friday night. It was AMAZING! It was just like the book. I hate it when movies come out that were originally books and they turn out completely different. Well this is not the case with Harry Potter. It was hilarious and sad and moving and fun and scary and just all-around AMAZING! I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone. Seriously, go and see it.

In other news, Jake is speaking in church today. Good luck, Jake!!! Also, my mom had her galbladder (spelling?) taken out this past week and is doing better. Keep getting better, Mom!!!

Vacation and a Sleepover

Well this month has been an eventful one for Jake and I. Just this past weekend my sisters and our cousin Rachel came and spent the night here in Provo. Poor girls, they were crammed into our tiny apartment (as seen below) and were forced to visit Jake's work and take silly pictures (as seen above). But it was SO much fun! You guys can come sleep over anytime!

How did Princess Margaret end up with the couch? Oh, yeah, she's the princess. :)

For the 4th of July we were able to attend the Otting reunion (Jake's mom's family reunion). It was held in Iowa on the farm where she grew up. Since we were so close to Nauvoo we decided that it was a must for us to visit. Our Roundy family were the only ones at the reunion who are LDS so we were the only ones to visit Nauvoo. But it was so worth it! Nauvoo is such a special place and one that I love to visit! The temple is absolutely breathtaking. Our sister-in-law Jess got to go through a session and said it was amazing!

This is Jake and our little niece, baby Julia. She is seriously the sweetest baby ever! I heard her fuss once the entire trip. She is so beautiful and has red hair and chubby cheeks. I was excited to go to the reunion just to see her! She is a total Roundy which makes me wonder if our kids will look like Roundy's or Raines'?

Awkward Phone Call

Well everyone I got the most awkward phone call ever today at Vinyl Industries. This is how it went:

Me: Vinyl Industries, how may I direct your call?
Confused Woman: Um, Yeah, I just needed to talk to someone about a pump that I bought from you guys that isn't working.
Me: (completely confused) Uh....a pump? This is a fencing store.
Confused Woman: Oh wait, you don't sell breast pumps?
Me: (trying not to laugh out loud) No, sorry.
Confused Woman: Oh, OK. Sorry.
Me: No problem, good luck.
I hung out and busted out laughing. :)

Uh, yeah. It was a darn good thing one of the male salesmen didn't answer the phone. :)
In other news, our sister-in-law Melissa just found out she is going to be having a BOY! So exciting!

Vinyl Industries...My Home Away From Home

Well I am back. I have taken a month long vacation from life because I have been working, full time, at this place: Vinyl Industries. I am a receptionist there but I pretty much do a little bit of everything. Accounting, sales, secretarial stuff etc. Each morning I get to wake up at 5:30 am to take Jake to work (he also works here but has to start at 7:00am) and then I start work either at 8:00am or 9:00am. And I stay there until 5:00 or 6:00pm. I cannot even express to you my hatred of people who take all of their problems, sorrows and concerns out on the receptionist who holds absolutely no control. Just the other day I got yelled at (including all sorts of profanity) because one of our trucks ran over his front lawn. (Yes, he has a valid point and a valid concern but why take it out on ME?) However, the next day the man called back and apologized to me. He has been the only one to do so. My job consists of answering the phone calls of these insane people, giving people price quotes (right now the 6' privacy white fence is running at $12.95 per foot for materials. Installation is only $6.50 per foot if you are purchasing over 100' of material...blah, blah, blah), and running around for everyone else in the store. So now that you all know what I have been doing for the past month, if you are ever in the market for a vinyl fence just give us a call at Vinyl Industries and we can help you out! "Vinyl Industries, how can I direct your call?"

Happy Birthday Jake!

Happy Birthday to the greatest husband ever! Yesterday was his actual birthday, June 5, and it was actually my parent's 25th year anniversary as well! The morning was spent working...bummer. But the afternoon was fun! We went to lunch at Los Hermanos with my family and then went shopping. Jake bought some t-shirts, a tie, and another white church shirt. He got money from his parents, a costco card from my parents, a HUGE bag of Swedish fish from Margaret, and an AMAZING cake from Caroline. It was a fun day and I am so glad that Jake had a fun day! :)

I love you, Sweetie!!!

Grandma "Big" Strawberries

This is one of my favorite summer treats! My great-grandmother "Big" used to make this treat and I remember sneaking it from her fridge. All it is is cut-up strawberries sprinkled with sugar. Her last name wasn't really "Big" it was actually Fewens but when I was really, really little I just started calling her Grandma Big. And it has stuck. I don't think she minded too much that I called her that, at least I hope not. She had lots of food favorites that still remind me of her: fried zucchini, sugared-strawberries, fried chicken, mint chocolates and Lay's Sour Cream and Onion chips. My Grandma Big was the BEST!

Just One of Those Days...

It has just been one of those days. You all know what I am talking about. The kind of day where there is no way you are going to cook dinner. Getting up at 5:30am and running around like a chicken with its head cut off until 5:30pm is not the best of days. However, there is hope. With just a little bit of pizza and italian cheesy bread in my stomach and a movie night with Jake, I am feeling much better.

As a side note, I got a job! This is both good and bad news. I have thoroughly enjoyed my non-employed life. I prefer doing dishes and vacuuming and those sorts of things. However, I am grateful that I am now able to help bring in the bacon. And my job is pretty nice. I even have my own little cubicle. Before you get carried away and find yourself believing that I have some sort of high-ranking position within the company, don't hold your breath. I am still a peon (spelling?) and continue to jump upon command. :)

Presents, Presents, Presents

Well May was a big month for the Roundy family. Three birthdays, one graduation and two mother's days! Since Jake and I are going up to Green River this weekend we just decided to take all of the presents up there then. So here they all are. Sadly, I just now noticed that the popcorns are upside down. Gosh darnit. We're lucky to live so close to both of our families. The Raines just live twenty minutes away so we have been able to spend these "big days" with them. We LOVE our families!!! :)

1 Down...An Eternity More to Go!

This past Saturday, May 9th, was our one year anniversay! I can hardly believe that one year has passed by. So much has happened and so many happy memories have been created. We went out to lunch (Tucano's), looked around the Riverwood's shops and then went home and watched movies. It was a quiet, and yet, very happy day! We also ate the top layer of our cake. We followed some special directions and it surprisingly tasted exactly like it did one year ago. The best part of the day? Jake wrote me the sweetest card and inside there was a coupon for a wall clock of my choice. :) I cried. I am so blessed to have my Jake! While we were eating lunch we each said what our favorite memory from the past year was. Jake: Our trip to California and Disneyland for Christmas. Our 2nd trip to Disneyland that year and it was definetely a trip full of little miracles. Lauren: Moving into our first "home." We got to decorate it and arrange the furniture however we wanted. It was definetely a milestone in our marriage.

Happy first year, sweetheart!!!

Roundy Treats

I love this jar! It was given to us for our wedding and it is just my favorite! We keep it on our kitchen table and every once in a while, I get into the cookie-making mood (OK so it's a really rare mood). So yesterday when I made cookies I immediately put them in our "Roundy treats" jar and Ta-Da!! look at how cute they look! So now, not only do we have a tasty treat within our reach, but we have an adorable decoration for our kitchen table! Did I mention how much I love this jar??? :)

Flowers!

This last week Jake and I got a coupon in the mail for flowers. It said that if we bought flowers we could get free soil. Free soil! So we drove down to the very bottom of Provo and found this quaint little garden center and actually bought some flowers for our flower pot thing! The flowers actually only cost us $3.50 for all of them! We felt like real adults who were buying flowers for their house. When we got home and hung them up on our porch we felt so happy! Jake is cute, he worries about the flowers and makes sure they are doing OK. I think we got so excited because we finally have something to take care of! It was such a good feeling to feel like real adults in our home. :) They are so beautiful to look at through our window!

A Weekly Meal

Poor Jake. This meal, Hamburger Helper: Lasagna, is cooked at least once a week. I can't help it! It is so easy and so incredibly cheap! Plus, I love it! When Jake and I were just dating he made this for me and I have been hooked ever since. It seriously is delicious! Tonight we tried Hamburger Helper: Cheeseburger Macaroni and it was NOT as good. So, although Jake is getting kind of sick of it, we are going back to the original Lasagna. YUM!

What I Love About My Mom

Yesterday was my mom's birthday and I just wanted to take a

minute and write down the 10 things I love about my mom.

1. I love your laugh. It is extremely contagious and it always makes everyone happy. :)

2. I love that you can play the piano and that you teach it to others as well. You taught me and I am so grateful for your lessons.

3. I love that you seem to be right about everything. I remember one time in High School you told me to take a coat to some activity, and thinking that I knew more than you, I didn't. But I should have. From that point on I have made an effort to follow what you say.

4. I love your dedication to your family. Us kids really know that you love us.

5. I love that you are always scrapbooking. I have learned a lot from you and now understand why it is so important to always "remember."

6. I love that you read Mary Higgins Clark books. One of the best "traditions" has been to buy her new book and wait for you to read it so that I can have a turn. What are we going to do when she stops writing books???

7. I love that you absolutely hate germs. I have become that way too and I really like hating germs.

8. I love your constant support. I always know I can call you for whatever reason and you will be willing to listen.

9. I love the fact that you always have Chapstick available.

10. I love that you love each of us for who we are. From the loudest moments to the quietest, you love each us of individually.

I LOVE YOU, MOM!!! and hope you had a wonderful birthday. :)

New Calling!

Well everyone....I got a new calling! Well actually it is an additional calling. I am still a temple worker but I am also the new Relief Society Secretary! I immediately got to work and created this notebook (now that I see it in picture form, I am not so sure I like it) for all of my crazy note taking! Today was my first day "on the job" and it went pretty well! I took rolll, made sure the binders with announcements were sent around, and printed and copied the program. I felt pretty on top of it. :) So now I believe a lot of my posts will deal with my new calling. It is such a blessing from Heavenly Father! I think it will get me out into the ward and will help me to make more friends. Anyway, I am so EXCITED!

April 15th?

Seriously? I thought it was April 15th today...you know SPRINGTIME! What the heck? This slushy-snow mixture has been coming down for 2 1/2 straight hours. This picture is the view from our little porch. Our flower planter, which you can barely see hanging on our porch, is full of water. Good thing we haven't planted any flowers yet! :) Please go away snow!

A "Survivor" Tradition

Hello everyone! As some of you may know I really like to watch reality TV. (please don't judge me) :) But one of my favorite shows is "Survivor"! I have been watching it since season one. When I was living at home in Lehi we would always buy Spicy Nacho Doritos and cream soda for our "Survivor" snack. Well I just HAD to carry on that tradition! So this past week Jake and I went to the store and bought these snacks for our "Survivor" watching pleasure. Let me tell you, the show was so much more exciting! So although these foods don't really coincide with my diet (HA, what diet?) they are a must for our "Survivor" parties!

I LOVE General Conference!

I always look forward to this time of the year. Spring=warm weather, beautiful skies, Easter, and Conference!!! This weekend of general conference was such a good one! Jake and I were able to spend Friday night at mom and dad's house. We also went to a Jazz game Friday night. Thanks for the great tickets, Dad! Saturday was a great day too! We slept in, ate junk food, made melty-bead thingys, and of course, watch conference! For lunch we went to JCW's...it was delicious. I loved Elder Hales' talk on finances. It was pretty profound and I am really going to try harder to differentiate between my wants and my needs. He also said something interesting. He said that, along with money, we could also be addicted to food. I started my diet today and hopefully this one helps me whip my addiction of Doritos in the bum! Sunday was a very quiet day because Jake and I watched conference here in Provo. The messages we heard were amazing and I am so grateful to have such great leaders in the church! I love Elder Anderson's talk. He is so humble and I thought it was neat that he asked for everyone's forgiveness. He has a new mantle on his shoulders and he seems to be handling it very well. Overall, it was a GREAT weekend and I cannot wait for another six whole months to have the next General Conference!

Date Night for $1.25

So for our date night tonight, we decided to go see a movie and then go to dinner. The movie we chose was "Knowing." Horrible show. Scary, creepy and very depressing. The ending was horrible and it was NOT a happy ending. Jake didn't like it either.

However, we had a Cinemark gift card for $20.00. Each ticket cost about $6 and then we bought popcorn and a drink. All together it cost us $1.25! So you might be thinking, 'what about dinner?'

WELL....across from the theater was a brand new burger shop called "Five Guys." They officially open on Monday but we saw people in there eating, so we decided to investigate. Outside the front door were two official looking guys who said, "Hey, this is an opening by invitation only. But do you want some good news? How would you like a free meal? Come on in and say you were invited and get yourself a free meal." HOW COOL IS THAT? We both ordered burgers, fries and a drink. It was so dang delicious! So now Jake and I officially claim Five Guys as our favorite burger joint! And we definetely recommend it to everyone! After dinner we looked around the mall, and didn't spend anything! Wow. BUT we decided that we are Eddie Bauer kind of people. With a little bit of Gap thrown in there. :) Overall, it was a FANTASTIC date....and one that did not hurt our pocketbooks.

BYU Fiesta: The Night From...Um...Heck

Saturday night I worked at the BYU Fiesta which included a dinner, a show, and a dance. It sounds harmless enough but don't you dare let yourself become fooled. My shift began at 4:15 in the afternoon and we began by heading downstairs to the Terrace and Ballroom. So many things happened that night that were not supposed to happen! First, there were no blue curtains waiting to be set up. Custodial had to be called and we had to set up the very late curtains. Second, for the show, all of the performers were supposed to be given tickets, but they weren't given any. That was a huge mess because they, of course, wanted to come in and watch their friends perform. Not gonna happen without a ticket. Then the guy in charge was telling them all to go in and cheer on their fellow dancers...um....how are we supposed to make sure they don't sit down and take seats that were purchased with a ticket???? Third, performers have way too much attitude! I'm serious. They seriously thought they owned the place. I was so dang frustrated I had to count to ten to keep myself from exploding all over the Columbian dancers who wanted to get into the show and talk to "someone." (Mind you they couldn't give me a name.) Fourth, the Garden Court, where they were supposed to have the dance, was completely filthy from their earlier practice. The man in charge kept telling us that he would get some guys down there to clean it up but did they? NO! So I got one of my coworkers to come in there and help me clean it up. It was disgusting. We pretty much threw everything away. Anyways, the whole event was finally over at 11:00pm and after seven hours of work, I was done. Done! Needless to say I will probably never enjoy fiestas ever again.

The Wymount Warriors!!!

As you all know, it is basketball season and the men of our ward have all stepped up to the plate and have created their own intramural (spelling?) basketball team. Their name? The Wymount Warriors!!! Tonight they had a game and it was so close! They played against a younger, single's ward team (who were very rude, I must say) and the warriors did great! They didn't win, but man did they hustle! :) Jake got pushed over several times and the result is this picture. His leg hurt pretty bad when we got home so he whipped out his handy-dandy messager and put it to work. We've used it once since we've been married. I am proud of my Jake and his mighty Wymount Warrior team! GO WARRIORS!

As a sidenote, one of the team members called beforehand and asked if I would be the scorekeeper for the game. I quickly said, "Jake, NO! I am so scared of that!" So being the sweet Jake that he is, he replies "Hey, um, I don't think so. My wife is scared of that." :) So I get to the game and what do they still need? A scorekeeper. Gosh! So I ended up scorekeeping and all of the guys on the team all came up to me and thanked me for scorekeeping and kept bribing me with cookies. I totally and completely think that they had a big party before the game and made fun of me...."hahaha!!! She was scared of scorekeeping? bwhahahah!" Oh well. :)

Mom, You're Never Going to Believe This

Mom, you will be so proud of me when you hear that today I decided to do a little spring cleaning. I don't know what got into me. It was warm outside, the birds were singing, and I just got into the cleaning mood. So I began by sweeping out our bathroom; it needed to be done so badly. Then I vacuumed the floor including all of the little crevases (spelling?) along the wall. Yes, I got down on my hands and knees and vacuumed. :) Anyway, that is what I did today and I thought I would post it and see what kind of shocked expressions would come from my mom. :) haha!

My "Cute Apartment" Goals

So the other day I started to get frustrated because I didn't have any projects...I'm lame, I know. But I am getting sick of school and tired of sitting around. So I came up with a list of goals to make my apartment even cuter (It is already the cutest apartment known to man.) So here is my list.

1-A rug to go under our coffee table. There is one at IKEA that I am planning on buying.

2-An oversized clock to put up on our wall above our couch. I have always wanted one of these.

3-Pillows for our couch. ACCOMPLISHED! This picture is of the pillows we picked out to finish our couch's new look!

4-A bookshelf that we can store movies and books on. I am planning on painting it a nice antique white!

5-Eventually I would like a TV stand that has drawers.

Well there's my list! For now it is keeping me busy and keeping my mind occupied! :) I am so excited!!!

The Best Valentine's Day EVER!

This Valentine's Day was an amazing day! It started off with work, which was so great but upon returning to our home I found a rose, a card, a cookie, and a bunch of chocolates waiting for me! :) This year we decided to stay home and celebrate Valentine's Day. Last year's Valentine's Day was the day that Jake proposed to me. We went out and had dinner at Red Lobster and ended up waiting there for over 2 hours in the line! So this year we stayed home. We ordered Brick Oven pizza, drank Martenelli's, and watched "The Secret Life of Bees" and "Madagascar 2." It was a quiet evening but it was the BEST DAY EVER!!! Finally, I have a reason to celebrate Valentine's Day! :)

I Want My Baby Back Ribs....Barbeque Sauce

Mmmmm.....My masterpiece!!! This little project of mine started yesterday around 3:00pm and ended today at 5:45pm. Yes, over 24 hours. But it was dang well worth it! Just look at all of those heavenly juices oozing out of that tender rack of meat. Add to that the delicious flavor of caramlized sugar and barbeque sauce. Yes, we were definetely very messy by the end of the meal. This one is 100% getting added to our repertoire. :)

Drumroll Please......

Well everyone I was accepted into the Elementary Education program!!! Last night Jake went out to check the mail and came back with a rather thick letter from the department of education addressed to me! I hurried and opened it and was happy to see that I had been accepted! I have to have one last interview with the guy in charge (have no idea what his name is) and then I just need to register for my classes. I will begin with the Arts Semester next Fall. The classes sound like so much fun! Art, Dance, Theater, Math, and Children's Literature. Totally and completely up my ally! I am getting really excited about studying el ed and I can't wait to do all of the fun projects! :) So now all I have to do is wait until next Fall semester......I have a feeling that it is going to seem like forever!!!

Way Too Much Information

Well I have once again been "tagged" by Nikelle and this time I must think of 25 interesting things about myself. This is hard and as of right now I am drawing a blank. :) But let me give this a shot.
1- I am a newlywed! Yay! I was married on May 9th of 2008. I am a bit obsessed and get so excited every month on the 9th to know that we are one more month closer to our one year anniversary! And I love my husband!
2- I have a VERY low tolerance for pain. I hate having band-aids taken off, cankers, and my time of the month.
3- I am really baby hungry right now. The other day I researched the price of cute baby cribs and picked out the one I want. No, I am not pregnant. However, all I have to do is think about the epidural and my hunger goes straight away! :)
4- I love to sleep with socks on. Fortunately, I have a very sweet husband who says that it doesn't bother him.
5- My idea of the perfect day would be: raining outside, Jake and I are home, and we are watching a great movie together.
6- I LOVE Doritos, Dr. Pepper and Tic-Tacs.
7- My favorite colors are green, red, brown, cream......
8- My favorite store would have to be Target. I am quite certain that it is the greatest place to buy clothes, cute accessories for my home, and anything else you could possibly need.
9- Someday I would love to visit England. I secretly believe that I should have been born during the Jane Austen time period. :)
10- I have 6 best friends: Jake, Mom, Dad, Scott, Caroline and Margaret (who is my twin).
11- I am majoring in Elementary Education right now. However, I wish they had a major that was devoted to the decorating of the classrooms and not necessarily the teaching. I have BIG plans for my classroom someday.
12- I watched "Hairspray" the other day and immediately longed for a 50's style dress. So I went online and looked up vintage patterns. That mini-obsession lasted only about ten minutes.
13- I once broke my nose and believe that that was the cause of my extreme dislike of all doctors. I HATE the dentist....scariest experiences of my life.
14- I really want a dog when I am older and have my own house. But then I realize that I have had a dog before and didn't really like the whole experience. So then I change my mind.
15- I am always craving something. Yesterday I was craving Del Taco's soft tacos. Too bad I never crave anything healthy.....
16- I love the temple! I really think that it is the best place on the earth and the only place to find true peace.
17- If I could I would buy clothes from J.Crew and as I am writing this I can see the worried look spread across Jake's face....Don't worry sweetie! :)
18- I am going to be vain for this one and just say that I have the cutest apartment in the world!
19- I love to do crafty things. Someday I will have a craft room in my house and I am so excited!
20- I play the harp and love it! Although, I don't practice as much as I should....
21- I love to read! Some of my favorite authors include: Mary Higgins Clark, Jane Austen, Stephenie Meyer, and all of the classics!
22- I am really forgetful. Even writing this blog I have had to check my previous 21 interesting things to make sure I wasn't repeating anything.
23- I love to go home! I come up with any excuse to visit my family in Lehi! I love you guys!
24- I am a very sensitive person....but I am working on not letting things bug me, annoy me, or hurt my feelings. I cried today when I watched Home Improvement and Heidi had her baby. Pathetic.:)
25- I can't believe I found twenty-five interesting things about me!!! Who knew there was so much to say...

OK. I have done the dirty deed and I am sure you are all thinking 'Whoa! That was way too much information!' But now I am tagging: Caroline, Mom, and Aunt Jenny! So you three get to do this! hahahah!

Matlock

Ah, Ben Matlock. His honourable quests, his quick wit, and incredible skills in catching the bad guy are absolutely amazing! During high school I would stay home and watch Matlock with my mom. Everyday at 12:00 on the Hallmark channel and 1:00 on KJZZ 14. A double feature always made my day! Even though the story is based on murder and intrigue it is actually very wholesome and a good family show. I really have enjoyed this show over the years and I confess that is holds a very special place in my heart. :) Thanks Mom!