Paul and Alli Watson

Posting Elsewhere

2011-12-27T09:56:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to let everyone know, I won't be updating this blog for awhile. If you want to know what's going on with me and Paul, please check our adoption blog www.paulandalliadoption.blogspot.com, or you can click on the link to the left. I will be updating our adoption blog until we are placed with a baby. Thanks!!!

St. George Baby!

2011-11-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

We were invited by some friends to go to St. George last weekend. WE HAD A BLAST!!!! I honestly don't think I've ever laughed so hard for so long. It was non-stop fun! We stayed up till 3 a.m. or later every night and just went all day. We drove to St. George Thursday night. We stopped at Moochie's in SLC for dinner and then headed the rest of the way. We had walkie talkie's between the two cars, so we were able to play a rousing (although at times slightly inappropriate) game of "Would you rather" to pass the time. We got to St. George around 11:30 that night and then we settled into the theater room for some conversation, some joking around and of course laughing (mostly courtesy of Matt Page and the term Shubbing)!

We got up the next morning, ate at the Bear Paw Cafe and then headed to Las Vegas for the day. We discovered we had the Moulon Rouge CD in our car so we had a sing along on the drive. We are fantastic singers! We went to H&M first thing.......and spent 2 1/2 hours there! The boys were getting a little bored and this is what we found:

These guys are hilarious. Male models in the making. After our long shopping trip where I got a ton of great stuff, we headed to the Hard Rock Hotel to eat dinner at The Pink Taco. Dinner was delicious. After dinner we decided we wanted to ride the Big Shot at Stratosphere. Unfortunately, it was too windy, and the only ride open was Insanity. We talked ourselves into going on Insanity and it took a good 30 minutes to do so. We purchased our tickets and headed to the top. This is a picture of us before we got into the elevator. We wanted to have a final picture in case we didn't make it back down from the top. :)

But when we got there, the ride had closed! Bummer!!! So we took the elevator back down and tried to tell ourselves we weren't scared in the first place. Ya right. I was terrified to go on the ride and slightly relieved when it ended up being closed. We walked around the casino's and Paul tried to win $11MM on the slot machines.

Wait a sec, where am I???

Here I am!!!

Imagine our surprise when we didn't win. :) We headed back to St. George around 12:00 and got home about 1:30. After a bit more talking, it was time for bed.

The next morning, the guys went golfing and the girls went for pedicures. After we were done being pampered, we met up to do some shooting. That was fun! I love shooting. Check out my stance, probably close to perfect (hee, hee)

After shooting we got some pizza and settled in for the night. We played an extremely loud game of Catch Phrase (MILK AND CHEESE.......Jamie is hilarious!), danced to the Kinect (Heather rocks!), and played a friendly game of cards (ok it was Texas Hold 'em and it was not friendly, but it was lots of fun!). It was close to 4 am before anyone was in bed. That night was the funnest!

The next morning we woke up, stopped at In N Out for lunch and headed home. The ride home consisted of singing songs (I was laughing so hard at Rachel singing Oh Elaina!), and reminiscing on the trip. Overall, this was one of the funnest weekends I've had! It was great to get away!

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

We had a small Halloween party with our friends, Matt and Rachel. Paul and Matt decided to dress as Magnum PI and Higgins, and they begged me and Rachel to be TC and Rick (I'll send a very special prize to anyone who knows who either TC or Rick is without googling it). Paul and Matt have been growing out their mustaches for a good two months and they couldn't wait to show them off!

Rachel and I decided to do our own thing and ended up as Richard Simmons (Rachel) and a lady Sweatin to the Oldies (me). Too bad you can't read the sweatshirt since I time stakingly wrote, "Sweatin to the Oldies" on it. :)

The next day was the best day ever because Paul FINALLY shaved his mustache. He was pretty proud of it and made me take a picture so it could live forever. I, however, like his handsome face clean shaven.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

For FHE we were invited to carve pumpkins at Lindsay and Shayne's. We had a yummy dinner of homemade chili in bread bowls and then got down to business. I haven't carved a pumpkin in probably 10 years, so this was exciting for me and Paul. However, our pumpkin carving skills may have been a little off. The H family had it down! Among their creations was Lady Gaga and a scary dinosaur. I was very impressed. It was a very fun night and I'm so glad we have such wonderful friends!

This last picture cracks me up. We realized at the last minute that it was just me with the H family.

It's Official!!!

2011-09-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

We have been approved to adopt!!! We are so excited and can't wait for the opportunity to be parents. Check out our LDS Family Services profile and our adoption blog.

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

4th of July weekend was awesome! I got to spend time with both my family and with Paul's. My sister July's birthday was on Saturday so my whole family (minus my brother Ryan) met at July's house to celebrate. We had a bbq lunch and then the girls went to get pedicure's while the boys held down the fort. Ahhhhh, I love pedicure's and I got the cutest flag on my toe in honor of Independence Day. I guess you could say I'm pretty patriotic. :) After the pedicure's we went back to July's for some dinner before heading to Eaglewood Golf Course in Bountiful for the fireworks. It was a beautiful night so we got to enjoy being outside, playing frisbee and eating treats. The fireworks were great and I loved being with my family.

The next day, Paul's sister Kari blessed her newest son (who incidentally is named Paul). There was a nice brunch held after and it was a great time to spend catching up with Paul's family. That afternoon the boys enjoyed a little game of wiffle ball in the 102 degree weather. The girls were smarter than that and enjoyed some "visiting" inside where the air conditioning was. It was an awesome day!

The next day we were invited to Kari and Clark's to have red, white and blue pancakes. Yumm! We watched a movie with the girls and then went home to take a nap. That night we went to July and Cory's for a bbq and some fireworks. Now that the aerial fireworks are legal, we had a great show! I was a little frightened at times but it was so fun!

I am so thankful to be an American and to be able to enjoy all the freedom's that offers!!!

Weekend in Idaho

2011-06-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day, Paul and I went to Idaho to see my family. We had a blast! Mel and Phil bought their first house so we were able to stop and see it on Friday on our way to Dad's. It was great! I'm so happy they are now homeowner's. There's nothing like it.

The next day we took Grandma Mead to breakfast. I feel like there is never enough time to spend with her. I don't get to see her often enough and I wish we lived closer so I could visit more. But the time we were able to spend together was wonderful. After breakfast, we dropped Grandma off at her house and then the rest of us prepared to go mountain biking. We went to Harriman Park just past Ashton. It was a beautiful day. I love mountain biking. The trail was great and I enjoyed being outdoors. After mountain biking, we stopped at Upper Mesa Falls. On our way home we HAD to stop at Frostop for an ice cream cone. I can't ever pass up a chance to have one of those bad boys. Yummmmmmm!!!

The next day was spent helping Mel and Phil move some of the bigger items into their house. It is always great fun when we are in Idaho and I love seeing my family!!

Race for the Cure & Lagoon Weekend

2011-05-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the 2nd Annual Race for the Cure for me (it's been around forever, but this is only the 2nd time I've ran). This year Melanee and Phil came down and were able to run with me, Paul, July, Cory and Cayman. We had our own team, "Team Boobapalooza" and we made our own shirts. They weren't perfect, but I think they turned out pretty cute. It was such an amazing thing to be running with my sisters. Once again when the theme music started, I couldn't stop crying. I don't know why it touches me so much, but there is just something about seeing 20,000 people running for women they love. We had a great time and I would love to see my entire family there next year. We missed you Dad, Carma and Ryan!!!

After the race, we went to Kneaders in Bountiful and I can't say enough about the Chunky Cinnamon French Toast. The best thing ever!!! After breakfast we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at Lagoon. It was a beautiful day and I was happy to FINALLY be spending time outside. Paul is addicted to games where you can win stuffed animals (remember the Circus Circus adventure from a couple years ago?), so he and Phil were on a quest to win the biggest prize in Lagoon. They were wheeling and dealing with the employees getting them to give them 1/2 off prices, or double the tries for the same price. It was hilarious to watch, but they ended up with the biggest prizes there. It was so much fun and I am so thankful for my wonderful family!

Sleepover

2011-04-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

When Paul goes out of town with the Scouts, I like to have Cayman over for sleepovers. This weekend I met July, Cayman and Cooper for dinner at Arctic Circle. Cooper enjoyed getting to come to part of the sleepover.

We ate and played on the toys for awhile and then Cayman said goodbye and we headed to The Kaysville Theater to watch Gnomeo and Juliet.

I think Cayman was a little tired because she had a hard time sitting through the whole movie, but she made it. We headed home and continued the fun reading books, watching more movies, playing with her dolls and coloring. The next morning we had Tweety Bird pancakes (a tradition if you stay with Aunt Alli),

and did Cayman's makeup (also a tradition). Doesn't she look pretty?

Then we headed to Bountiful to meet July and Cory for the Easter Egg Hunt. It was kind of cold outside, but the kids had a good time. I love having someone stay with me while Paul's away and Cayman's a great sport!

Paul's Birthday

2011-04-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's Paul's Birthday!!!! Paul was lucky enough to spend the whole day with JUST me for his birthday. We had a small celebration with just the two of us. It's not Paul's birthday without dinner at Chuck A Rama so we started with that. Then we came home and opened presents and had cake and ice cream. I have to admit, it was a little strange to be the only singing to him. We love spending time together, so I think for both of us it was the Perfect Day.

Welcoming Spring!

2011-03-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

Mel and Phil decided to make an impromptu trip this weekend. I was so excited to see them! They came down Friday night and we met them at the Davis Rec Center so we could do some swimming. Cayman and Cooper love the water so much. It was fun to go down the water slide, glide along in the lazy river and watch Cayman jump off the diving board. Swimming is pretty tiring, so after we were done swimming we went back to July and Cory's where we played games and chatted long into the night.

The next day we went to The Festival of Colors in Spanish Fork, Utah. What a crazy experience! It is essentially people walking around throwing ground up colored chalk at each other.

Paul wasn't quite up to the craziness. Anyone who knows him, knows he hates stains......any stains. On our first date, we had an incident where he spilled ice cream on his jeans and he instantly had to pull over, take out an ice cube from his drink and get every last bit of ice cream off his pants. I was a little astonished at his behavior, and the obsession has never gone away. We discuss sometimes what our super power would be if we were super heroes. Mine is constantly changing between traveling to the future, stopping time, flying, etc., but Paul's remains the same. He would be the Super Stain Remover. His life mission would be to get out every stain. So for him, the thought of getting stains all over his clothes (even old clothes), that might possibly never come out, was daunting.

The rest of us were up to the challenge. There was music playing, and people bustling about. I walked in and was instantly attacked by a girl throwing purple chalk in my face. I was upset at first and tried to maintain a slightly cleaner appearance than everyone else. However, that didn't last long. Cory dumped yellow in my hair and Cayman and Cooper loved taking the whole bag and just tossing it at you. It ended up being pretty fun and the kids had a great time. I think July got it the worst, thanks to Cory.

Later that afternoon, we met up with Ryan for dinner. It was fun to be able to spend time with my siblings. I always love being with them and am sad when we have to say good-bye.

I sure hope we really did welcome in spring. I'm so done with winter.

Sabbatical Day 5

2011-03-18T14:56:00.001-07:00

I'm losing the battle. The TV is calling my name. My shows want me to watch them. They don't understand why I've left them. How do I explain? Two more days and then I can at least get my one hour a day fix in. I'm like an addict who gets to open a present in just 2 days. 2 looooooooong days. Hope I make it........ :)

Sabbatical

2011-03-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

Paul and I had stake conference this past week. It was a wonderful week with Ward Temple Night on Wednesday, the Adult Session on Saturday night, the Youth Session on Sunday morning and then Stake Conference on Sunday afternoon. We have THE best stake presidency. You can feel their love and know they are truly called of the Lord. President Thurgood talked on Sunday and told a story about when he was trying to decide whether to open his own business. He wasn't getting a clear answer so he loaded his tent, scriptures and journal into his truck and went to Francis Peak for 24 hours. He spent all night just studying, reading, meditating and writing in his journal. At the end of 24 hours, he knew he was supposed to start his business. Sometimes I wonder why I'm not receiving answers to my prayers, but I've never taken the time to spend 24 hours at Francis Peak waiting for my answer. While I don't think everyone needs to go to that extreme, Paul and I both had the same feeling after listening to that talk. We are in need of some answers and decided that the best way to get them was to "disconnect" from the world and have more moments of quiet in order to let the Spirit speak to us. So we came to the conclusion that we are wasting too much time watching tv. We decided to take a one week Sabbatical from watching any TV (except the Aggie game on Thursday night.......that is a must watch!).

It started on Monday. Monday at lunch instead of watching Everybody Loves Raymond, we put together a list of all the tv shows we DVR. There were 37 of them!!!! 37 TV shows that we were taking the time to DVR and watch. That adds up to 23.50 hours of TV per week or 3.5 hours per day. And yes, that is just the actual shows, that doesn't include any commercials. And that is just for the TV shows we are recording. That doesn't include the Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, King of Queens, etc. that we watch "just because" we don't have anything to do. I couldn't believe how much time we were wasting! Then we decided to cut down our TV watching to no more than 1 hour per day. We cut out 17 of the 37 shows and got our total TV watching for the week to 6 hours and 40 mins (less than 1 hr per day). Wow that felt good!!!

That night we were supposed to help a neighbor clean up his yard, but they canceled. We were left with nothing to do and no TV to watch. So we called up our friends to see if they wanted to come over for Pizza and Games and they accepted. We spent the night with friends having a great time instead of wasting it away in front of the tv. That night we were also able to spend over an hour studying the scriptures, reading conference talks and church books, and writing in our journals. Day 1 was a success and I wasn't missing the tv at all.

Day 2 was a little more difficult. I like to watch TV while I put on my makeup. It helps pass the time and there's always something fun to watch. However, this day I just put on my makeup in silence and obeyed our "no tv" rule. That night, Paul and I called his mom and had a delightful conversation with her for an hour! Then we played the best out of 3 games in Yahtzee (Paul won). What a lot of fun that was! I couldn't believe how much fun I was having and I hadn't watched TV once in almost 48 hours. That night we spent another hour studying the scriptures, etc.

The past 2 days have been wonderful. I am enjoying our Sabbatical and am actually loving the silence. Paul and I have spent more quality time together, we've had some really nice conversations, we've spent time with friends, and we've gotten things accomplished. We'll see how the next 5 days go, but I'm excited to see what happens.

Christmas in Logan

2010-12-29T20:05:00.000-08:00

Last week we celebrated Christmas in Idaho. This weekend we celebrated in Logan. Paul and I headed to Logan on Christmas Eve. We started with the Watson tradition of making mini pizza's and eating garlic bread from Fredrico's. After we were done stuffing our faces, we started a new tradition where the little kids acted out The Christmas Story (the actual story, not the one that plays on TBS for 24 hours every Christmas). Ethan was Joseph, Charlotte was Mary, Mason was Baby Jesus and Alice was the angel (so stinking cute!).
Jake even got to play a part as the donkey. He did an excellent job. After The Christmas Story, Tanner read us a Santa Claus story.

It was a fun time with the family. Paul and I spent the night at Lyn and Dave's so we got to spend Christmas morning with them. That afternoon I met my Dad and Carma at Burger King to say hi. They were just passing through on their way to SLC to pick up Carma's grandaughter. I made them take a slight detour so I could see them. I'm so happy they decided to make the stop! I loved seeing them. After they left, Paul and I went up to see what Santa had brought the boys (Kaden, Ethan and Tanner) and to play a little Halo. I have to say, I kicked some serious trash. The rest of the Watson clan came up around 2:00 so we could eat lunch and open presents. We also had a little dance off with the Wii games, Just Dance and Michael Jackson. Those Watson kids can dance!!! No competing with them. Christmas was so wonderful and I am so thankful I have two wonderful families to celebrate with. I am one lucky girl!

An Idaho Christmas

2010-12-20T10:29:00.001-08:00

Last weekend Paul and I headed to Idaho to celebrate Christmas with my family. It was a snowy morning when we left and it took us an extra 45 minutes to get there, but it was worth it. We got there around 2:00 and then July, Cory, Cayman and Cooper got there shortly after. We spent the afternoon visiting, playing with the kids and singing a little Disney Karaoke. We decided to not draw names this year, but instead to choose a tag off the giving tree and buy a family in need presents. We all went to Wal-Mart where we spent an hour picking out things this family needed.....including a couple fun games as well. After we delivered the presents, we picked up pizza and went back to Dad's. We ate and then opened presents. Dad & Carma gave us the best present.......the 24 Days of Christmas. This is a book that has a Christmas story to read for every day in December leading up to Christmas. We all loved this book growing up and it was special for each of us to have one of our own now. I think Ryan's face says it all.

After presents, the boys went to play basketball and the rest of us watched Home Alone.
The next day we did a big breakfast. While everyone was getting ready, Cayman and I decided to make Cayman be Giant Girl (GG for short). She is giant!! :) Cayman also discovered my dad's Three Stooges ornaments and she took a picture with me and each of the different stooges. She is so funny. We ate a yummy breakfast of cinnamon french toast, bacon, sausage, blueberry muffins and scrambled eggs. Mmmmmmm. Have I mentioned how much I love my dad's cooking? Unfortunately, it was time to leave. Paul and I stopped by to see my Grandma Betty on our way home. I loved seeing my family! I wish we could get together more often. It's always fun and I am so thankful for them!

Family

2010-12-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

The 2nd week of November we went to Idaho to watch my brother be ordained an Elder. It was a great weekend! Paul and I got up there early Saturday afternoon. We ate lunch at Sammy's, hung out at Ryan's apartment and then went bowling that night. I love spending time with Mel, Phil, Ryan, Dad & Carma. We don't get to see them as much as I would like, so every minute counts! The next day July, Cory, Cayman and Cooper came up and they stopped to bring Grandma with them. She was surprising Ryan. It was such an amazing experience to be able to watch my brother receive the office of Elder. I know my mom was proud of him and so was I!!! It's hard to get our entire family together and I love this picture because everyone is in it.

After the ordination, we had dinner where my Dad made his famous roast. MMMMMM......no one can make gravy like him. We played foosball and even Grandma got in on it. Looks like she's having a great time. I love my family and can't wait to see them all for Christmas!!!

Cutest Blog & Giveaway

2010-12-13T08:15:00.000-08:00

I love this blog! She is the cutest! She also has a lot of fun giveaways so go ahead and enter to win.........maybe you'll think about sharing if you're the winner. :)
http://tandsdaybook.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-told-you-thered-be-more-stocking.html

ROOMIES!!!!!

2010-12-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

THEN and.......
NOW

On November 5th, I got together with my old roommates from USU: Amanda, Amber, Chanel, and Jamie. We were just missing Janice. A lot has happened in the past 12 years ....marriages, divorces, remarriages, kids and stepkids to name a few! But we were able to pick up just like old times. We looked through photo albums and reminisced, we ate lots of food and reacquainted ourselves with each other, and most of all we just listened and enjoyed each other's company. I love you girls!!!

We decided to recreate this famous picture (ok, it's only famous to us):
And here was the result:

P.S. Why am I always on the bottom????

Girls Weekend

2010-09-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

The weekend of August 12-15th, I met Katie, Tara and Alesha in Las Vegas for a Girls Weekend!!! We all got to Vegas around 9:00 the night of the 12th. It was quite the reunion. I hadn't seen Alesha in probably 4 years!!! It was so great to see everyone again. We chatted for a little while, but of course we were starving, so we headed out to find something to eat. We were staying at The Paris and it is connected to Bally's so we found a little Mexican Restaurant where we could eat. The food was not great, but the conversation was. There was so much to catch up on. We just at sat and talked and ate and it was wonderful. We stayed up talking until late that night. The next day we ate breakfast at La Creperie which was absolutely delicious. If you are in Vegas, you have to try it. After we ate we wanted to lay out at the pool, but it was so stinking hot!!! We got down there at high noon and after some strawberry pina coloda's and an hour later, we couldn't handle the heat anymore. So we decided to get ready and do some shopping. I cannot go to Vegas without hitting H & M, so that was our destination. We got quite a bit of shopping done and I came home with some great finds. We were once again starving, so we decided to get the 24 hour Buffet Pass. I mean, really, it was the best deal! We ate at the Buffet at the Paris and then we went back to the room for some more late night chatting.

The next day we walked around the shops in the hotels, we stopped at the flower gardens at the Bellagio (where Tara had to practice her sexy look and tried to teach us) and we just stayed on the strip most of the day taking in the sights and doing some more shopping.

One of the funnest things we did was stop at the Coca-Cola factory. We tried almost everything they had. We tried 32 flavors from around the world, 8 of their floats and 8 of their unique creations. And I also had to get a 32 oz. Diet Coke because everywhere you turned it was PEPSI!!!! I know that might seem crazy to get a 32 oz one when I had 48 other drinks in front of me, but I was dying for one. I'm not sure how I became the first one to test drink everything since I am the pickiest one, but I did and I made a lot of gross faces. I didn't like alot of what I was drinking. Lesha, Tara and Katie started making fun of me and decided it was time for one of them to be the first taste tester. Katie reaches for The Beverly from France and she almost pukes. We all thought she was just making fun of me, so we all grab to taste it and were expecting it to be delicious, but she wasn't joking. That was the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted!!! We were laughing pretty hard.

That night we went to the Planet Hollywood Buffet for dinner. It was a long wait, but totally worth it. They had the best dessert ever!!! Cotton Candy!!! Are you serious? All you can eat Cotton Candy. I was in heaven. Most people get drunk off liquor, but we have always been able to get drunk off large quantities of food. We were laughing pretty hard and everyone around us was looking at us like we needed to sober up. Dinner that night was so much fun.

It wasn't such a late night since we were all leaving in the morning. It was sad to see everyone go, but we are going to try to make it an annual thing. Love you girls!!!

Skidmore Fun

2010-09-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

On August 8th, my family came to SLC for my nephew Cooper's 1 year birthday. We decided to go to Park City and ride the Alpine Slides. I'd never ridden them before and I was kind of nervous, but it turns out I didn't have anything to be nervous about. They weren't scary at all. My niece, Cayman, loves taking pictures and she does a really good job. Here is one she took: Last weekend my family decided to do a mini vacation. We went up to Badger Creek (close to Driggs, ID) and Phil's brother, Brian helped us do a portion of the ropes course they have. They hook you in and then everyone helps pull you to the top of the course. Then you actually have to let go and you become a giant swing. Now that was scary!!! I was quite terrified as you can tell from this video. It doesn't look nearly as high as it actually was.

After Badger creek we ate at Big Jud's in Ashton (home of the 1 pound burger) and then of course we had to get an ice cream cone at The Frostop! Yum, yum! Our sweet cousin's let us stay at their cabin, so we headed to Island Park. That night we played games and pool and visited. It was a great night. The next day we got up to go to Yellowstone. We were able to stop by Firehole Lake and see where Ryan fell in when he was a toddler, we saw some Falls and we were able to see Old Faithful. We had walkie-talkie's with us and Paul's favorite part was pretending to be a Park Ranger and make announcements over the walkie talkie. Because it sounded like a microphone, people all around us would turn to listen to what announcement he had to make. It was hilarious. Unfortunately, after we saw Old Faithful, it began downpouring. We were headed to the Fountain Paint Pots next, which is one of our favorite things to see, and we sat there for a half hour hoping the rain would stop, but it didn't. So we decided to head back to West Yellowstone. We ate at The Gusher and then finally it stopped raining. However, it was too late to go back to Yellowstone, so we went back to the cabin. We sat in the hot tub and played more games. Cayman also entertained us with singing and dancing. She is so cute and quite the little performer. The next day we cleaned up and headed home. It was a fun weekend. Thanks to everyone who helped make it fun.

I WON!!!!

2010-07-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

WINNER! WINNER! WINNER!

I can't believe it! I won the Design a Room Giveaway. I get my great room designed for free!!! I am so excited. I can't wait to see what Danielle Oakey can do to help make my space look so much better.

Room Design Giveaway!!!

2010-06-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

Go to this website to win a free online room design!

http://danielleoakeyinteriors.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-06-12T10:59:00.001-07:00

It was my birthday last weekend and I turned 32! Wheel out the old wagons to come get me. We celebrated all weekend starting with dinner at The Mandarin with our friends Lindsay & Shayne and their son Christian. It was a nice surprise to have them come with us! The next morning we met July, Cory, Cayman and Cooper at Cherry Hill for a princess carnival. Cayman was so excited to see Princess Amerah and Snow White. I love this picture of Cayman feeding Cooper ice cream. So stinking cute!!!

That evening we had a bbq and Paul's mom and dad, Kari, Clarke, Charlotte, Alice, July, Cory, Cayman and Cooper were able to come help me celebrate. Paul decorated, the food was yummy and the cake was delicious!!! Red Velvet Cake! MMMMMMMMMM! Cayman and Charlotte were great helpers opening my presents. It was a fun weekend even if I did have to turn a year older.

Race For The Cure

2010-05-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Race For The Cure in Salt Lake. It was amazing! I was stunned by how emotional it was. I didn't realize what the event really was. There were 17,000 people registered for the race. My cousin, Becky, put together a team called "Team Stacked". We wore shirts that said, "In Celebration and In Honor of:" and then we were able to write down all the women we knew who had been affected by this awful disease. My mom was at the top of the list and unfortunately, not as a survivor. She was diagnosed with Breast cancer in 1997 and died in 1999 at the young age of 41. My Grandma Betty (my mom's mom) was on the list as a 16 year survivor! Last on the list was Paul's Grandma Helen, who I never met because she was taken when Paul was 10 years old.

July, my niece Cayman, my Grandma Betty and my Aunt Kathie (my mom's sister) came to the event as well and were all doing the 1 mile walk. It was nice to have us all there joined for the same cause. I was running the 5K with my sister-in-law, Kari and her girls, Alice and Charlotte, who was running for Grandma Helen. As I was walking to the start line to meet Kari, I found myself trying to hold back tears. I wasn't sure why I was crying. I think about my mom a lot and am usually able to hold it together, but I could feel the waterworks just waiting to gush out. I got to the start line and there were Paul and Kari and her girls and Clark. They were getting ready to start the race and the announcers wanted us to yell out who we were running for. I couldn't yell at all. I was just trying not to cry. It was so powerful to be standing with so many people all there for a wonderful cause. The race began and there were too many people to try to run as fast as we wanted, but Kari and I finished the 5K and had a great time doing it. I think we will make this an annual event and next year get my whole family there. I miss my mom terribly and love her so much! Race For the Cure!!!

Paul's Birthday Bash!!!!

2010-04-25T09:02:00.001-07:00

Paul's birthday was last Saturday. Paul's mom and dad and my little brother, Ryan and his friend, Nick came down on Friday night to start the festivities. The morning of Paul's birthday we went to breakfast at Denny's courtesy of Lyn and Dave. When you get this group together, it is LOUD, but it is FUN!

Paul thought his mom and dad weren't going to be able to go to dinner with us that night with the rest of the family, so we spent the whole day with them. They came with us to run errands and helped us make homemade ice cream. They even gave him his birthday card.

Little did Paul know what was in store for him that night! At 5:00 I told him I had to take him to pick out one of his presents. We hopped in the car and drove to Bountiful. He kept asking me where we were going. When he spotted this sign, he instantly knew!!

His suprise party at Chuck A Rama! Ever since both my grandma and my aunt had a surprise party at Chuck A Rama, Paul has wanted one. So this year, his wish was granted. Paul's entire family, some cousins, aunts, uncles and some of my family were all there to wish him a Happy Birthday. They were even wearing crowns!

After eating and eating and eating, it was time to go back to out house for cake and icecream and presents. Thank you to everyone who came and for making this Paul's greatest birthday ever!!!!

Easter

2010-04-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

The day before Easter, my sister, July invited us to come to an easter egg hunt with Cayman and Cooper. It was freezing cold outside, but we wanted to go. So we met them at the elementary school in Bountiful. I think the sun must have been pretty bright even though it was kind of cloudy because Cayman looks like she is struggling to open her eyes in this picture. So funny!

Cooper didn't want to be left out, so Cory helped him get an egg of his very own.

This was the first year we got to go to the Easter Egg Hunt with Cayman and we had a great time. Thanks for the invite guys!!

The next day was Easter Sunday. It was also Conference. I love General Conference! There is nothing better than listening to the testimonies of our Savior by our Heavenly Father's Prophet and Apostles on this earth.

After conference was over, we went to Logan to see Paul's family. Grandma Lyn gave Alice & Charlotte bunnies for easter and they loved them.

I couldn't get a good picture of Alice, but I thought this one turned out kind of cute.

It was a great Easter Weekend!

Pretty Girls & Pedicures

2010-03-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Cayman (my niece), July (my sister) and I got pedicures. This was Cayman's first one and she was so excited. She got to paint her toenails and her fingernails. She felt like such a big girl. The picture of Cayman crossing her legs cracks me up. She is 3 going on 18!!!

I think the finished product turned out pretty good!

We went for ice cream afterwards and it was so much fun to be able to spend the day with just the girls. Thanks Jules and Cayman for such a fun afternoon!!

The Newest Member

2010-03-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last week Paul and I had the wonderful opportunity of going to our nephew, Tanner's, baptism. I can hardly believe he is 8 years old already! What a handsome little guy. We are so proud of him!

MOAB

2010-03-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

Last month over Valentine's weekend, Paul and I went to Moab with my sisters and their families. July and Mel were able to leave Friday morning, but Paul and I had to work. So we met up in Moab around 7:00 Friday night. We grabbed some dinner at Pizza Hut and then since the whole town was pretty much shut down we decided to go to the Motel. When we pulled into our Motel (yes, I said Motel, not Hotel), we were a little nervous. Now for everyone that loves the Bowen Motel, I apologize. I don't mean to offend you. But I'm pretty sure that one swift kick on our outside door and the murderer/rapist would be able to enter our Motel room. Paul and I decided to risk our lives for one night and thankfully we woke the next morning unscathed. We ate a big breakfast in preparation for our hike to Delicate Arch and we were on our way.

We bundled up (since it was about 37 degrees) and got ready to go. The hike was pretty perfect. There was only a little snow and I've never seen Delicate Arch with snow before, so it was cool to see. My nephew, Cooper was all dressed up like a little stuffed animal and he got a lot of attention. Such a little cutie!

My niece, Cayman, found a walking stick and was quite the little hiker. She loves posing for pictures and is such a card. What a cute little personality!!

We made it to Delicate Arch and Cayman was having the best time running around trying to catch the crows. She was kind of scaring me with all the running, so I told her if she got too close to the crow, they would peck her eyes out. Obviously that was the wrong thing to say. Cayman got so scared anytime a crow would come near her. She would run away and try to get someone to hold her. I guess I'm not a very good aunt. :)

On the way back, Cayman started getting sick so we decided we better go to the Motel. While everyone was resting, Paul and I decided we needed to get out of the Bowen Motel so we made the switch to Holiday Inn Express. Let me tell you, I thought we were in a 5 star hotel!!! We were finally able to get some sleep without worrying about what lurks behind our door. We met everyone for dinner and walked around town for a little bit. The only store open was a bookstore so I had a wonderful time. After dinner, July and Cory took the kids back to the motel so they could sleep and Mel and Phil came to the hotel to swim with us.

The next morning we had breakfast at McDonald's and then we were on our way home. We stopped at In N Out Burger in Draper and then said goodbye to everyone. It was a fun weekend and I only wish we had more time to spend together in Moab.

Vacation of Lifetime!!!

2010-02-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

Western Caribbean Cruise
Summary of the trip:

Flying First Class! Included all the diet coke I wanted I drink, all the treats I wanted to eat (chips, twix, cookies, etc.) and all the movies I wanted to watch.
Cold, cold weather – Florida was a chilly 27 degrees! Florida!! Did I accidentally head north instead of south and end up in Idaho?! It was so cold!

Out boat was enormous! The food was incredible!

Sprinkles – We weren’t allowed to walk past the free ice cream maker without getting an ice cream cone (this probably helped contribute to the 7 pounds I gained).

Haiti – So sad. It was too rainy to get off the boat in Labadee Haiti. We took pictures at the top of the ship of the island where we could have gone ziplining. Since we couldn’t get off the ship, we spent the day playing in the arcade, learning some 70’s dance moves, ice skating and of course, eating.

70’s Disco Night – If you’ve ever met Paul or Dani, you know they are excellent dancers! They were the life of the party and everyone kept asking how much they had been drinking. Of course the answer was nothing!

Jamaica – Dunn’s River Falls was incredible. You start at the bottom of the falls and climb your way to the top right through the falls. There are about 40 people all holding hands and climbing. It is quite a sight to see. There are specific points during the trek where there are excellent picture taking opportunities for the guides. At one particular point where you are supposed to squat down and let the water tumble over you while the guides take a picture, I told them I didn't want to do it. The guide looked at me and said, "It's Standard". Apparently, in Jamaica you don't get to make your own choices....the guides at Dunn's River Falls make them for you. I was laughing so hard and all day whenever someone would ask us to do something, we would say, “It's Standard”. We ate genuine Jerk Chicken which was soooooo yummy! Then came shopping - a pink bamboo bag, leather sandals, coasters, and beanies for our nieces.

GRAND CAYMAN!!! We booked a guide to do some snorkeling and to take us to Sting Ray City. The weather started out beautiful. We took about a 20 minute ride out to the ocean and settled in to do some snorkeling. It was really windy so the waves were really big. I had never snorkeled before and didn't really enjoy it. Water kept getting into my snorkel because of the waves and I kept thinking I was choking to death and I only saw one little fish. We did that for about 30 minutes and then headed another few minutes to Sting Ray City. Sting Ray City is in the middle of the ocean where it is shallow. The Sting Ray's are just swimming around everywhere. I held one and then it was time to feed them. I was really jumpy because I didn't want to step on one and I just kept shuffling my feet. When the guide got the food out to feed them, the Sting Ray's came from everywhere! I couldn't handle it. I was running for the boat (praying I wouldn't step on a Sting Ray, because there was no way I was taking the time to shuffle!) and screaming the whole time, I don't like this, I don't like this!! I'm sure I looked like an idiot. Paul stayed there and fed them and held them. When we were done with the Sting Ray's we went to the beach. It was the most beautiful beach I'd ever seen. The sand was soft and white and the ocean was the most clear blue-green. It was breathtaking! We ate some lunch on the beach enjoying the view and then headed back to town to do some shopping. Paul and I got Hard Rock Cafe Sweatshirts.

Cozumel! - This was the day I was most excited for. We were going to rent UTV"s and go look at some ruins, a lighthouse and do some more snorkeling. The UTV's were so much fun. We were able to stop at a Mayan Ruin which was really cool. It was pretty small, but it had a lot of significance. Then we headed to the lighthouse where we climbed to the top of it. There were 135 stairs and it was so difficult to climb that high when I was at least 5 pounds heavier than I was a couple days before and I'm been lounging for 5 days straight. But we made it to the top and the view was gorgeous. It was so windy though, I thought I was going to fly right off the top! After the lighthouse we went to the private beach where we were supposed to snorkel. It was too windy so we were only able to lay in the hammocks for awhile. It was so nice to just lay and look at the ocean for a bit. After that our tour was over. We got a taxi back to town to do some shopping where I got a couple of Coach Bags (of course they are real!).

The Quest – The funnest scavenger hunt ever! Picture 300 adults all running around trying to do the craziest things imaginable to try and win bragging rights! Some of the “quest” items included: men wearing bra’s, two guys in one pair of pants, 10 person pyramid, and doing the worm. This was hilarious!

80’s Night – Complete with Madonna, Prince, and other guest 80’s singers. Loved kicking up my shoes during Footloose. Nothing better than 80’s music.

Formal Night – I loved being able to wear my “fancy” dress for one more occasion. Paul and I dressed up for the Formal Dinner and felt very classy.

Benaminia & Raniel – Our very wonderful Waitress and Assistant Waiter. Benaminia was the funniest girl. She showed us a magic trick every night. Loved having them as our servers at dinner.

Kennedy Space Center - Gotta admit, I was kind of bored. Paul really liked it though so I'm glad we went.

This trip was such a fun vacation for me and Paul! Loved every minute of it (except the rain).

A Carriage Ride & Christmas Lights

2009-12-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

July and Cory invited us to go along for a carriage ride around Temple Square on Tuesday night. When we got there, Cayman was already in her seat waiting for me and Paul to join her. She snuggled up with us and enjoyed the ride. I had never been on a carriage ride before and it was pretty fun, although very slow. When the ride was over, we walked around Temple Square to look at the lights. We stopped to have some hot chocolate and went to the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I love spending time with Cayman and Cooper! Paul and I had a great time and are so glad we were invited to spend the evening with them.

A Pumpkin Patch and Princess Party

2009-10-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we went to the Pumpkin Patch with Clark, Kari, Charlotte and Alice. It was quite exciting to go on a short hay ride to the pumpkin patch to pick out our very own pumpkin. Charlotte and Alice seemed to enjoy it. I think we got some great pumpkins!

The next morning was Cayman's Princess Party. That was a lot of fun. Princess Aurora came and it was so cute to see her interact with the kids. Even Paul was impressed! Cayman was so excited to have Princess Aurora at her party and she had a great time with all her family and friends. The adults even got to dress up as princesses.

Paul and I are so blessed to have the cutest nieces and nephews!

Living the Gatsby Life.....At Least for the Weekend

2009-09-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

My boss bought tickets to a charity event in L.A. called I Survived Real Estate 2009. The profits went to benefit The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. When she asked if Paul and I would like to come with her, I was ecstatic. We flew out on Thursday, September 10th to San Diego. As we were getting on the plane, my boss Kathy turned to me and said, "I'm living the Gatsby life, well at least for the weekend". Thankfully, she allowed me and Paul to live that life with her! Kathy (my boss) and Mike, Joe (the other owner) and Anita, and me and Paul set off for one of the most relaxing weekends I've ever had.

We arrived in San Diego late Thursday night. As we pulled up the resort where we were staying, The Grand Del Mar, I was in awe. It was beautiful. Our room was gorgeous and we had a balcony overlooking the pool. We were pretty tired so we went straight to bed.

The next morning, Paul and I did a session at the San Diego Temple. This has been my favorite temple since the first time I saw it 13 years ago. It was as beautiful on the inside as I imagined. After our session, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the charity event. We got all dressed up and headed to L.A.

Joe and Anita

Kathy and Mike

My shoes were one of my favorite parts of my outfit and unfortunately, they literally were killing my feet. After about 2 hours, I started getting shooting pains up my legs, and I could no longer stand in the shoes. So the shoes had to come off. Other than that, the night was fun and the event was great!

The next morning we slept in and then Paul and I had breakfast outside. It was so beautiful and peaceful. They have this nice serene music playing and everyone speaks softly to you. It was so relaxing.

After breakfast we took a walk around the grounds and then we went to the beach. We went to Torrey Pines which was amazing. There are all these cliffs that are made by the sand and they are so cool. We took a walk down the beach and we walked a little too far because we ended up on a Nude Beach. It took us just a minute to realize what had happened, so we turned around and headed back to the land of the dressed. When we got back to the hotel, we decided to go for a swim. Again, it was so relaxing. The pool played classical music under the water, so I just floated in the pool with my head under water listening to the music. After I was done swimming, I read by the pool and the hotel staff brought around cold water and frozen grapes. So good!

That night the six of us went to the 5 star restaurant that was at the resort. It was called The Addison. When we were seated, they set a gold box next to my chair to hold my purse. Then they told us the water was complimentary. The following is our meal:

1 - 2 raspberries with tangerine sauce.
2 - Bite size roll with cheese inside (this was delicious and one bite size roll was not nearly enough).
3 - 1 small artichoke heart with a single olive in it and 3 pieces of calamari dipped in squid ink (this was one of the most normal tasting items, unbelievably).
4 - Sablefish and carmelized onions.

By this time, I had tasted everything, but I had finished nothing. For anyone who has met me for more than a second, you know I am kind of a picky eater (cheeseburger, catsup only ring a bell?). One of the waiter comes over, leans down and asks me if I'm ok and if the food is acceptable. I was extremely embarrassed and said everything was great. Then came the main course. It was shortribs and gnocchi. Finally!!! Something I could eat. I finished it all, or least I thought I finished it all. The waiter came over and saw how much I ate and exclaimed, "God Bless You!". Then he realized I had left one gnocchi in my bowl. This was unacceptable and he got me a new fork so I could finish it off. All of us at our table were laughing pretty hard by then. About this time, I needed to use the restroom. As I stood up, one of the waiters came over and asked if he could show me to the bathroom. So he walked me all the way to the bathroom door. When I came back, another waiter pulled out my chair for me and put a new napkin in my lap. Now was time for dessert, or so I thought. But instead, we were offered the cheese course. This featured 5 different cheeses from around the world. I liked this course as well, because who doesn't like cheese and crackers? For some reason, the cheese waiter gave me and Paul the most cheese. We were pretty full by this time and couldn't finish all of it. Not wanting the waiter to get mad at me, we switched plates with Joe and Anita. When the waiter came back, he mentioned how he was glad I was able to finish my plate, but what was wrong with Joe and Anita? Of course it was all in good fun. Then it was time for dessert. Holy cow! This was delicious. I got a raspberry meringue and lemon verbena that was to die for. Then we each received a homemade cookie, compliments of the Chef. What an incredible experience.

Sadly, the next morning, we had to say goodbye to our 5 star resort and board a plane back to SLC. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend and I have to thank Kathy for inviting us along on her Gatsby Weekend!

A Couple of My New Favorite Things

2009-09-15T14:19:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to share with everyone a couple of my new favorite things. The first one is my new obsession with a woman named TiffanyD. :) She has a wonderful blog and many youtube videos that I love to watch. She does amazing things with makeup!! I had a big event last weekend and thanks to her I was able to do the prettiest smokey eye. You can watch her here: www.makeupbytiffanyd.blogspot.com

TiffanyD is also the one who told me about my second favorite thing, Coastal Scents Makeup. For all you that love great products at a bargain, this is the site for you: www.coastalscents.com I bought the 88 Warm Palette, a steal at only $24.99!!!

Have fun!

Bear Lake 2009

2009-09-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was our annual Watson trip to Bear Lake. Paul, Jake the dog and I went up Saturday morning to meet Nick, Dani, Lyn and Dave. Nick's family was very gracious and let us stay in their cabin that has it's own private beach. We stopped at La Beau's on our way to grab some lunch (you can't go to Bear Lake without eating at La Beau's!) and then met up with everyone around noon. We unloaded the jet ski's, set up our lawn chairs and were ready to get some sun. Unfortunately, the sun was nowhere to be found. It was overcast and kinda chilly. We tried not to let that ruin our fun day. We had some great waves for the jet ski's and I still tried to get a tan. Kari, Clark, Charlotte and Alice came up around 4:00 and by then the sun decided to come out. It was fun to watch Charlotte play in the water. We went back to the cabin around 6:00 and showered and got ready for dinner. Lyn and Dave provided steaks and they were delicious! Rick, Lisa, Kaden, Ethan and Tanner got to the cabin around 9:30 that night. It was a nice relaxing night filled with reading (mainly me and Lisa did the reading), playing the Wii, and visiting. We were all pretty tired so we were in bed by midnight.

The next morning we had a yummy french toast breakfast, celebrated Clark & Kari's birthdays and then headed back to the beach for some more fun in the sun. Thankfully today the sun was out in full force and I was able to get a very nice tan! The boys played with the Frisbee and football and me and Lisa got some more reading in. We went back to the cabin around 2:00, ate some lunch and then packed up for home. It was a very nice, fun, relaxing weekend.

Catching Up

2009-08-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't updated my blog for 2 months!! I am such a slacker. Here are a few things we have done the last couple of months.

Fourth of July

We spent the 4th of July with Paul's family. We went to the Kaysville Parade, which I thought was pretty good. Kari and Clark tried to tell us it wasn't that spectacular, but compared to other parades I've been to, it wasn't bad. After the parade we went back to Kari and Clark's for a bbq. There was a prize for the most festive food item brought. We brought rice crispie ice cream dessert. We did not win. Dani and Nick won for their red, white and blue snicker salad. That night we went to the Bee's game for a fun night of baseball and fireworks.

Family Reunion

Every year around the 24th of July, my Grandma Mead has the annual Ball reunion. This is something we look forward to every year. It is usually held at Heise Hot Springs and we just come to visit and eat. There is the Famous Ball Auction where we all bring things to sell in order to fund the reunion for the next year. Paul and my cousin Rob were the auctioners this year and they did an excellent job. The big item is always to see how much we can pay for my grandma's homemade pickles. This year they were a steal at $15. We have paid upwards of $30 for them in previous years. Ryan was able to be here this year for it and I enjoyed being able to spend time with him.

Baby Cooper

July and Cory welcomed little Baby Cooper into the world a couple weeks ago. He is a little cutie and we sure do love him already. We like to get big sister presents for our nieces and so for Cayman we got her a princess crown, earrings, and shoes. She tried it all on with her princess dress and she looked so cute!

Cayman the photographer

Cayman took this picture and I was so impressed I thought I should post it. Pretty good job for an almost 3 year old!
a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yiFGEKUJdIc/SpByJAN4L6I/AAAAAAAAAZA/vj39TZ4o9gE/s1600-h/2009+372.JPG">

That is pretty much all that has been happening lately and I will try to do better at blogging in the future.

Teton Dam Weekend

2009-06-15T16:25:00.001-07:00

This weekend was finally the weekend of the Teton Dam 5K race in Rexburg, ID. Paul and I have been semi training since April and Mel and Phil were running with us. We got up to Idaho on Friday night, but had to go to bed early so we could be ready for race day. We got to the race at 8:00 in the morning at Madison High School. The starting point was just a block away, up a very steep hill. I thought I was ready. I thought I could kick some butt, but when I realized the first 1.6 miles were straight uphill (at least a 90 degree angle), I realized that the race was going to kick my butt. It was awful!!! I finally made it through the dreaded uphill and was able to relax on the downhill trek. But the damage was already done. When 6 year old girls and 80 year old women are passing you, any self respect you have left is flushed down the toilet. I gave myself a pep talk and just kept telling myself if I finished, it would be an accomplishment. So that's what I did. Paul and I crossed the finish line together, hand in hand, arms raised in victory. The time was pathetic and I was sorely disappointed in myself, but at least it was over!! Now the fun could really begin. And when I say fun, I mean gorging myself on lots of delicious food! First we got to applaud Mel for taking 3rd in her age group!! I was so proud of her. She did a great job.

The next stop in our fun day was lunch at Big Judd's in Archer. Paul and I have been there numerous times, but Paul has never eaten one by himself. So he ordered the Big Judd and he ate the whole thing and got his picture on the wall!! He didn't think he could make it when he was about a 3/4 of the way done, but then he just said to himself, "I've already eaten 3 hamburgers, I can eat one more". That seemed to do the trick and he was able to finish it off.

Then we were headed up to Ashton to the Frostop. Oh my gosh I love that place!! They have the best ice cream anywhere! I have been craving Frostop for a long time and it was completely worth the drive. Yum! Yum!

Then we went back to Dad & Carma's and we all got a turn riding on their tractor, 4 wheeler's and motorbike. That was a lot of fun. I loved riding the tractor. I felt so country. As you can tell, everyone looked so happy riding the tractor. Paul was even whistling! Ah, the simple things in life that make you happy.

The next day we took my Grandma Mead to breakfast. She is such a funny lady!! I loved spending a few hours with her and hearing her stories. She always makes me and Paul laugh. We love her so much!!!

All in all, it was a great weekend and everyone had tons of fun!!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-06-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I celebrated my ??st birthday last week (a lady never tells her age). I went to lunch on Friday with July, Cory, and Cayman and there was a surpise for me when I got to Spaghetti Mama's.......Melanee!! She brought me a delicious cupcake and got to eat lunch with us. That was a start to a wonderful weekend.

That night Paul and I went to dinner with our friends, Lindsay and Shayne and their boys to The Mandarin in Bountiful. They have the yummiest orange chicken and garlic noodles. I love that place!!

The next day, (my actual birthday), Paul had planned a bbq with his family and mine (except only July, Cory, and Cayman were able to come from my family). We had a lot of fun. We bbq'd and then opened presents and ate Oreo Ice Cream Cake. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful presents and the fun!! It was a great birthday! This was the first birthday in 3 years that Paul and I were able to celebrate on the actual day, so it made it extra special. I think the best part was that Paul did anything I asked him to......and he did it with a smile on his face and always answered with the sweetest voice, "Of Course I will do that!". I wish it were my birthday every day!

Mini Vacation!

2009-05-18T16:47:00.001-07:00

Last weekend (May 7-10), Paul and I and our friends, Lindsay, Shayne, Christian and Ethan left for our 3rd Annual St. George Vacation. We left Thursday morning and got to St. George around 3:00. That night we went to see Brian Reagan at Tuachan. He is one of our favorite comedians and he was even funnier in person. We were all laughing so hard most of the time, we were crying!

The next morning we woke up and drove to Vegas. Lindsay and I were dying to go shopping at H&M and it was like a dream come true. When we drove up to the store, it was better than having all the candy in the world. We had a limited amount of time to spend there because we had to get to the buffet before 2:00, but it was well worth the time and I got some way cute clothes. After shopping we hurried as fast as we could to the Circus, Circus Buffet where we met the guys. They had spent the morning going on all the rides at the Stratosphere. They had bought an unlimited pass and they were having a wonderful time. After gorging ourselves at the buffet, we went to see the free shows they offered. The shows were not that impressive, but the games sure were! I jokingly told Paul to win me a stuffed animal at the Ping Pong game, and so he did!! Then he went to another game and won me another stuffed animal. About $50 dollars and 5 stuffed animals later (totally worth every penny), we had enough. Paul was very disappointed he wasn't able to win the giant basketball, but all in all it was a lot of fun.

After we left Circus, Circus, I got a call from my friend Shellee. She lives in Seattle, but just happened to be in Vegas for a few days. So I met her at her parents house so I could see her new baby. It was great to be able to see them and so much fun to hold that sweet, adorable baby.

The next morning we were all up early to begin our hike to Angel's Landing. Holy crap!! That is an extremely difficult hike. The last 1/2 mile is very narrow and there is a chain to hold on to so you don't fall to your death. I don't know who let me lead, but I ended up climbing on the left side of the rope and you were supposed to climb up the right side. It didn't take me long to figure out I was going up the wrong side!! So I quickly corrected myself and let Shayne lead. It was an amazing view from the top! After we made it down, we grabbed dinner and then went home to relax.

The next morning we went to church and then packed up to head back home. After lunch at In & Out (yummy!), we were on our way. I was so sad to be coming back! It was so much fun to be able to spend time with our friends, Lindsay and Shayne and have a mini vacation.

Happy 30th Birthday Paul!

2009-05-02T21:35:00.001-07:00

Paul's 30th birthday was on April 17. We both took the day off work to celebrate. He only wanted a few things for his birthday and one of them I didn't dare pick out. So I took him to Sam's Club so he could pick out his brand new printer. He was so excited and chose the HP Officejet Pro 8500. Not my idea of an exciting gift, but he seemed to love it.

The next day Paul's family came over for a Birthday Party Extravaganza Spectacular (or at least that's what he called it when he said the prayer over dinner). We ordered pizza, ate cake and opened presents. Every time you asked his niece, Charlotte, what kind of cake Paul was going to have, she would say, A Sailboat Cake. I didn't have much choice......I had to make a sailboat cake. I didn't think it turned out too bad, but you can be the judge.

Happy Birthday Paul!

10 Things I Love About My Life!

2009-04-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my cousin Erin so here goes.

These are the ten things in my life that I love, that make me feel alive and happy.

1. My wonderful husband - I am so blessed he is in my life and that he puts up with me.
2. Incredible Families - The Skidmore and Watson Clans are the greatest.
3. Many Amazing Friends
4. Good Health....and up until a couple years ago, an awesome metabolism. Darn it! Growing older sucks!
5. The Gospel. I would be lost without it.
6. My house, neighborhood and ward.
7. Being an American. There is nothing greater than being able to live in this country.
8. Sugar!!! This includes candy, ice cream, cheesecake, regular cake, donuts (raspberry filled powdered donuts, of course), chocolate, etc.
9. TV, Movies, and Books - I love escaping from reality, even if it is only for a couple hours.
10. Traveling - Once I retire, I am seeing the world. Until then, a trip every now and then will have to do.

I tag anyone who reads this blog. Hee, Hee!

Test?

2009-04-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

There are only 5 people who will understand this post and three of them work at Spillman Technologies (hee hee). Carrie, Dan and Garrett, thanks for meeting me and Paul for lunch. It was a blast as always. Carrie, I hope this pops up on your blog list (let me know if it does). Garrett, I hope this makes your day a little more interesting by having something to read. Dan, I know you won't ever read this, so it's not really for you. :)

Paulman Technologies Forever!

Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!

2009-03-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today has been one of those days! I've always had a fear of falling down my stairs at work and breaking my neck and today, I got to conquer that fear. I'm sure you're asking yourself how a 30 year old woman can manage to fall down the stairs, but then you remember it is me and you aren't surprised anymore.

I was standing at the top of the stairs, I went to place my foot on the next step and the next thing I knew I was on my knees. I bounced down a couple of stairs on my knees before doing a face plant, skidding down the remaining stairs and coming face to face with the bottom of the stairs. Ok, I'm sure it was hilarious, but it hurt like *&%#!!!! I jumped up hoping no one had seen me, but nope, I couldn't be that lucky. Then I see Paul coming out of his office. He very kindly says he heard a thump and thought to himself, I'll bet Alli fell down the stairs. He was very nice to give me a hug even though he was laughing so hard he couldn't get another word in.

Here are the awful, horrible stairs that almost took my life (hee hee) and a picture of my battle wounds. I even tore my shoe!! Seriously, what a way to start the morning.

Idaho!!

2009-03-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

Friday night Paul and I went up to Idaho to spend the weekend. We got to my dad's house around 9:00 and joined him and Carma in playing the Wii until midnight. Those two are experts at all the games!!! I wish I could blame my lack of skill on being tired, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the case.

The next morning I got up bright and early to meet Tara and Katie in Idaho Falls for breakfast at Perkins. It was so much fun to see them!!! I was hoping Jessica and
DaLynn could be there too, but they weren't able to make it. And of course, I wished Lesha were in town, because I would have loved to see her. It was so fun to talk and laugh with two of my oldest friends. It is crazy that we have been friends since 8th grade (that is almost 20 years!!!), and although at times it is months (or sometimes years) since we have seen each other, we pick up right where we left off. I love those girls and wish I could see them more often!! I'm going to see if I can find some old high school photo's to post, so anxiously await those. :-)

That afternoon I went to Millhollow for the most delicious yogurt in the world... banana with snackwells cookies in a waffle cone. Yumm! Yumm! I wish, I wish there was a Millhollow in Utah!!! Probably a good thing there isn't, or I would weigh 20 pounds more than I do.

Saturday night July, Cory, and Cayman came up and so began another fun filled night of the Wii. Melanee made a cake and Cayman was helping stir it and then of course eating the beaters. It was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. She had chocolate everywhere! She got some on her belly and she kept trying to lick it off. She could never quite get her belly and tongue to connect, but she never stopped trying. It was hilarious!!

The next morning we went to Idaho Falls to the blessing of my cousin Kami's baby. He is such a little cutie!! We went to her house after the blessing for lunch and I got to see the whole Larsen clan. I love those guys too!! On our way home, we stopped to see Grandma Mead. She told us the story of how Grandpa proposed. It is always a great time to see her and the one thing I miss about living in Idaho is not being able to see Grandma as much.

The weekend was fun and it made me realize how blessed I am to have so many great friends and a wonderful family!

Undomestic Goddess?

2009-02-20T13:18:00.001-08:00

The other night I was putting a load of clothes into the washer. Paul walks in and asks, "What are you doing?". I said, "I'm doing laundry". He looks at me with kind of a blank look and asks, "Why? What didn't I wash?". Ha Ha, Very Funny.

I mean, the last time I did laundry was probably months ago, but why do I need to do it when every time I need clean jeans or underwear, there they are! I'm not sure if it's magic, or tiny elves, but somehow, my laundry is getting done and I don't have to lift a finger!

Actually, I'm sure Paul feels like he is my personal laundromat, so thanks to my awesome husband who understands my hatred for laundry and never makes me do it. You are the best!

Another Family Falls Victim to the Wii

2009-01-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

We finally bought a Wii. We were going to get one for Christmas and then we kept going back and forth wondering if we would ever use it. Then we played it at July and Cory's and at Kari and Clark's and we wondered how we had ever lived without it. So I went on a search to find a Wii anywhere in the state of Utah. That was difficult to do in the month of January (right after Christmas!). But after I called 30 Costco's and 15 Sam's Clubs, I finally found one! Someone had just returned one (unopened) and they would hold it for me for 2 hours. Awesome!

I wondered why we didn't buy it earlier. Seriously, the Wii is such a good price at only $249. Uh yeah, the Wii by itself is a good price, but then when you add everything else you want.......Wii Fit, Shaun White Snowboarding, All American Cheer Team (of course!), Mario Kart (complete with 4 steering wheels), 3 extra controllers and nunchucks, wireless nunchucks (which you need for All American Cheer), etc. etc. I wondered what we had gotten ourselves into!

Then I see how it brings families together and it makes it all worth it. Hey, I may even lose a few pounds. :-)

I'm a New Yorker!

2009-01-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

You Belong in New York City

You're the energetic, ambitious type.
And only NYC is fast enough for you.
Maybe you'll set yourself up with a killer career
Or simply take in all the city has to offer.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatcitydoyoubelonginquiz/">What City Do You Belong In?

Happy 2009!

2009-01-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve we went to Kari and Clarke's. Lindsay and Shayne came too, and we invited July and Cory, but they couldn't come. We ate a lot of fried goods (mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, fried mushrooms, etc.), deli sandwiches, dips and cheeseballs. We figured we would be starting our diets the next day so we needed to go out with a bang! After we were done gorging ourselves, we played games until midnight. I couldn't believe it, but Charlotte stayed awake until midnight with us. After watching Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest ring in the new year, we played some Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii. Around 2:00 in the morning, we were all getting tired, so we decided to call it a night. It was fun to be able to spend New Years Eve with good friends.

Christmas in Logan with the Watsons

2009-01-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Paul and I got to leave work early (that was the best present of all!). We went up to Logan to make homemade pizza's. This has been a Christmas Eve Tradition for the Watsons since they were little kids. We made yummy pizza's and visited and then everyone left for home around 8:00 so they could prepare for Christmas Morning. Christmas morning, Paul and I slept in (which we can do since we don't have to play Santa for any kids). We got up around 9:00 and opened our presents. I got clothes, pajama pants, 2 purses (so stinkin cute!), shoes (also stinkin cute), and I can't remember what else. Paul got a couple Shamwow! (He likes to get at least one AS Seen on TV item for Christmas ever year), Photoshop, clothes, all 3 seasons of Prison Break, Fletch and some other stuff I can't remember (even though I bought them). Then we drove back up to Logan to spend the day with Paul's fam. We got there around 2. We ate a yummy turkey lunch and then opened all our presents. After presents were opened, we read The Polar Express (also a Watson Christmas tradition), watched a video on the birth of Christ and then played games. Kari and Clarke brought up their Wii so we played a little We Cheer, which was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I guess I'm a little out of practice. :-) Paul and I left Logan around 11:00 to face the bad weather home. Sardine Canyon was awful and it took us almost two hours to get home, but once we were safe in bed, I was thankful for a wonderful Christmas day!

Lyn

Charlotte (what a little cutie)

Lisa

Nick

Rick

Dave (Lamp as seen in The Christmas Story)

Kari

Clark

Dani

Paul, my sweetie :-)

Kaden (I can't believe how old he's getting!)

Tanner

Ethan

Christmas with the SkidKid Clan

2008-12-21T15:57:00.000-08:00

My family came from Idaho this weekend so we could celebrate Christmas. We got together at July's on Saturday afternoon to start the festivities. We went to Gateway shopping and to eat dinner. Then we came back to July's where we played games until late that night. The next morning we got up early and made a big breakfast and then opened presents. Cayman was pretty funny. She would take someone their gift and then start opening it before anyone else could. She loved opening all the presents. I think everyone was happy with their presents. I know I was happy with mine......three books! What could be a better gift. We also got an extra surprise from July and Cory, an announcement that she is having another baby!! I will get to be an aunt once again. Christmas was fun and I enjoyed being with my family!

Something Missing.......

2008-12-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

I've had this picture on my computer since Thanksgiving and as I was looking at it today, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing.......my mom. I like to think she is standing right between me and Mel poking her head over Grandma's and making a funny face, like she always liked to do. It's been nine years since she died, and there isn't a day that goes by that I'm not reminded of her. I see her in me every day. It's funny when you're growing up how you don't want to turn into your parents, but I have to say, if I could grow up to be like my mom, I would! I love you Mom!

Annual Christmas Party

2008-12-14T17:36:00.001-08:00

Paul and I went to our Annual Christmas Party on Friday Night with Paul's friends from his old job. We are so lucky Paul was able to find such a great group of friends from when he worked at Spillman Technologies. We get together at least twice a year (summer and winter) and go to lunch frequently. Friday night we went to Carrie and Cornell's. They just built a new condo in Saratoga Springs and we all wanted to see it. We had a lot of preparing to do because this year they were doing an Ugly Sweater Contest. Since Paul and I didn't have sweater, we decided to make our own. I think they turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. Check out that handy work.....it's exquisite! I won't explain Paul's sweater (it's slightly inappropriate), but it was a big hit at the party and he ended up winning! Then we exchanged white elephant gifts, where I got a Whoopie Cushion and Paul got a High School Musical pillow with Troy on it. Our friends, Lindsay and Shayne, brought their two little boys to the party and the last present was from us and ended up going to their 8 year old son. I was so nervous, because it was a notebook set (from Spillman, of course!) and I didn't think an 8 year old would want that, but he loved it! He loves to draw and it is a pretty cool drawing notebook. Dan got a huge 40 inch stocking complete with an Ovulation Kit and a wedding cake topper. Both things that he needed. :-) Lindsay got an enormous cucumber or zuccini, which somehow we ended up with at the end of the night! Carrie got a toothpaste holder and the big hit of the night was a set of wine glasses that were called The Shady Ladies, and they went to Cornell. Overall, the night was fun and I look forward to Christmas and seeing my family.

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

2008-11-27T15:59:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Dynasty - Geneology

Weekend Update

2008-11-23T18:20:00.001-08:00

On Saturday we decided it was time to put up the outside Christmas lights. We never got around to it last year and I really wanted to have them this year. Paul searched all day Saturday for white and red lights. There were none that came packaged together so we knew we would have to switch out lights so I could have a strand of white and red lights mixed together. After he was gone most of the morning trying to find them, bringing home the wrong ones, and going back out to get the right ones, we finally found the perfect lights. We set out all the strands and switched out the lights. Then Paul hung them up outside. We turned them on and they were awesome.......for about 3 seconds when they shut off. We had blown a fuse. So now we have Christmas lights hanging that don't work. I guess we can work on that problem next weekend. :-)

That night we went to the Coldplay concert with our friends Lindsay and Shayne. It was so much fun! Coldplay is one of my favorite bands and it was great to see them in concert. Chris Martin was so funny, skipping and dancing all over the stage.

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving and being able to spend time with my family. I hope everyone has a great day and remembers that we have so much to be thankful for! We are truly blessed.

2008-11-14T07:20:00.000-08:00

GO, FIGHT WIN!!! - This was pretty fun. Just answer questions about your High School Days. I tag everyone because I think it would be fun to read!

1. DID YOU DATE SOMEONE FROM YOUR SCHOOL?
Can you say just about everybody? Just kidding, but seriously I did date quite a few people from my school.

2. WHAT KIND OF CAR DID YOU DRIVE?
1987 Buick Regal named Gertrude that blew blue smoke out the back tailpipe and although it was an automatic, I still had to shift from D2 to Drive in order for it to work. It was awesome!

3. DID YOU PASS YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE TEST YOUR FIRST TRY? Of course! Doesn't everybody?

4. WHERE YOU A PARTY ANIMAL? Not at all, unfortunately!

5. WERE YOU CONSIDERED A FLIRT? Uh, no?

6. WERE YOU IN BAND, ORCHESTRA, OR CHOIR? Nope

7. WERE YOU A NERD? I don't think so, but looking back on some of the stuff I wore, I definitely should have been!

8. WERE YOU ON ANY VARSITY TEAMS? Cheerleading, does that count?

9. DID YOU EVER GET SUSPENDED/EXPELLED? Nope, little miss goodie two shoes.

10. CAN YOU STILL SING THE FIGHT SONG? No way! I never even knew it when I was in high school.

11. WHO WERE YOUR FAVORITE TEACHERS? Mr. Schultz, my junior English teacher. He rocked!

12. WHERE DID YOU SIT FOR LUNCH? Don't remember (somewhere in the cafeteria).

13. WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL'S FULL NAME? Sugar-Salem High School

14. WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL'S MASCOT AND COLORS? Diggers, Blue and White

15. DID YOU GO TO HOMECOMING AND WITH WHO? Junior Homecoming - Wade Klinger, Senior Homecoming - Monty Puzey

16. IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN WOULD YOU? You bet! Those were such fun times.

17. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT GRADUATION? Crying my eyes out because everyone was leaving (even though we all ended up going to Ricks College!)

18. WHERE DID YOU GO SENIOR SKIP DAY? What! There's a Senior Skip Day! I never got invited. :-(

19. WERE YOU IN ANY CLUBS? Ski Club

20. HAVE YOU GAINED SOME WEIGHT SINCE THEN? I'm not sure if I've gained weight or my hips have just expanded! :-)

21. ARE YOU PLANNING ON GOING TO YOUR 10 YEAR REUNION? We already had it and Yes I did go.

23. DID YOU HAVE A JOB IN HIGH SCHOOL? Oh yeah, McDonald's baby! I was the queen of the drive thru. What it took 3 people to do, I could do by myself!

I tag anyone who reads this.

Kids Say the Craziest Things!

2008-10-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

Paul and I teach the sunbeams at church. We have 11 kids (thankfully they don't all come every week!). They are so cute and they say the funniest things. We had our primary program a couple weeks ago and there was a practice on Saturday. Each of the little kids has a speaking part in the program. After one of the little girls said her part, she looked at me and said, "I have another line". I told her she had just said her line and it was perfect. She looked at me again and insisted that she had another line to say. I asked her what it was and she said, "It's My Money and I need it now!!!!". I was silent laughing so hard, I was crying. The other kids in my class kept saying, "Teacher, why are you laughing so hard?". For those of you not familiar with this famous line, I am attaching the link you can go to and see for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX0fIi3H-es

Happy Anniversary

2008-10-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

Paul and I celebrated 7 years of marriage on October 19. I can hardly believe so many years have gone by. I think back to our wedding day and that day was and still is the best day of my life. I remember Paul picking me up to take me to the temple and how much I loved him! Coming out of the temple doors was like being a movie star. All our friends and family were there to congratulate us and so many people were taking pictures. Even though the wedding was in October, the day was beautiful and warm. It was really the most perfect day. I can't believe how lucky I am that I married such a wonderful guy. He is so loving, caring, forgiving, understanding, and PATIENT - I can be pretty hard to live with sometimes :-). Here's to 7 wonderful years of marriage and to many wonderful countless years to come........

Tag!

2008-10-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

I stole this from Shellee's Blog, because I liked it so much!

10 years ago I was:
1. 20 years old (Ah! I loved being in my twenties!)
2. Working as a legal secretary in Logan and getting residency so I could begin USU the next year.
3. Living with Jamie, Chanel, Amber, Mandy, and Janice (Party!).
4. Living on $750 a month ( I just did the math on that and I about passed out. I only made $9,000 a year!! How could I possibly have been living!)
5. Single and loving it!

5 things on today’s to do list:
1. Update Blog (done)
2. Work
3. Visiting Teaching
4. Watch some TV (isn't that sad that is on my to do list)
5. Set out my workout clothes so I can be ready for the morning (I might actually start my workout regimin)

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Chips and Salsa
2. Candy (any kind: Kit Kats, Laffy Taffy, Nerds, Peanut Butter Cups, Milk Duds, Junior Mints, etc.)
3. Ice Cream
4. Cookies (any kind but especially white chocolate chip macadamia nut and pumpkin chocolate chip)
5. Dorito's (I am really liking Blazin Buffalo lately)

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Buy either a Range Rover or a BMW 5 Series for me and a brand new Toyota Tundra for Paul
2. Pay off my mortgage
3. Travel to London, Italy, Greece, Hawaii, and anywhere else I could go
4. Buy tons of designer clothes
5. Invest for my future

5 places I have lived:
1. Sugar City, Idaho
2. Rexburg, Idaho
3. Logan, Utah
4. Idaho Falls, Idaho (Does this count since I never actually lived there for more than weekends?)
5. Syracuse, Utah

5 jobs I have had:
1. Stocker & Cashier at Horkley's Convenience Store
2. McDonald's (And I think all kids should have to experience working fast food)
3. Legal Secretary
4. Accountant at Wasatch Property Management
5. Controller at JK Ventures

I tag Jamie

Catching Up!

2008-10-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

I've been getting some slack from people because I haven't posted for so long. So I thought I better give a quick update. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures for everyone to look at.

On September 27th, Paul and I went to a company bbq at my boss, Kathy's home in Draper. I just want to say how thankful I am for my job and for the company I work for. I have been with JK Ventures for just over a year now as their Controller and I enjoy every minute of it! It is such a difference from the old company I worked for (which shall remain nameless :-)). The work is challenging and fulfilling and it is nice to be rewarded for working my butt off! Paul recently joined our team as the new Asset Manager and he is loving being back in property management. If RVA Properties in Logan hadn't gone out of business after the owner died, I'm pretty sure we would still be living there and Paul would be still be working for them. It was pretty much his dream job and now he has the chance to fulfill that dream with JK Ventures! The bbq was a fun opportunity to be together with the people I work with after hours. We were actually able to talk about stuff other than work. I am so lucky to work with so many wonderful people!!

Last Saturday Paul invited some of his friends to our house for an end of year bbq. Unfortunately, it decided to snow! But that didn't deter Paul. He just put on his winter coat and cooked up some delicious hamburgers. We hadn't seen his friends Josh and Melissa in quite awhile and it was fun to see them. Nate and Mindee were the other couple that came. We actually just saw them a few weeks ago when we went to the Melting Pot with them. Which brings me to another subject........the Melting Pot is sooooo yummy! Their bread and cheese and their desserts are absolutely delicious!

So anyway, that is pretty much all I have to say for now. My family is coming down this weekend so I will probably have something to post next week.

Girls Night!!

2008-09-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

My old roommates and I (Tristin, Chanel & Jamie) try to get together at least once a month for dinner and to catch up on all the good gossip. Tonight we went to PF Changs (yum, yum!). We haven't all been able to get together for a couple of months, so it was exciting that we were finally able to meet up. I have to say that these girls are the most awesome group of friends. They have been there for me through all the high and low points of my life and they have seen me at my worst and still love me (at least I think they do!.......they keep inviting me to monthly dinners so I guess I'm not out yet :) Thanks girls for the being the best friends a girl can have!

SEATTLE!

2008-09-07T18:02:00.001-07:00

To kick off the end of summer, Paul and I decided we needed to get away. So we went to Seattle to see my little brother, Ryan, and to have a great time! We flew into Seattle last Friday night. Ryan met us at our hotel and it was so great to see him!!! I haven't seen him in about 4 months and I've missed him! We went to dinner to catch up and then planned to meet the next day.

We started early the next morning (by early I mean 10:30) and headed to downtown Seattle to the Science Fiction Museum. I think Ryan, Paul and Nick (Ryan's friend) all enjoyed it, but I was kind of bored. Paul's favorite part was looking at the different ships from science fiction movies. He loved hearing in detail about the ships from Star Wars and Futurama. Then we headed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was kind of lame, but they had this section where you could go into different studio's and play drums, guitars, and sing. That was awesome!!! You got to put on headphones and sing into a microphone. Then you could go into another room and learn to play the drums. I've always wanted to play the drums and it was a lot of fun to play. Then we walked to Zeek's Pizza where I had the yummiest pepporoni pizza. It was interesting to sit and people watch as we were eating. There are some interesting people that live in Seattle. :-) After that we wanted to go to Pike Street, but there were hundreds of people and we couldn't find a parking spot, so we decided to try the mall instead. We walked into the mall and OH MY GOSH! There were thousands of people there too. There was an H&M, which I was so excited to shop in, but because there were so many people, I left empty handed. Sad, sad day. Of course, Ryan, Nick, and Paul all left with plenty of bags of clothes. Does anyone see a problem with this? The fact that I'm the only one that left empty handed? After shopping, we went to Giggles, a comedy club. It was really funny, even though some of the comics were a little freaky. We went back to the hotel after that exhausted from a fun day in Seattle.

The next day we went back to Downtown Seattle and we went to the Aquarium. We saw an Octopus, and got to touch star fish and other underwater sea creatures. Ryan put on Scuba Gear and he looked hilarious (see picture). After the Aquarium we went and ate at the Crab Pot. Paul and Nick enjoyed the lobster, while Ryan and I just had chicken. I did get the Strawberry Rhubarb Cake for dessert and it was delicious! Then we went on a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. I got the cutest coat there at this little boutique called Kennedy and Kate. The ferry ride was fun and it was cool to see the Seattle Skyline from the water. That night we went to Ryan's apartment and he made us steaks (yum, yum)! We played Curses! which is a fun game. It was exciting to see where Ryan has lived for the past 5 months.

The next day, Paul and I drove to Issaquah to see my friend Shellee and her husband Kaleo. I loved their quaint little town. It was like driving right into Stars Hollow (that's the town on Gilmore Girls, my all time favorite show). We walked from their apartment to lunch, and stopped by the hatchery on the way to check out the salmon. Then Shellee took us to the Candy store and let me tell you! Holy cow, that place is amazing. We got these pumpkin cheesecake carmels and orange vanilla squares that were delicious. Then we went to the bakery and got some pie. That town is so cute. I haven't seen Shellee in years, and it was so good to be able to catch up and hang out with an old friend. That night Paul and I went to the top of the Space Needle for a romantic dinner. I loved being able to see all angles of the city. Paul enjoyed his salmon (which he thought was the best he's ever eaten) and my steak was good too.

Our last day there, we went to Auburn to try some more shopping (where I finally found some cute clothes!) and to see Ryan one last time before we left. It was sad to say good-bye to him. He made our trip to Seattle fun and memorable. Thanks Ry, for the great time!!! We had a great time vacationing and it was nice to be able to get away for a long vacation.

Weekend in Idaho

2008-08-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

Paul and I went up to Idaho this weekend to spend some time with my family. We got up there late Friday night. The next morning, we tried to go to the early morning session at the new Rexburg Temple, but after getting up and driving to the temple, we discovered it was closed for maintenance!! We were a little disappointed, but we will try again the next time we are up there. It is my dad's birthday next week so us kids went and found him a patio swing for his new house. He met us out at his new house and was pretty excited to see his new present. His house is almost finished and it looks awesome!! We can't wait for Dad and Carma to be able to move in. We left for Jackson, Wyoming around 4:00 so we could go see the Bar J Wranglers. We of course had to stop at the Spud Drive-In because it has such great picture taking opportunities (I think the one of Paul driving the truck is pretty funny!) Then we continued on our way. After waiting from 5:00 to 7:00, the show finally began. We ate the yummiest food: BBQ ribs, beef, chicken, bbq beans, baked potatoes, biscuit's and spice cake. Then the program started. It was pretty good and the Wranglers were pretty funny. Thanks Dad for inviting us to go! On Sunday we visited Grandma Betty and took her to lunch at Sizzler. Grandma and I have this little joke going.....whenever I call and she's not there, I leave a message asking if she's out partying. I called her this morning to see what time we could come visit her and she wasn't there. When she called me back, she told me she had just gotten home from partying the night before. She is a pretty funny lady. It was a great weekend and it was fun to spend time with the family.

Mowing the Lawn!!!

2008-08-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

So Paul is out of town and we are going up to Idaho this weekend, so I offered to mow the lawn so he didn't have to worry about it. Paul took me outside on Sunday and told me exactly what to do and what pattern I should follow. He showed me how to empty the bag and take the garbage bag out of the trash can. I was ready to do some damage! So I go out to start mowing the lawn. I'm thinking to myself, "this isn't too bad". Then about 5 minutes later, I am EXHAUSTED. I am seeing spots and keep thinking I'm going to pass out. But I keep pressing on. Finally, I finish the front yard. I drag myself inside to get a drink and call Paul to give him a progress report. I honestly feel like I just ran a 5K and won. I can't breathe and Paul keeps asking me if I've passed out. I keep asking him if I'm a wussy and why is it so difficult for me to do and then he asks me the million dollar question........"Are you using the self propel lever?" I say, Of course I am, but as I go outside to finish up the side of the front yard, I realize there is a little black lever I haven't noticed before. I mowed the whole frickin front yard without using the self propel lever!!!!!! It was like I was back in 1993 mowing my grandma's lawn in Ririe. That mower was self-propelled. I must like to punish myself. But I must say, the lawn doesn't look too bad. If you don't look too close, you won't see all the patches that I missed. Paul, please don't ever go out of town again, so I don't have to mow the lawn! :-)

Bear Lake

2008-08-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

We went to Bear Lake on Saturday jet skiing. Paul wanted to do something with his family since we haven't done anything with them all summer. However, Rick and Lisa already had plans to go down to SLC school clothes shopping, so they were unable to come. Then on Thursday, Kari got really sick and so her and Clark couldn't come either. Although we missed them, we still tried to have fun without them. Dave, Lyn, me and Paul drove up to Bear Lake Saturday morning. Nick and Dani were already up there. We loaded the jet ski's into the water around 9:30 and set out for a fun day. Since we have had numerous unsuccesful trips to Bear Lake (getting trapped out on the lake in a terrible rain storm, getting Paul's truck stuck in the lake and having a tow truck tow it out, and Paul going to the hospital after passing out from dehydration and heat stroke), we were anticipating that something wrong would happen. Thankfully we were able to have a fun day at the lake with no incidents........other than a few sore muscles and getting slightly sunburned. We headed home late in the afternoon, showered and went to dinner at Firehouse Pizzeria. All in all it was fun to spend time with Paul's family and create some fun memories. Kari, Clark, Charlotte, Rick, Lisa and the boys were all missed. :-(

Yummiest Dessert Ever!!!

2008-07-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ok - I just had to share this dessert with you. My BFF Lindsay shared it with me and it is probably the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. I have quite the sweet tooth and this is by far the yummiest one ever!!! So here is the recipe and I hope you all enjoy it.

ICE CREAM KRISPIE DESSERT:
1/2 cup butter melted
2 cups rice krispies
3/4 cups chopped cashews
1/4 cup almond pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut
Mix butter and sugar, pour over rice, coconut, nuts and press 2/3 mixture into a 9X13 pan; slice ice cream into 1 1/2" slabs spread over bottom and cover with remaining mixture and freeze.

For toppings you can do strawberries and strawberry glaze, or chocolate and carmel sauce. I am not kidding. This will be a dessert that you will have to hide or you will eat the whole pan.

A big thanks to Lindz for introducing me to it!

Enjoy!!!

Busy Week!

2008-07-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, this last week was pretty busy. On July 23, Paul and I met up with July, Cory and Cayman to go to the Bountiful 24th of July Parade. It was at 6:00 p.m. and holy crap was it hot!!! The parade wasn't too fun, but watching Cayman dance to all the marching bands was. She is such a little cutie and I love to make her laugh.

On July 25th, we went to Clark and Kari's to celebrate our other niece's 2 year birthday. It was good to see the whole Watson Clan. Charlotte is so smart and she loved the book and dollhouse we got her. It was hard to pull her away from the new books to get her to play with the dollhouse. She loves reading!! Kari was able to put her hair in ponytails and she sure looked cute!

Then on Sunday, Paul and I had to talk in church. That is so scary! Paul did an amazing job. He has such a knack for talking.....no nerves at all. He was interesting and informative and the congregation loved it. I was so nervous and my legs and hands were shaking so bad I thought I was going to fall over. But I made it through and it seemed to go ok. Thank goodness that is over with and now maybe we won't have to talk for another 5 years!

Paul and I have discovered that golfing on Sunday afternoons is a great activity. We get to spend time together enjoying the outdoors and not just sit on the couch watching TV. We went last week and this week and I think we will probably go next week too. It is nice to be able to go and get some use out of my new clubs we bought in May. I have to say, my game is improving. I think we may even be able to join some couples tournaments next year. (hee hee, we'll see). Paul is an awesome golfer. I don't know if its his skill or his expensive clubs, maybe a little of both, but he does a really good job.

4th of July Weekend

2008-07-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful 4 day weekend has come and gone. We left on Thursday night with our friends, Lindsay and Shayne Howell, and drove down to St. George. We stayed in this awesome brand new home. We went and saw Les Mis at the Tuacahn Ampitheater, and it was amazing! We also drove into Vegas for a day and saw the Bodies Exhibit. It was crazy! They take a dead person and pump it full of silicon so you can see all the muscles and organs. It was pretty cool. We spent a lot of time indoors since it was 107 degrees outside. We did go golfing on Monday morning at 7:30 a.m. and by the time we were done at 10:00, I had a pretty good tan going on. It was fun to get away and spend some time with good friends, and very disappointing to be back at work. :-(