17.12.04

A Minute Wasted is a Small Country Burning in Terror

I don't have much time, but here's a short lil' update. Tyler is taking his last final as we speak, most of my school stuff is pretty much wrapped up, and we'll hopefully be leaving for sunny San Diego within the next hr or two! WOO~HOO~ This morning I woke up and ran out to get Ty some "Sour Punch Bites" as an end-of-finals/good-job snack but as I'm packing, I seem to have already eaten almost half of the bag by myself. oops. Still better than yesterday (I somehow managed to sleep until ONE IN THE AFTERNOON). Besides setting a weekday sleep record, there was one other landmark event yesterday. Angela got her mission call, but if you think I'm about to tell you where she's going you're wrong. Sorry. I can't spill the beans untill she's told everyone she needs to tell. I will however, tell you this...It came yesterday in the mail and then Angela and her sister's Catherine and Lindsey came over to my apartment to open it. I felt really good to be included. Then in celibration of "The Call", Ang and I spent the day hanging out together-aka: eating. That night we topped it all of with a two person dance party. What a day! Alright, that's all I have time for, I've got to get back to packing. Have a Merry Christmas and good luck making sense out of any of this.

8.12.04

Blog on the Brain

"Quick hurry! Write-about-last-weekend-before-this-week-is-over-and-you-have-too-much-to-write-about-and-you-explode!!!!"
--Quote from my Brain

Last Friday Ty and I had been married exactly a one year+a week and a day. We decided to celebrate this momentous occasion by viewing that time honored performance known only as The Nutcracker. You might say "we had dinner and decided to take in a show"(read with intolerably snobbish British accent). Dinner was at El Garden de Olive. This was a real treat. I had not stepped foot inside an Olive Garden since I was 7 years old, when I toured the kitchen with my Girl Scout Troop #357. Ty had not attended The Nutcracker since was 5 years old and all he could remember was someone's stomach growling, his.
Saturday I decided to stay in my PJ's until 1 O' the Clock. I was finally forced to get dressed when my Grandma Judy called and said she was driving around the apartment complex and needed directions to my abode. After "the flashiest of flashes" (which included attempting to dress myself in something matinee/grandma/hide-the-fact-you-just-got-dressed appropriate) I was out the door and on my way to the Saturday Preview of Brigham Young University's production of The Taming of the Shrew. It was a mighty good production.
After the play Tyler and I did a quick, yet thorough Saturday cleaning and then Angela came over to "hang". Angela and I have had mucho fun this week, but one of our latest and greatest activities is speaking with outrageous accents! OLE'!
This past week I finally finished reading Eleanor of Aquitaine. What an amazing life!! She was married to the King of France and England, mother to 3 Kings of England (all of who took the throne during her lifetime), had a total of 10 children live to adulthood and lived herself to be 83 years old! Eleanor was an excellent negotiator and traveled with her husband throughout the second crusade. She lived through the reign of 4 different popes. In a time when women were constantly relegated to the sidelines, she managed to stand out and make a difference. Her marriage to Henry II was one of the main instigators for the centuries long conflict between France and England. If you are at all interested in the lives of strong, intelligent, insightful women who like to push the envelope, PLEASE, read this book!

O
ne more thing...
Have I mentioned how much I love coupons? Well I do! and I don't care who knows it! I love getting them in the mail, sitting down and sifting through them in the living room then clipping out the ones I believe I'll need in the near future. After that I love stacking them in a neat pile and thinking of all the money I'm going to save me and Tyler and how well use the money to hopefully someday go to Disneyland. You laugh but its all true. My absolute favorite thing about coupons is USING THEM! I proudly announce my purchase the cashier and then in my most robust of robust voices announce "AND I HAVE A COUPON." (I'm not yelling, I'm just very sure of myself.)


"I love my blog, I can ramble on and on about coupons and medieval history, without watching the discomfort spread across my audience's face that signals me to STOP TALKING!"
--Quote from My Brain

1.12.04

Positive Distortion

I want to keep posting regularly, but I'm not in the mood for another "log of my day." So I dove deep into my bookshelf and came out with my notebooks in which I write all of my GENIUS ideas, and quotes that I find inspiring. Like any great mind, I am always looking for other great minds...So, I'll show you mine if you show me yours. Rule: No stupid quotes that we've all heard a gazillion times.

"We need time to dream, time to remember, and time to reach the infinite. Time to be."
-Gladys Taber

"Self-love, My liege, is not so vile a sin as self-neglecting."
-Shakespeare, Henry V

"Heroin makes young women old and old women dead."
-Clairann

"When I want to drag a helpless, impotent beast around on my back... then, I'll get a Boyfriend.
-Danna Allen

"The greatest happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather loved in spite of ourselves."
-Victor Hugo

"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid."
-Soren Aaby Kierkegaard

"My dearest, has the count not just told us that all human wisdom is contained in these two words - "wait" and "hope"."
-Alexander Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

"If you are all wrapped up in yourself, you are overdressed."
-Kate Halverson

"A friend doesn't go on a diet because you are fat. A friend never defends a husband who gets his wife an elctric skillet for her birthday. A friend will tell you she saw your old boyfriend - and he's a priest."
-Erma Bombeck

There they are. Judge them, love them, hate them, whatever. I know they aren't the most amazing quotes in the world, but I was hoping to choose some that you've never heard before. Now, go. Have a great day and make your own "quote".

29.11.04

FESTIVUS!!...A Holiday for the Rest of Us!

Alright, I'm just going to jump right in, hope you're ready...
Ty and I were sitting around last Saturday, NOT looking forward to 4 more day in this town, when we decided to try and break out early. So the next morning we jumped on a plane head for the beautiful northwest! ( In case you don't know this, I L-O-V-E love Seattle!) Tyler's mom (Karen) picked us up at the airport with our nephew, Riley, and took us straight to Jack in the Box. ymmmmmm. That afternoon Tyler's entire family (sans Trav, Em and the boys) came over to welcome us with palm fronds and the like.


Tyler, Jamie and I just kick'n back on a good ol' classic Bean-Bag. Posted by Hello

We finally were introduced to the newest addition to the Thompson Family (not to mention Tyler's namesake) the great and mighty Mason Tyler. This kid is HUGE. He's a month younger than Jamie but feels is about twice her size. Alright, I exaggerated a little, but that doesn't change the fact that this little guy is a chunker!


Ty's holding Mason with Mason's mom (Monique) on the left and Tonya on the right. Posted by Hello

Monday we went to the Ivar's on Lake Washington and a took in a movie with Ty's parents. We saw National Treasure, which I'm sure my Dad (see that I do talk about you) would be able to find a gazillion ways to make fun of (sure enough just about every supposed 'fact' in the movie was wrong). Despite all of this, I loved it. It reminded me of Indiana Jones and all those other movies that make history exciting for the masses. Now if only they'd make an exciting, thriller about Eleanor of Aquitaine I'd be set! The most exciting part of my day included Bellevue Square, where I finally purchased some SHOES!! That's correct. I currently can wear shoes and socks like any other normal person, almost. I still have to wrap my foot every other day. Tyler and I are having a brain lapse right now and we can't seem to remember what we did on Tuesday, but I bet we had a lot fun whatever it was.

Wednesday was Thanksgiving Eve. I spent all day slicing, rolling, peeling, beating and layering. I made the Yams, crusts for the Pumpkin Pies and a Lemon Merigne Pie that, if I do say so myself, was pretty darn good.


Kayla is helping me make pumpkins to go on the pumpkin pies the day before Thanksgiving. Posted by Hello

This was my first Thanksgiving without my family and it wasn't bad. Tyler's family eats all the same foods that my family does only in smaller quantities. For example: Number of Pies prepared in Seattle=5. Number of Pies prepared in San Diego=19. You get the picture. I spent parts of the day downstairs with the kids and other parts upstairs witht he grown-ups. Overall it was a very relaxing day.


Emily, Ryan, Travis and some freakily happy man in the back. Posted by Hello

I had a lot of things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, but most of all I was grateful for my wonderful husband and my terrific marriage. Thanksgiving Day was our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! I can't believe I've already been married an entire year! I certainly don't feel a year older. "Time flies when you're having fun". In fact, it was one year ago today that Tyler and I had our reception in Seattle. It was funny to be around so many people on a day I always thought was supposed to be more personal. All the little kids kept coming up to me and Tyler and wishing us a happy anniversary. It was cute.

Waiting for the turkey and relaxing with one of my fav hobbies, knitting. Posted by Hello

Checking to see if our Martinelli's was a "good year."Posted by Hello

Jim (Ty's Dad) showing the turkey "Who's the Boss".

The Family festively taking part in our Thanksgiving Day Feast. Posted by Hello

Wait! The fun didn't stop at Thanksgiving! Friday Jim gave Tyler and me haircuts (he's a concepteur de cheveux). Then we headed out into the heart of Seattle where we strolled through Pike's Market and partook of cocoa trio and apple cider. I've never seen the Seattle that busy! I love the hustle and bustle of the big city. Saturday was, sadly, out last day and we spent it at another family gathering. Everyone went over to Nique and Ryan's to help them decorate their tree and eat salmon. Then just to make sure that we went out with a bang, Tyler got incredibly sick later that night and couldn't sleep at all. The next day we fought our way through the hoards of holiday travelers and managed to snag a place at the very front of the "A" travel group at our Southwest Airlines gate. Now, here we are, home again, anxiously awaiting Christmas and our next opportunity to "get out of town."

18.11.04

Fresh Squeezed Start

Alright, so I decided I wanted a fresh start on this blog. fresh start = posting better and more often. Thus, the new back drop.
Since my last post a lot has happened. Let's start with the good news shall we? Dr Clark told me I could start bandaging my foot only every other day and if I can find the right kind, start wearing shoes on my BOTH my feet. You should have seen me after the appointment, I was positively floating! Plus! I can stand up in the shower on BOTH feet without a plastic bag on either one! After much trial and tribulation, the apartment is pretty much near spotless (I still need to mop). Even the laundry is all done. I've almost finished an amazing read, Eleanor of Aquitaine, by Alison Weir. (Don't worry, I don't expect anyone but history nerds like myself to appreciate that last sentence.) Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors, she also wrote all those book about the lineage of Henry VIII that I know and love so well. I got to Fly home and visit not only my immediate family, but most of my extended family was also there. Then to put icing on the cake, I Flew back too! I made a massive TO DO: list and actually accomplished most of the things on it!
Now for the bad news. I haven't been able to find any of the shoes I'm supposed to be wearing in a $$ I can afford. And the reason I was able to go home recently was because my nine year old cousin Savannah passed away two days after I got back from Destiny's funeral. Savannah (Stacy's daughter) was diagnosed with cancer when she was about two year old, after they discovered a tumor attached to her brain stem. She's had a long and hard battle with this world and I am relieved to know that she is finally at home in Heaven with so many people who love her. The funeral was hard, but not impossible since at least we were all prepared this time around.
A few days before the funeral, I helped my Aunt Stacy take her little demons shopping, and MY GOODNESS! Do I LOVE THOSE KIDS!! I love the way their active little minds and bodies are always managing to get into trouble! For example: we're all in the changing room at Kohl's and Stacy is trying to put a dress on her littlest, Etta (who is about 18 months old), when she slips under the wall and then comes back over holding her diaper in her hand and saying "my poopy butt!"
Stacy is bringing her clan to Utah for thanksgiving and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll get to see them all before Ty and I leave for Seattle.

I'm not sure that his post has made any sense, but I don't believe in going back over it. Good Luck and have a Happy Thanksgiving!


I don't remember what this is called, but I like to call it "a good day".
Posted by Hello

31.10.04

Destiny Pearl Squires


Destiny Pearl Squires, 18 Posted by Hello

This last week has been pretty rough on my family and me. I want to thank everyone who helped make it a little easier. Monday afternoon I got a call from my mother telling me that Destiny had passed away Sunday night after a terrible car accident that afternoon. Ty and I spent the rest of the day driving all over Salt Lake talking to my sisters and some other family memebers. Kerin came back to my apartment and spent the rest of the week here with me. Thursday morning we got up early and drove to Rocklin, Ca to attend the funeral Friday morning. We then returned home on Saturday. Destiny lived with my family for about a semester. She and Kerin had a very special relationship and were much more than friends. I drove Destiny to Seminary, Church activities, and just about every dance she ever went to. She was full of fun and life and made a distinct impression on everyone who ever knew her. Destiny was more than just a friend by association, she was my friend, and I (along with many other people) am really going to miss her.

If you want to read more about the WONDERFULNESS of Destiny you can go to these websites... http://www.granitebaypt.com/articles/2004/10/27/news/top_stories/02news.prt and http://www.legacy.com/SacBee/Guestbook.asp?Page=Guestbook&PersonID=2751323.

20.10.04

"Step it!"

My husband is the absolute greatest man on EARTH! I know its cliche for a married woman to rave about her man. But hey, I don't do this alot so cut me some slack. I'm an odd person, and something odd about me is that I love slow R&B, y'know 'groovy tunes'. So Ty came home today and surprised me with the new double R. Kelly album. How often does anyone in this world actually BUY a CD now'a'days? Surprises... they're GRRRRREAT!
So was this weekend. Jo came on Friday to chill and then my mom came on saturday with Kloe and Karly. Saturday night a crowd of us went out to eat and then to a comedy club in South Salt Lake, WiseGuys. This place was sooooo much fun! I highly recomend it! Sunday, Monday and Teusday were all family days, that was nice. Monday afternoon Tyler (a great and wise man) won tickets to the Jazz preseason game against the Knicks. So Teusday we enjoyed the second home Jazz event of the season. Haven't missed a game yet! ha
Of course there were the obligatory perks that come with having a parent in town. We got a shelf to keep our food on and I wasn't hungry once the entire time my mom was here! AND...She did the DISHES!!! YES! I spent all day Monday playing with Kloe and Karly. We rode the trax as far as we could then walked all around downtown and checked out the church art and history museum. They had a two big exhibits set up for children so that was pretty helpful to keep Kloe happy. Then we got HOT hot choclate and sweets! YUM!
We got that new couch on Saturday. (I have to give a shout out to Dave and Cam for being so cool about picking that up for us.) Bad news: the couch didn't fit into the back room so now we have quite possibly the worlds ugliest couch out in our living room. It wouldn't be so bad if our other small couch wasn't so darn amazing! But on the plus side the back room is more comfortable. You win some, you loose some. I can't complain (too much).
This may seem a bit sudden, but I can't wait for Christmas! I want Christmas to be today! Don't get me wrong, I love halloween, but I am so ready to throw out that pumpkin and get a tree!

13.10.04

It's Autumn Time

Autumn...a poem
Like the coat of paint
on an old pickup truk,
The fresh green of spring
has turned to autumn rust.
by Don Gray
Went to the Doctor yesterday and I'm getting better. He gave me a few more 'privlages'. For example, I don't have to wear my enormous boot as much--I can wear the little one sometimes. Which also means I no longer need to roll up my pants like an amputee. I love seeing my X-rays! I hope Dr. Clarke will let me keep them when this is all over. I sewed a dress last weekend. Everything went really well except that I made it one size too big. I'm too lazy to go back and sew the thing all over again to make it the right size, I'm going to wear it anyway. Last Saturday, Tyler and I went to this 'extravagaza' of sorts for the company he worked for durring the summer. We got to hang out where the Jazz practice and then sit front row for their openning scrimage. It was fun to heckle the players like I used to in High School. Angela and I met up in Salt Lake durring the day and did some window shopping down town. I love that..."Down Town." Sounds sooo....'ladies who lunch'. My mom, Karly, Kloe and Jo are all coming to visit this weekend and I am MEGA excited for that. And ( I know this sounds lame) Tyler's friends are gave us their old couch and I'm excited for that too! Its that time of year agin, time to apple pie and shop for pumpkins. Last night I made Hot Cocoa from scratch, that felt very autumny. Fall is suposed to be cold and chilly, but all the colors, foods and scents that go with it are all 'warm'. I'm even starting to enjoy a little football now and then.

7.10.04

A not-so-vintage-flashback

Yesterday I got an email from my good friend Candice Hallam and that got me thinking. First, how in the world can I get together with the chica. Then I started to think of all the things we'd have to chatty chit chat about. WOW.
Sometimes my entire life feels like one big moving trip. There are so many people I want to keep in touch with, and we're all scattered across the globe. I hope that if those friends read my blog (and I can keep up on their lives as well), that when we do manage to get together, we can talk and carry on as if no time has passed at all. So in the spirit of friendship, here is my not-so-vintage-flashback.
What is the biggest thing to happen to me lately?...My wedding of course. When I was engaged, my life was wildly busy. So I know that there are alot of people I haven't been able to get in touch with since the wedding. Alot of my friends haven't even met Tyler! So this is for all my buddies who couldn't come, or are just plain curious about my wedding. Plus...everyone loves more pictures on a blog, Right?
We still haven't gotten the pictures from the photo guy we hired, so these are all from Jim's (Ty's Dad) camera. I swear he had that camera attached to his eye the entire week! He did a great job and I love the pictures he took. Thanks Jim.


Here we are exiting the temple through the Front-Side door. Those flowers weighed about 5 pounds I swear. It was like carrying around a small child, but I loved it. I even threw the entire thing at the end of the reception. Posted by Hello

The peole who make it all possible (paid for it) our parents. Ty's on the left=Jim and Karen. and Mine on the right=Kim and Karie. Thanks one million gazillion trillion! Posted by Hello

I know it sounds cheesy, but I was SOOO happy right here. When they finally told us we could kiss at the end of the cremony, I practically jumped across the alter.  Posted by Hello

This is Ty's best friend, Elan (I hope I got that right) and his brother Travis. Elan and Ty have the absolute funniest stories from growing up. Maybe I'll post one sometime. Posted by Hello

I love this picture! I think it makes my dress look amazing!! The groom ain't too bad either. And I loved how green everything was in San Diego, even in the middle of November. Posted by Hello

Here is a shot of the wedding party sans parents. What a hot group of young people! And yes I did make sure that all the other ladies wore flats so that I would look the tallest. Posted by Hello

Here we have Travis, Groom, Bride, and Danna. I loved having Danna as my 'maid of honor'. She helped me stay relaxed and completly took care of my guest list for me! THANKS DANNA!!! Posted by Hello

For the record I would like to state that did NOT wish to have the entire wedding party standing in the line at the reception. They all wanted to stand there, which in my 4 inch heels, I found very silly. Posted by Hello

Absolutely gorgeous/huge wedding cake! No, my mom did not bake this beautiful pastry. Instead, we enlisted the local donut shop to create this work of edible art. Posted by Hello

Steve and Jackie! They're friends of Ty's parents and are some of the neatest people I've ever had the pleasure to meet. Posted by Hello

My dad and his 'Ladies' gettin' down to Tom Jones! The End. Posted by Hello

5.10.04

Peach Pie?...mmm


Not my pie, but you can imagine what it'd be like if it was. Posted by Hello

This weekend Tyler, Angela, and I took a last minute trip up to ol' Rexburgia. A few things have changed up there, but it's pretty much the same place. Of all the random things to add--they built a new DI. what?
Although I miss that time in my life, I discovered that I don't really miss Rexburg (although I still love it). Going back there almost made me feel as if I were digressing, like those kids who just can't seem to get over high school. I want my life to get better and more interesting each year. I do NOT want to look back at my single college years and think "weren't those the best years!" I like looking at my life now and think "things are going pretty great right now." Its sort of like this...I remember adults telling my they loved being a teenager, but they're glad they aren't one anymore. But don't get me wrong I adore my time I had in Rexburg, I guess that means I've got a lot to live up to.
I saw about 2 1/2 sessions of conference, what a great year. My favorite talk?...President Hinckley's at the end of the Sunday morning session.
On Sunday we ate dinner at Grandma Judy's house, yum. She let me bring home a bunch of peaches and I made the best darn peach pie IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!!!! Pies from scratch are scrumdeliocious!
Monday was Kassey's birthday and let the record show that while I was unable to get a hold of her, I did leave a message on her phone. Happy Birthday Kass!
Here's something else exciting, Tyler was offered a position as lead tech this coming summer with Northstar (company he's working for now). We're weighing our options.
Jim and Karen sent Ty a bike and he is LOVIN' IT!!! He's like a little kid with their first two-wheeler. Can't get enough of it!
Till next time, adieu!

1.10.04

EXTRA! EXTRA!


Hello, meet Mason Tyler. Posted by Hello

So much new NEWS! Britney Spears got married...j/k While that is news it does not concern me which is what this blog is about ! YEAH! I had my operation and it went well. The most painful part was when they gave me the local for my foot. OUCH! I currently have (count 'em) two screws in my big toe and a long cut down the side of my foot. Now I'm just recovering and it's going well.
Talk about news! I just found out that Mt St Helens blew up (a little bit?).
Tyler and I also have an absolutely marvelous new nephew. Marvelous for two reasons: 1. His name is Mason Tyler and we plan to call him Ma$e. 2. He has his Uncle Tyler's feet! WOOHOO! In other baby news, Ty and I were able to spend a long weekend in Seattle right before my operation and attend Jamey's blessing. I love Seattle!

8.9.04

Bunionectomy


This is what my feet look like on the inside right now, sort of Posted by Hello

A couple of weeks ago saw this ad on TV offering free bunion correction surgery, in exchange I let this this company scirex perform a little experiment on my body concerning pain meds. So, yesterday I had my appointment with the doc and then with scirex, and I have a pretty good feeling about it.
The operation goes like this: They're going to sedate me through an IV (no intibate (spell?)), then give me an IV with a local behind my knee on my right leg that will keep my foot numb for pretty much the rest of the day. The incision will be about 3 or 4 inches long on my big toe. To fix the bunion the doc will cut my 'big toe bone' in two places and realign the bone with a screw.
The 'experiment' goes like this: I will be staying at scirex's facility from Tuesday directly following the procedure until Sunday morning. There is a 50% chance I'll be receiving the experimental drug, a 25% chance I'll receive the drug that's already FDA approved, and a 25% chance I'll be given a placebo, in which case I'm sure none of you will never hear the end of it. If I feel like the particular drug I am given isn't working I will be given 'rescue medication' (aka: something that actually works). The creepy thing about all this is that they're going to draw blood a bunch of times, (which totally freaks me out) and that I'll be monitored NON-STOP. Worst of all though, I'll be alone there. NO VISITORS! BUMMER! I'm going to be sooooooo bored!
The recovery goes like this: I have to wear a walking cast for 8 weeks and I hear it'll take about a year for my foot to heal completely. But the DR did say I'd be able to run (which I haven't been able to do very well lately). Also...I get some $$ at the end of all this for participating. So the whole thing is free plus some.
WISH ME LUCK! Here's a link with more info on the operation... enjoy? I guess.

http://www.orthospecialist.com/resources/mcpec/booklet/thr_521.htm

30.8.04

I Have Brought You Here...


Me and my mentor (she doesn't know it yet), Angela. Posted by Hello
Alright so I went and checked out Angela's blog, and what can I say... I was inspired! I felt her creative aura surround me and then I knew. I knew I had to make this blog.
I am still coming down from a crazy summer. It started with an intolerably cruel job and ended with some amazing sight-seeing. Lucky me! In between it all Tyler and I did find time to adopt a bunny (Name: Snacks), which I loved and Ty wonderfully tolerated. Despite the numorous responsibilities that came along with Snacks (Joke), we managed to visit Virginia Beach, Washington DC, NYC, Baltimore, Raleigh-Durham, Nauvoo, St. Louis, all of Kansas, Williamsburg, and the Mississippi, James and Missouri Rivers. OH! and Richmond.
As for the present, today was Tyler's first day of class at BYU as I continue to druge (is this a word?) on through my own classes with Western Govenor's University. In case you haven't heard, I have a new adorable little neice named Jamey. She was born a week a go today!! YEAH! Today is also my little sister KLOE'S birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KLOE!


Here is new baby Jamey Elaine! Isn't she gorgeous. She doesn't even look a little weird like some other babies do sometimes. Posted by Hello