21.11.05

My What?

So we're going to (cross your fingers) find out what the baby "is" on the 13th of December, but just to keep me busy till the big day--I'm going crazy. Too much to do, yet nothing to do at the same time. Tyler helped me finish sanding down the old dresser my parents gave us--that's one check--but now I need to paint it. Any ideas? I was thinking white and then making the doors 'grass green', plus I found these snail handles on sale super cheap, but now I'm not so sure. I need help!
And with the Holidays fast approaching I am once again reminded of how much I HATE money. Oh well, I have what really matters right? A wonderful husband and a baby on the way. I guess I'm just the mood to complain. SNAP OUT OF IT! I swear I'll do my best not to mention $$ again, it's just too depressing. (Unless I go on "THE PRICE IS RIGHT", then you're all gonna hear about it.)
In a subject no way related....I was looking up some old friends on myspace the other day and I decided that I don't really like myspace that much. It's just 500 quizzes right after each other and an excuse for once semi-logical people to post half naked pictures of themselves. Yuck! PLUS= They all look the same. I'm talking the pages and the people. If I had to describe it in one word it would be "Disappointing". BUT, I do love seeing what old friends are up to these days, even if they only update the darn things once every six months. In summary, I wish they all did more posting with less quizzing and drinking. The End.

20.10.05

I swear I can talk about other things too......

On Tuesday I had my second doctor's appointment. I'm really glad that Tyler has been able to go to both my appointments so far. We got to year the baby's HEARTBEAT!!!! It was kind of a woosh woosh sound, like the baby's is jogging around in there. It was so exciting. The doctor I've been going to is really nice and she said everything sounded fine and right on track. My due date is no longer in April but is now May 1st, one day before my Mom's birthday--she has absolutely no problem with that! Tuesday was also my official 12 week mark, which means I should be starting to get over all the icky parts of early pregnancy. I haven't really noticed a change, I'm still tired all the time and very restless at night. Luckily, I haven't been experiencing much morning sickness. When I do throw-up it is always really sudden (no more raisins for me!). My only real consistent craving has been for cream cheese, although earlier today I had a NEED for Stove Top Stuffing. Tyler has been really great about everything, he has absolutely no problem running out to the store, doing the laundry or anything else he can to help at a moments notice.
Today has been pretty basic so far. I took care of Alana next door for most of it, ate some stuffing (thanks Ty!). School is going well: took a bio test on Wednesday and got an Art and a PoliSci test back (A+ thank myself very much!). Life is good.

13.9.05

Summer Pictures

So I'm upstairs and just found a wealth of photo's from this last summer. I still want to post some more but I figure this is a good start.... (they're even in chronological order, ooOOOoo)


Two love birds (plus her entire family) at the "Honeymoon Capital of the World." I kept a bunch of those blue ponchos to shred up and knit a bag out of.


BAM! Heeeerrrrreeee's NIAGRA! Niagra falls was absolutely enormous. Honestly, I'd expected it to be abit of a let down but this waterfall does not disapoint.


Eating lunch in Niagra City, Canada. This place is like a mini Las Vegas. Crazy. Don't be fooled by those smiling faces it would end up taking over an hour for us to get our food and it wasn't even that good.


4th of July on my Dad's boat. We went out to San Diego Bay and were literally right underneath all of the fireworks. I loved it!


Again- 4th of July. That's Karly on the left trying to read by little side lights on the boat.


Awww. Our puppy Georgia. She's a little big bigger now, but still just a darn cute. eg: she still looks like a puppy dog.


Tyler, me, Karly with my hand for a head, Kloe and Kody's back marveling at the world's largest living organisim durring the "lake trip" in August.


This is most of my family sans Kerin and Kassey, with our neighbors at the Newport Beach Temple open house. Nope, we're not standing in front of the temple.

2.9.05

There are no words

Alright I can barely hold it in any more!! You got me! I'm PREGNANT!
That's right you heard me, I'm pregnant.
Whew! does that feel good. I've been avoiding my blog like the plague. I knew I wouldn't be able to resist such a broad forum for releasing the news. So now feel free to let the congratulations just pour in. Go ahead you know you want to.
The baby's due date is April 28, 2006. I've got NO idea as to the baby's sex as of yet and no idea when I will know. There is this nifty little blood test they can do now with the mother's blood really early to find out, but it costs a hefty sum- about $300. So, if people feel like donating to a worthy cause.... j/k. Tyler and I couldn't be happier about our impending arrival! I'm so EXCITED! Thankfully I haven't had any morning sickness yet but my body just generally feels like crap and I'm tired all the time. Yesterday I took a three hour nap and still didn't have too much trouble getting to bed that night!
In other news, Kloe turned eight on Wednesday. Her baptism is tomorrow and she asked me to give a talk at it. I'm a little nervous, but considering that I spoke in Sacrament last week, (my first REAL adult/introduction-to-the-ward-talk) I'm feeling relatively confident.
Apparently Tyler has become a little local celebrity. Check out this link= http://www.sandiego.edu/business/index.php?areaid=11&newsid=121
We're all very proud....

8.8.05

Back in the USSR

I'm back down in sunny so cal...for once. Ty and I were gone for about 3 weeks on a vaca. We drove clear up to his parent's house in Seattle from the far end of the U.S. of A. in one day! They invited us along for the somewhat annual trip out to the Washington coast along with the rest of the family. It was really neat- completely different from any coast I've ever been to before in my life. There isn't in rythm to the way the waves break, about 7 are breaking all at the same time, constantly. It was nice to relax.
After "The Ocean" we spent another week chilln' at Jim and Karen's (got our car fixed), then drove down to Angel's Camp, CA to meet up with my family for their "Lake Trip". We spent alot of time on the boat and checked out the old local mining towns. I had no problem getting up on a wakeboard and was FINALLY able to get up on a single ski!!! A little background- I've been trying to get up on a single for AGES! Good trips all around.
But as I said now we're back, roasting s'mores and eating chilli dogs. It's a good life.

19.7.05

Mis Zapatos Nuevos

I can't believe myself! Just when things get uber interesting and I have oggles to post, I slack off. I Slacked!
Well, We got to California just fine, nothing really broken. My dad drove up in the tundra and then I rode back down with him and all of our stuff. Tyler stayed with my Grandma Judy for about two weeks to finish up his summer classes. Luckily we still fly for free on Delta until the 14th of July so I flew up to UT for a few days while we were apart. Neatness: While my dad and I were driving through San Marcos he decided to turn around and check the price of a storage unit we passed. Good thing because it turned out to be MUCH cheaper than the one I'd found. This of course is crazy because I spent aprox three days on the phone trying to fine the cheapest storage unit in the San Diego vicinity.
About three days after Tyler got to CA we decided to take what turned out to be one of the coolest trips I have ever been on in my ENTIRE LIFE! COSTA RICA! We left San Diego at about 10:30pm and flew to Atlanta, where we had a four hour layover. Atlanta is a cold airport in the middle of the night. Then from Atlanta to COSTA RICA. I slept a lot on our second flight so I was feeling totally rejuvenated by the time we landed in San Jose. Shop keepers in Tijuana can't hold a candle to the Taxi drivers in San Jose. The instant you step out the doors of the terminal they are in your face, SCREAMING that there is NO BUS to downtown. They are (like any raging lunatic) wrong. We took a bus down town, exchanged some of our dollars for colones and stopped at a nearby soda for a lunch of rice and beans. After lunch it was time to take another bus for the four hour trip to the town of Cahuita on the Caribbean coast.
Cahuita is an extremely small town, with the ocean on one side and a rainforest/national park on the other. None of the streets are paved, but I did see one that was cobbled. Our first night there we stayed at Cabinas Jenny, it was dark when we got there but the view in the morning was AMAZING!!! I don't know how else to describe it. The ocean was right outside our door. Before I forget: everywhere we stayed was cheap and had a private bathroom. I learned that in Latin America you don't flush your toilet paper, just throw it away, I felt bad for whoever has to empty the garbage. Cabinas Jenny had windows with shutters but no screens or glass, I loved it. Dinner that night was beans, rice and coconut chicken. The next morning we walked up to Playa Negra, a black sand beach, and hung out there for a while. Then down thru town and into the coastal rainforest/national park. We saw a bunch of monkeys, an enormous butterfly (15 cm wingspan and electric blue), a spider the size of my hand (when all of my fingers are spread apart), thousands of leaf cutter ants and hundreds of odd looking-clear colored crabs. But my personal favorite was the SLOTH!! I was not leaving that place until we found one and we did! It honestly didn't look like much, hairy, mossy and curled up in a ball sleeping, but I saw it and it wasn't in a zoo (honestly-the monkeys were much more fun to watch). The beach here-Playa Blanca- was white sand and just as beautiful as Playa Negra. There was this crazy mist coming out of the rainforest then add that to the mist from the waves breaking, it really made me feel like I was IN a jungle (plus I actually was).
That night we stayed in a different place called Cabinas Seaside, which I liked even more than the first place b/c: 1.We were just as close to the beach as we had been the night before 2. It was bright and beautiful with colored tiles everywhere and a bright mural of Costa Rica in our room 3. There were a bunch of hammocks outside overlooking the ocean!
The next day we woke up early and caught the bus back to San Jose, where we walked around down town a little bit and visited the market (where I picked up some fun new shoes!). The market was much smaller and subdued than I was expecting, but apparently that just the way they are in Costa Rica. Back at the airport we had didn't have much trouble catching a flight back to the states except for an OUTRAGEOUS departure tax! SHEESH! Once in Atlanta we caught a flight to Seattle, stayed the night with Tyler's parents and then few the next day down to San Diego. Yes- It was crazy.

We didn't get much time to relax...about three days after we got back from Costa Rica, Tyler and I flew to Cleveland, OH to meet up with my family a few days into their 'Church History Trip'. Given the fact that my blog is already long and this second trip involved relatively few cultural differences I will be brief in my description. In short, we saw Kirtland, the Morley farm (I'm a direct descendant aparently), the Johnson Farm, Lake Erie, Palmayra, Fayette, the Smith Farm, the Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah and Niagra Falls (Canadian side). My folks also -dadadaaaa- picked up an adorable Blood Hound puppy named Sweet Georgia Maple (Georgia May) along the way. ADORABLE!
As usual I could say so much more! but I won't. I will however, PROMISE to update more regularly.

24.5.05

Late Night (almost)

Tyler just left for work and I'm sitting here, searching the world wide web, hoping to be tired sometime soon. I don't have any exciting trips to report, but we have been barbecuing a lot lately. How is that for a segue! Last time we were in Seattle we brought our grill back with us. So far we've had hot dogs, bratwurst, corn, and on Monday I traded in my penny jar and got us some steaks. Its amazing how a little variety in the ol' diet can brighten up the day.
My days lately are jam packed with moving preparations. I've got us a storage unit, but we still need to research out car and health insurance. I've nearly packed up our entire apartment (did 5 more boxes today). Our living room resembles a disorganized and carpeted storage unit. Go figure.

16.5.05

E!

After careful thought and consideration we are pleased to announce that Tyler B. Thompson has made his choice. Beginning this fall he will be one of eighteen proud International business students at San Diego University! For more information please go to Sandiego.edu.

That's that! and yes I am excited. Here's the low down/game plan: You read it right, San Diego only accepts 18 students in to their IMBA program so that they can insure each student will receive every possible consideration. In fact, at the end of August, the school rents out this resort in Roseritta and sends the students (+ spouse) down to get to know each other--and who knows what else. Fall semester is pretty same ol' same ol. Then in January, Tyler -and three of four other students -will be hired out as consultants to some international company (likely) in South America (they split the group up and then scatter them across the globe). I will tag along for a couple weeks until my classes start, then it'll be back to the books. Luckily they're only gone for a month, then they come back and take their winter semester classes. That summer -this is the best part!-Tyler and I will pack up our bags and move to Monterey, Mexico for six months! I think it works out to be half the summer and all of the fall. After that he has one more semester and then ANOTHER graduation. Tyler will come out of school with an IMBA and a Masters in Finance. Two for the price of one, literally.
Can you believe it? I have the best husband in the whole world! He's going to take me to live in MEXICO. I know many people are thinking "Mexico? What's the big deal? People are poor there." But I'm thinking "Wow! I need to really learn Spanish..." Plus anyone who knows me knows all I've ever wanted since I was a little girl was to experience life in places where they don't speak English. I like the rush and trying to fool the locals into thinking I know what I'm doing.
I'll have to go over my academic plan another time. I'm still trying to work some kinks out of it. But I will tell you this: I got my mom to agree to take at least one class with me, as long as its not English or math.
Travel update: We spent Saturday and Sunday in Seattle. It was short but still a good break from this horrible place. We're going to try to take a trip to Asheville, NC this Thursday for the day. Wish me luck! I'm hoping that if I write in down in my Blog I'll feel more pressured to make it happen.

2.5.05

Blog = Blah(g)

I'm not even going to attempt to address my reasons for not having blogged before now. I am, of course, very busy and absolutely consumed with anything and everything in life but myself. Posting would have simply been selfish. (anybody buy that?)
TYLER WAS ACCEPTED TO THE MONTEREY INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
In other News: I am (stuck) in Encinitas. Couldn't catch a flight out of here yesterday so I'm staying most likely until tomorrow morning. It's not so bad though because I get to be here for my mother's birthday. A spectacle I haven't witnessed since I was in high school.
Tyler's Graduation a couple weeks ago went swell! He made out with quite the hunk of change and a lap top to boot. Both sets of parents flew in for the event, Kassey came down on Thursday and Grandma Judy and Cal showed up for Friday's festivities. In lue of having yet gotten my act together enough to post pictures of the graduation, I am posting an old picture that I found on my parent's computer.


Here we are on the Boat at LegoLand. They guy wouldn't let us sit together on the same bench. Some sort of weight issue... but we still had a good time.

31.3.05

High on the Mount

WOW! I went to the temple this morning, I didn't go meaning to run into Angela but I have to admit it did cross my mind. I have never seen so few missionaries at the Provo Temple. I felt real good and all that jolly stuff then, on the way home it happened! I was walking across the street when lo and behold! I would know that jumper anywhere! We screamed and ran towards each other! Man it felt sooooo good! I always thought that if I did see her I would fee all uncomfortable and unsure how to act. None of that. We laughed and chatted. I walked w/ her back up to the temple, and when we said good bye, it was so much easier than at the MTC! What a great day I had today!
Another great day= TUESDAY! It was my birthday. I admit I have a bit of a birthday phobia, but not because I'm afraid of getting old. Because my birthdays in the past have had a tendency to lean towards the worst days of the entire year. Nothing goes right, yada yada, you get the point. This birthday was not like that at all! We played card games with Steve, Jaque and Tyler's parents, then dropped Ty's folks off at the airport. Afterwards we returned to downtown and I picked up a new bra, tank top and croped linen pants. Then came home, had a burrito for lunch, and in lieu of a cake blew out some candles from on top of two ice cream sandwiches (Candles courtesy of Angela's package).
Tyler has strep throat again. The doctor thinks he might be a carrier for it. DARN IT! He'll probably have to get his tonsels out, at least that's covered by our insurance.
In summary this week has gone like this..
TUESDAY= GOOD DAY (birthday)
WEDNESDAY= BAD DAY (Tyler sick)
THURSDAY= GOOD DAY (temple and Angela)
Looks like "the good out number the bad" (but not in Nottingham <-from Disney's Robin Hood).

19.3.05

Bangin

I typed up this post while I was in San Diego, then hit some crazy button and it disapeared! But hey, now that I'm back in Ute it's showed up again. Here it is, previously unpublished found deep in the archives...

I'm so proud.
Once again I'm in Sunny San Diego!
Thanks for all the comments on my last post, I was worried I'd tick some people off. But heck! It's how I was feeling. Last weekend we went to Kyle's Lacosse game up in Carson, Ca. I've decided that I'm probably not the best lucky charm for him. His team always wins when I go to the game, but he doesn't really have much to do with it... Every time I'm not there however, he plays nearly the entire game and the team pours the cooler over his head and lifts him up on their shoulders! YEah! Kyle ROCKS! Alright maybe I'm exagerating a little.
Nothing like hanging around the hosue on a Saturday morning, "Is your work done? Is your work done?"
I hope everyone had a Happy St. Patrick's Day. Leprachauns came to our house and messed up the back yard. But at least they left us a hefty amount of chocolate.

7.3.05

I Pity the FOOL...



I pity the fool who has to sit next to me on the airplane. Talk about awkward. An airplane ride next to someone you don't know is like the worlds longest elevator. Nobody wants to look at anyone else. You both try to keep busy and look important. You try to read the newspaper and turn the page without the slightest brush of the other person's elbow.
Sure, you can sit there and tell me, "No, no, not me. I'm very casual... and nice to the stranger I'm sitting next to. Sometimes I even strike up a conversation." Well guess what, you're a liar. NO ONE likes sitting by a total stranger on the plane. And I mean STRANGE. Face it, the freakest people in America are flying these days.
On a flight to Portland this weekend the Lady behind me let her toddler KICK the back of my chair (I should say head) about six times before she did anything about it. Then she proceeded to plug her kid into a portable DVD player she'd brought along, with out any headphones. Keep in mind, we were on one of those tiny planes where all you hear is 'BRRRRRRRRR' the entire time. Of course her child had to be able to hear the music! I never. I've got a million of 'em.
Why does the person sitting on the aisle believe they are so entitled to the middle arm rest? I venture that the use by either person of the middle arm rest is a direct invasion of the other's space and privacy. They shouldn't even call it an arm rest. They should call it a middle DIVIDER, because that is what it is. Once I am on that plane, sitting next to someone I don't know, I immediately revert back to 2nd grade and a little alarm goes of in my head anytime someone crosses into 'my zone'.
Why is the most obese person (I'm pc, I said obese instead of fat) on the plane is always the rudest and least aware of personal boundaries? Do they think the guys sitting next to them doesn't notice that they're taking up half of their seat? They notice.

27.2.05

Wit of the Staircase

I'm thinking about changing the title of my blog to THE WIT OF THE STAIRCASE. Its this French phrase that basically descibes how you always think of the perfect thing to say ect, after the moment is gone. Sort of like you were at this party and everyone is talking, there comes this awkard moment and later on your way down the stairs you think of the wittiest thing to say. Get it?
I've been pretty busy and keep putting off updating b/c I don't really feel like I've got time for it. But today is the 27th of February and I haven't blogged since January 20th. Seems like its time for a change.
Last weekend Ty and I went to Lopez Island in the San Juans with his entire family and the incomprable Steve and Jackie. I HAD A BLAST! We went kayaking out in the ocean, built ginormous bonfires, combed the beach after a storm, and boy did we ever eat! (nothing quite like shakes and malts at the pharmacy) Alas there was no crabing or shrimping (wrong time of year) but I've still got hope that it could happen someday. The cabin on Lopez is AMazing. Steve's got three huge elk heads hanging from above the fireplace, which can help you imagine just how big this fireplace is. I got to wear my galoshes the whole time we were there-- anybody who really knows me, knows I love my galoshes. I can't wait to go back!
Currently, Ty and I are on yet another adventure. This time in Encinitas, visiting my parents. Yesterday we took the boat out to try and find some California Grey Whales, but driving nearly the whold way to the dock in San Diego, ol' pops realized he'd forgotten the boat key. So...we drove all the say back to our house, got the key, and then drove to Oceanside and set out to sea. No whales, but we did see some strange bouys with lots of sea lions on them.
Last night my parents took us out to eat at this fancy fish place for Tyler's birthday (this wednesday). I got the salmon and my dad ordered Tyler the ALASKAN KING CRAB! He loved it!
Well I never know how to end these things, but I'm done. I don't feel like writing much more, I'm sneezing and coughing all over the place.

15.2.05

Keepin' it Vogue

I forgot to mention that while we were in Seattle, Tyler's dad gave me bangs. I asked him to copy this picture that I found in a french Vogue magazine, so the whole time he was cutting my hair I kept thinking about how vogue I was going to look and all of these dumb saying I twisted to have the word vogue in them:
When Vogue Flies
Vogue to the Max
When in Vogue...
What can I say about my life? It's good. Last Friday Ty and I flew up to Idaho Falls (for free) to go to a Valentine's dance with Jo and Sam. Ty and I didn't have time to get all schmazied up before we left so I curled my hair at the Salt Lake Airport and assembled the rest of my ensemble at the Idaho Falls Airport. It was fun to walk into a public restroom looking like poop and walk out looking ultra fabulouso, as if I was an international spy flying across the nation (for free) for ultra undercover work. Jo and Sam were a tinsy bit late picking us up at the airport but it all turned out okay. We headed over to an Italian place and ate our fill, then ever so fantastically noticing the time, rushed back to the dance in Rexburg (ookalaka, I wanta shock ya... at the DANCE!). Afterwards we hit up the new hot spot in town, Jack 'n' the Box. All in all the evening turned out to be amazing.
Wow! Folks, ladies and gentlemen, I have just made an amazing discovery, apparently if I type specific letters in uppercase in the webdings font, I can make a little town for you all. Amazing!
tuABCDEFGHIJKMPQRT

Sorry for that small distraction. Back to business. Yesterday as I'm sure everyone is aware, was St. Valentine's Day. It didn't start out so nice, I woke up, went to work, and had my worst day there thus far. After work I walked home, and got to have a nice long talk with Jo for about half the way, but after that it rained the rest of the way. My walk took me right past the MTC where I (drenched in rain) mournfully stared though the gates searching for my dear beloved Angela, wondering what she could be doing at this very same moment. ahhh. Once I got home my day did a full 180. Ty had been sweet enough to leave me what we fondly now refer to as a quarter of a dozen roses(3), some chocolate, and a card. I ask you, ladies and gentlemen of the Jury, does anybody have a better husband that mine?
Last night I finished Madame Bovary. OH MY GOODNESS! This is a Great book! Gustave (may I call you Gustave?) has the most amazing way with words. In the introduction (which honestly I found a bit lengthy) it describes how he used to pour over a single page for days. revising and reconsidering every single word in a sentence. While describing Emma's death he actually vomited! Dedication I say! In Reading Lolita in Tehran some of the students wonder why Gustave didn't just end Madame Bovary after Emma's death. To me the answer is clear. By following the consequences of Emma's suicide on Charles and Berthe, I was able to really 'feel for them'. Gustave seems to argue that while death is sad, it is the way in which it effects those who are left behind that is truly tragic. I do (of course) have one complaint about the book, I would really like to know how Emma's second lover, Leon Dupuis, took the news of her death.

7.2.05

I'm just a Blog Machine...

And I don't Blog for nobody but you! wow, that was cheesy. I can hardly believe myself posting all the live long day. Work was same old same old today, even a little slow. Tyler picked me up and I took a lunch (which I don't really do that often). Ty had hit up Arby's before he came to get me and picked me up some mozzarella sticks. That man really knows how to spoil me. I've been in a bit of a cheesy mood lately, no pun intended.
Seattle was a blast this weekend. I wish I knew how to say 'this weekend' in French. Let me try that again...Seattle was a blast ce week-end. I don't think I stopped eating from the moment we walked in the door to the moment we left. Week-end after next we're flying up there to check out the izzle for a couple days, should be great.


Awww! I miss her already! (as I join the ranks of the plagiarists of the world...Thanks Jo!)


5.2.05

Back by Popular Demand

So, here I am in Seattle (Bellevue to be more exact)and I have recently discovered my concentrated but devoted following here in the northwest, namely Tyler's Family. So here's a shout out to all my in-laws...SHOUT OUT! Thanks for reading my mind, but hey it wouldn't hurt you to comment every once and a while. Thanks!
Last week was pretty crazy. I spent most of it "In a glass cage of emotion." We did get alot of the 'girl things' we're sure to miss while Angela is gone. ie: read cosmo together, eat too much food/chocolate, ask each other truly deep questions that don't acutally mean anything. Angela went into the MTC on Wednesday and that was probably the hardest thing I've had to deal with so far this year. Tuesday night Angela, Jo and I were sitting around when it hit us, we all teared up and immediately stopped talking. I think if any of us had sputtered one more word it would have ended up sounding like this " AGGGHHHHHH DOOOOONNNN'TT SNIFF SNIFF GOOOOOHHH! AAAAAAMMMMMMM GUUUUURRRRING TO MISSSSSSSS YOOOOOOOOOUGH!" Pretty much just alot of screaming and snot. The MTC went alot better than I expected. We sat there and watched alot of "Family...Isn't it about Time?" commercials and then a short film about some missionaries getting their calls. Then we all just sort of stood up and felt very empty inside. yadda yadda yadda. We hugged and watched Angelina leave. Jo and I are very sure that while Ang will make a great missionary, she will no doubt feel extremely lost and lonely without us. No, I'm sure she's fine, but for my own sanity I have to say that other stuff. I MISS YOU ANGELA!
Earlier, on Monday, Jo's 'GUY' Sam flew in. Picking him up at 2 in the morning was a little interesting...the conversation reminded me of the ones I used to have at slumber parties when everyone is WAY too tired to form cognitive sentances. I won't go into too many details, but tampons did come up in the conversation TWICE before we had made it back to Provo. Sam's a nice guy, but he's only been back from his mission for a month so I think he's still deprograming a little.
Sorry to work backwards like this but I'm writting this as it pops into my head.
Last weekend my family was in town. They came up to do the annual ski trip. I actually got to hit the slopes once, which was a blast, although, I did turn out to be a somewhat tired and sloppy skier. Kyle really tears it up out there and as I watch him I can't help but wonder why I'm not better than him. Is it fear? Is it my age? I don't know, but next year I at least hope to be able to keep up. Not that I can't hold my own of course.
I know this isn't the most informational post but I'll give more of a play by play of this weekend once its all over. Got to leave you wanting more, right?

20.1.05

No Sleep...No SLEEP!!

So I was thinking this template was more me...I know just pick one and stick with it, but I've felt restless today and for some reason I seem to think changing the back drop will somehow make up for not posting in a while. Honestly I don't really feel like posting right now, but I owe it to my public, I guess.
Tuesday Kerin broke her arm really bad snowboarding. She was going though this narrow path and (pretty much) tried to grab onto a tree to slow herself down. Her X-rays look like a little sapling thats been broken in half. The bones were completely detached and you could see what looked like (on the X-ray at least) a full inch of space between them. Tyler and I drove up to the University of Utah Medical Center Teus night to keep Kerin destracted from the needles and help with getting my Dad from the airport ect. Kerin stayed the night at the hospital so they could monitor her pain and was finally able to go into surgery around 5pm or so the next day (Wed). I drove up Wed around 3pm, I was able to see Kerin a little after her operation and then waited untill she was back in recovery, then had to take my dad to the airport. I haven't seen her since then, but last I heard they over medicated her pain a little so she wasn't able to be discharged until this afternoon. I say the less pain the better. The surgeon put a titanium plate her uperarm and about 9 screws to hold everything in place, like I said it was a bad break, but she's a trooper she'll get better.
I finished Reading Lolita in Tehran a while ago and started my next book. I promise to give a better update here soon. After working all day at a computer the last thing I want to do at night is go home and sit at one.

11.1.05

Karl my Kaptin

WOW! Reading Lolita in Tehran is really coming along. I passed the half way point last night. Here's a little tip for all you out there who wish you could find more time to indulge yourself in a good book= Take Public Transportation. It's amazing what you can get done when you sitting on a Bus and at transfer stations for over an hour. When I was a kid in Germany I used to have to ride the bus one hour each way to and from school. I know it sounds like one of those "I walked uphill through a blizzard" stories, but its true. We had a really friendly Bus Driver named Karl. He spoke about as much English as I spoke German, so we got along swell. Now my mom hangs a huge picture he gave us of him with my brothers and sisters and me in our house. I think I can trace my love affair with public transportation back to those days in the Rhineland.

8.1.05

FREE! FREE! FREE!

Ahh! The sweetness of a Saturday morning! Lots of good things to share today boys and girls. As many of you know, Tyler recently joined the team at Skywest Airlines as their ONLY non-pilot intern. Needless to say I am very very proud of him. It's an unpaid internship, but we do get free travel with Skywest for the next four months (So do Ty's parents). Only problem/limitation with the free travel is finding a free place to stay, and visiting places with public transportation. WOO HOO for airline jobs!
Not quite as exciting, but just as important, I got a paying job (y'know so we can eat and such). It involves calling businesses and asking them 'consumer related questions'. "Boring, but it's my life" (name that film). Pretty much it's telemarketing, only hopefully the people I'm calling this time around will be a little nicer. This job actually ups my hourly wage based on my quality, and I'm a stickler for quality! Also, NO weekends (free travel), and full time but I'm done by 2:30 everyday.
Last night Ty and I went to P.F. Chang's for dinner (Thank you Nique and Ryan for the gift card!). It was grrrreat! We got the orange peel chicken, the honey seared shrimp and the garlic noodles. The noodles were garlicy and chili pepper spicy. I want to try making them as soon as we can afford some groceries. After Chang's we headed over to the ol' Barnes and Noble and I picked up some books (Thank you Ty's Mom for the gift card!). Namely, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (memoir), Courtesans by Katie Hickman (history), and Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (fiction). This also (I know you don't care) is the order I'll be reading them, the books, in. So far Reading Lolita in Tehran has been pretty darn good. It's giving me tons of ideas for other books I want to read. I could now continue to give you an update on all the things I'd like to knit, but I won't. Why? because I am SLIGHTLY considering my audience today. Consider yourself blessed.

5.1.05

I Feel it in My Fingers, I Feel it in My Toes...

It is somewhere after 6 o'clock and I can't sleep. No, I did not wake up early, I can't sleep. That means I spent all night tossing and turning. Arghhh! I really want to sleep, I'm really tired, but I can't. I take this as a bad thing. However, since it is forcing me to finally update my blog, you made find it a good thing. We'll just have to see about that...
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. Ty and I arrived very safe and in record time (9 1/2 hrs) to lovely Encinitas and it was "Go-Time" ever since then. Every morning we woke up to my little sister Kloe screaming as painfully as she can "KEERRRLY!!!!" Of course there are better ways to start the day but I miss my lil' sis sooooooo much I seemed to get over it pretty quickly. Tyler spent his days either studying for his online class, throwing the football around with my lil' bros, 'letting' Kody beat him on the X-Box, wrestling, shopping, making plans with Kyle, and finding time to just be with me. Trust me the last one is a lot harder around there than it sounds.
I spent the week before Christmas being a personal assistant to my mother. WHEW! This involved inhuman amounts of shopping, especially for someone still (albeit barely) recovering from a bunion operation! We went everywhere looking for just the right thing for just the right person, and then after we find it, Mom realizes she bought too much of something for one or two of the kids. Naturally, you'd think that means we need to take something back, you'd be wrong. It means we have to go out again and get all the other kids caught up with each other. Add on to all of this my parents obsession with this annoying gift giving competition.
Every year my Mom and Dad compete to see who can give each other more. Seriously, this could be an Olympic event! Then, come Christmas morning, we all sit there as they pretend to be annoyed that they got too many presents. It goes something like this, "Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiim...what did you doooo? We agreeeeeeed we weren't going to do this again this yeeeeeeear. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, you bought me too muuuuuuch." And yes they say it all in sweet whiney voices. Then we have to sit there again after we're all done opening our presents and my parents still have about a gazillion left to watch them tear through it. So, yes, the gift giving is a tad out of hand in my family.

Back to the Basics: Christmas Eve at my house is the best Christmas Eve in the world! I won't go into all the details, but I will tell you that Tyler and I got to be Mary and Joseph this year and I haven't gotten to do that for a long time. I will also tell you about one other thing that happened that night....Every year we open one present...yada yada yada...its pajamas. This year my mom made the boys red-button-up-long-johns (Think Newsies), while Kassey, Kerin and Karly received complimentary fleece zip-up pj's--complete with feet. For Kloe, of course, my mom made this pink flowing nightgown that I'm sure is the envy of every other seven year old girl in the world, proving once again that she is the most spoiled child in all of Christendom.
Christmas morning we awake at the unbelievable hour of flippin 6:30 AM!! "SANTA CAME, SANTA CAME!!" You're thinking that quote is from Kloe aren't you? No, its my mom. After about one hour of oohing and ahhing through our stockings, presents are handed out from under the tree and we take turns opening them one at a time. I love this. It prolongs Christmas morning as long as possible. Who doesn't love that Christmas morning feeling. watching everyone open gifts, convinced that everyone loves your gift the most and listening to the tabernacle choir? I spent the rest of the day reading the manual for our new 'Handy Cam',eating, and playing with Kloe and Karly.
My Goodness! This has the potential to be the longest post the world has ever seen. Summarize, summarize. The week after Christmas was a lot like the one before. Lots of shopping and random events. Ty and I took Karly and Kloe to Sea World. A new Killer Whale was born on December 21st and we got to see her do her first show ever. By 'Show' I mean we saw her swim around the tank, but it was still really neat. We had plans another day to go to Mexico, but I had forgotten ID so that was a no go, instead we (Tyler, Me and Kerin) drove down to Old Town, spent 1hr looking for parking, walked around and met up with my parents for dinner. New Year's Eve-Day my dad took Kloe, Karly, Kody, Tyler and I to see a couple of ships docked in down town San Diego. We saw The Star of India (an old merchant ship from the 1800's), a Ferry boat from San Francisco (used 190?-1958), The H.M.S Surprise (Replica of a Frigate from the 1800's used in the making of Master and Commander), and Midway (an aircraft carried used in WWII, Vietnam and I think the Gulf War).
Skipping to the end-- we drove back late on Monday and I took down all the Christmas decorations yesterday. Ty and I were pleased to discover that for once we had managed to leave nothing in the garbage to stink up our apartment. Shout out to Jo and Angela! I miss you guys!