Walker Talker

Surprise!!!!

2011-11-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

Surprise, Surprise! We are expecting Walker baby 2.0. Release date 5/4/12.

Neighbors...Thoughts on Environmentalism

2011-08-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

So we have this neighbor is all up in everyone business. Not in a nosy, gossipy way. More like a bossy old grump way. On a few occasions (on can count on my hand) my dog has gotten out of my house unleashed. I swear my neighbor just circles the neighborhood looking for this to happen. She will then ring my doorbell and chew me out until I am almost in tears. I mean is that necessary? She even went so far as to accuse me of almost killing someone because they were riding their bike while walking their huge dog (not a genius idea if you ask me) because when my dog got out their huge dog, tethered to their bike, took off and made the rider crash. Can I honestly be at fault for that?
She then always tries to be super nice and in a week or so we will have another encounter.
This week's encounter does not have to do with my dog. We come home from driving around and having dinner at the in-laws and what do you know this neighbor is sitting in my front yard pulling weeds. West and I know we have somewhat neglected our yard. In fact we have been having conversations about some things we were thinking about changing and didn't feel it was necessary to really waste a bunch of time if we were going to rip a bunch of stuff up. We had this thistle in our yard that had clearly gotten out of hand, but I kind of like the look of thistles and I thought it was pretty in my flower bed. And here is this lady hacking it up. So I get out of the car and the conversation goes like this:
ME: "Oh that's nice of you, you don't have to do that."
HER: "Oh yes I do! (Proceeds into full rant) This is one of the most noxious weeds and they are out of control in our neighborhood and the HOA has paid for these to be sprayed (and on and on and on)
WEST: (very calmly) I think my wife was just trying to be nice to you and I don't really appreciate you talking to her that way.
HER: on and on and on and on........
ME: (Walk in to house without saying anything else.)
Her: (To West) Aren't you on the HOA board? Shouldn't you feel personally responsible to get this weed out of here since you used our money to pay for the weeds to be sprayed.....

That's about all I hear because I walked to far away from the front of our house.

That is our HOA fees are for. I didn't know thistle was a noxious weed. I really did think it looked pretty. And I totally redid my front yard yesterday. She came and apologized like 3 times to West and to me. I hope she likes it, and I hope its a small reminder to be nice.

Oh and even more impressive, I used rubber mulch (freakin' expensive) like 3" thick so weeds can't grow well there and its totally "green". BOO-YA!

NEW THOUGHT:
I'm not sure how putting a material that will never decompose in my yard is green just because its recycled when its counterpart is recycled, decomposable material that is renewable. Maybe since its something that will never leave the face of this earth and its being reincarnated and instead of taking up a land fill, its taking up my yard. Whatever makes y'all sleep at night.
I wish I invented the cash cow theory of environmentalism. Its one thing to take care of the environment, and completely another to make money off of people feeling guilty and despicable for living on the earth. The world will end regardless, might as well save your money and not hate yourself.

Resurfacing...

2011-06-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

So, were have I been since January? Good question! Apparently not blogging...

I would like to clear up a little delusion I recently held. I for some reason thought that when you become a stay at home mom, you might have a little more time. Ha! Maybe this is true for some people but not for me! I mean how many things can one girl run....

This is where I have been since January,

Running my house, which seems to get way messier than it used to, or maybe I notice more because the human vaccuum that I have living with me has like a radar for the smallest remnant on the carpet. I swear I vaccuum once a day. Talia is an expert choker, in fact, she can cough on demand for attention. I think I should put it in her baby book as her fist word....

Raising a baby. A baby brings the most massive amount of love one can withstand before they are overcome. Its a complete roller coaster of emotions hour to hour, but I wouldn't change my little bundle of bossy, adventurous, independent, brilliant, beautiful, love for anything! In fact, I can't imagine only one of these little bundles. (This is not an announcement, simply a declaration that sometime within an undefined amount of time, I'd like another.)

Helping my husband run his business. Sometimes I feel a little selfish that I am working at Pier 1 because I want to and some of my friends are going back to work because they have to to supplement the family income. Its been a big blessing for our family for West to be an entrepreneur. We've been in charge of our own stability in a shaky economy and its been good to know we aren't at the mercy of someone else's payroll to provide for our family.

Working at Pier 1. Its a nice little out. Helps me feel important by giving me a way to provide insurance for the fam and I really like the discount!

Helping to run a restaurant. If you haven't tried it, don't........Its a lot of work for small margins and its a breeding ground for opportunistic crime and slightly lesser offenses.....

Starting my own business. As if I had nothing else going on. I am not willing to give up my career. I love design. I can't stop. Its an addiction. So, if the opportunity arises, I'll be ready!

How could you not love this face!!

Free Stuff!!!!

2011-01-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you all know about this awesome deal I scored!
In the valupak coupons they send in the mail, there is a coupon for a free baby sling at sevenslings.com . You pick the style and size, and use promo code "Utah" at checkout. You just pay shipping and taxes (11.95). THEN, when I checked out, they gave me another promo code to use at uddercovers.com for a free nursing cover. (Also pay shipping, 8.95). Udder covers promo code was "seven". I have one of these udder covers and they are awesome so I'm sure the sling will be great. I think they are the same company. I am saving the ones I ordered for gifts because they are such a great deal!!!

Christmas Card......I just can't wait for them to get here!

2010-12-12T21:39:00.001-08:00

Shimmering Stars Christmas Card

Click here to browse hundreds of Christmas card designs.

View the entire collection of cards.

Happy Holiday Cards!

2010-12-03T11:53:00.001-08:00

SO........I have never really done Christmas cards. West and I are not the type to be in pictures. But this year I have been trying to find a perfect card because I have THE CUTEST baby who takes THE CUTEST pictures and I have THE CUTEST photo to share with you all!

And then it happened, I found THE CUTEST way to share said photo.

Shutterfly's 2010 Holiday Card Collection. Have you seen these things!?! Hundreds of cards too cute to choose from.

Shutterfly is so easy. All you do is...

1)Pick it! Your layout that is...... (I have spent 4 hours narrowing it to 4. I'm a little obsessed!)

2)Upload the snazziest photo you have! Bet you can't beat me!

3)Spell out your greeting!

Seriously that simple!

I have never done cards with Shutterfly before, but I have done their photo books. LOVE them. I created the book for the diner there and I have been compiling collections on my computer to have enough for other books. They are awesome quality, so easy, and they come so fast. I am sure the cards will be the same.

This is what I have narrowed it done to:
(click on photos to go to Shutterfly site for more info)

THE CUTEST! I know......
I know you'll all be waiting for the surprise of which design I choose and this little picture I am hiding from you all for the cards!

Also, did you know you can gift tags!? Check them out! Sweetness!

But do you know what is best of all? Coordinating address labels! Order them with your address and save yourself the trouble of writing your return address, and everyone will think you are so on top of it!

And maybe I've gotten a little carried away (I haven't been sleeping well lately), but then I saw these invitations and saw this cool new Tasting Party Collection from Pier 1. I can't fetching wait to plan my New Year's Party. Better get on it!

If you have a blog, here's the link for a shutterfly promotion... http://bit.ly/sfly2010
You have until Friday!

Talia, 2 months old

2010-12-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

All this modeling is tiring!

Talia's Blessing Pictures

2010-12-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

November 7, 2010

She was blessed by her Dad who was very nervous. These other people were in the circle with him:

Keith Walker

Jeff Walker

David Robinson

James Robinson

Gordan Hatt

Ben Blazzard

Rich Bell

Adam King

Brandon Hagler
Scott Robinson

Mic was held by Wyatt Fry

(Doesn't she look like mommy?)

Thanksgiving!

2010-12-03T10:21:00.001-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving, West really wanted to stay home and just have the day with our little family since he has been working so much. I thought thought that sounded absurd and tried very hard to persuade him otherwise. The night before I almost had him giving in, and then.....I woke up with a throat so sore that every time I swallowed it felt like I was swallowing sandpaper! Talia had come down with a cold the day before and considering how I felt, I thought she must be feeling pretty awful too so I gave in and we decided to stay home. It was wonderful! We didn't do anything except lounge around as a family in our PJ's. Of course, I being a lover of the Turkey Day feast was a little disappointed that I wasn't going to get all that goodness. So we called West's dad before he headed to the celebration to come over and get our tupperware to bring back full. G.KNEE.US! Best turkey I ever had in my PJ's and a blanket watching Netflix! (And partially because Aunt Sue is a wonderful cook!) Now I know I would miss it if we did this all the time, but I think it would be nice if we were blessed with a cold every couple of years!

Talia's first Halloween

2010-11-08T20:41:00.001-08:00

We stayed home and handed out candy to all the trick or treaters brave enough to go out in the rain!

Talia, 1 month old

2010-11-08T20:32:00.001-08:00

I started taking the picture and the dog jumped in. It was so cute, I couldn't push her out!

Some kids come out swinging....

2010-11-08T20:26:00.001-08:00

but mine comes out rolling.....

and this is how she sleeps.......

I flip her over everytime I see her, and I'm not quite sure what's with the arm! We had to take the bumper off because she kept putting her face in it!

Birth Story...2 months later

2010-11-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

WARNING: Overshare ahead!

For the record...

It all started on Friday, Sept. 3. I went to my doctor for my weekly checkup. She had been watching my uterus size because it seemed really large. She thought that I might have a Large for Gestational Age baby. I just kept getting bigger so that day she sent me down to the hospital to get an ultrasound that day. I was dilated to a 4.5 and 80% effaced. She though I wouldn't make it through the weekend. I quickly went down to the hospital because when she ordered the ultrasound it was already 3:30 on Friday of Labor Day weekend. The ultrasound tech took some measurements and estimated my baby to be 8 lbs. 12 oz. They called the doctor right then to go over the results to see if she wanted to admit me then. She wanted to wait and let me go into labor on my own (which I agreed) and told me based on the measurements, to prepare myself for the possibility of a C-section.

The weekend came and went.....

I went to my weekly checkup on Wednesday, Sept 8th. I was still dilated to a 4.5 but was now 90% effaced. She could not believe I wasn't having contractions I could feel yet! So we went home to wait....

It was about 10:30 pm on Thursday, Sept. 9th and I was making a birthday card for my friend Jamie. I was done with the card and I stood up to put all my supplies away and I noticed the chair seemed a little wet, but I just thought maybe I was a little sweaty (gross I know, sorry!). All kinds of weird things happen when you are pregnant especially at full term and you are as big around as you are tall. (57" around vs. 61" tall) So I finished putting all the stuff away and got in the shower before bed. I had been taking a shower or a bath at least morning and night because I was so uncomfortable. I went to bed and woke up a couple hours later for potty break #1 and noticed I was kind of "sweaty" again. This continues on a few more times throughout the night. When its finally morning I tell West what is going on. By this time, I think that my water has broken, but I am not sure. I heard that it could be a trickle rather than a gush and wonder if this has happened to me.

We called the doctor's after hours number and she called back at about 9:30am. She called West's cell phone. We are not sure why, but she said that I was definitely going to have a baby today and to make our way to the hospital, but we didn't need to hurry. So West and I finish up some odds and ends that we needed to before a few days in the hospital and headed down. We got there about 11:30am checked in and they put me in a room. A nurse came in and did a test to see if my water had really broken. She said it would take an hour for them to know and to just hang tight. I still was not having contractions. At about 1pm they came back and said that my water had broke and I needed to have the baby today. They had put a call in to my doctor and were waiting to know if she wanted them to start me on Pitocen since I still was not having contractions. Dr. Singer got there about 2pm and checked on me and wanted to start the Pitocen. They came in every 20 minutes to up the Pitocen until I was having contractions. At about 4pm I asked for the epidural. I felt like I totally wimped out because I didn't think that my contractions were that strong (compared to everyone's stories) but I was uncomfortable enough I knew I didn't want to go without much longer especially now that they were getting consistently stronger. Later my doctor said that I was actually having "pretty strong" contractions. I am still not sure what she meant by that but I didn't care because it made me feel ok about getting the edipural. The epidural made my blood pressure drop instantly and they immediately put me on oxygen. From that point on, I could have no more ice chips because I had to keep the oxygen on my face. Once I had the epidural, I couldn't not feel a thing. AT ALL. No pressure even during the contractions. I was VERY shaky though and it made me more nervous. I can't remember when she decided I was ready to push but it seems like I only pushed for about 45 minutes. But, I honestly have no clue. I do know that it was around 10pm when she decided I would have to have a C-section. She could feel and see the baby's head and there was no way it was coming out. She didn't see any point in trying to force something that was clearly not going to work. But, I would have to wait for the operating rooms to open because they were both full. I didn't mind one bit because I still could not feel a thing. The anesthesia was starting to wear off I guess because I got really sick to my stomach. The anesthesiologist came back in to give me the anesthetic for the C-section and I told him I was going to puke. He didn't believe me and thought he could talk me out of it. I turned my head and puked all over. They cleaned me up and got West all dressed to go in the operating room. At about 10:50, it was my turn. I was crying and shaky and all wacked out from the anesthetics. I could not feel or control any muscles from my neck down. They started the operation. I started puking again. West was so awesome to hold this little bowl next to my head to puke into. They lifted my baby over the curtain so I could see. I remember feeling guilty because just before I was crying and now I was so out of it I didn't cry when she was born. She was born at 11:25pm. West followed the baby to be cleaned off. She didn't cry right away, but everything was alright. They finished putting me back together and me and the babe went back to the room. I was still so shaky and I felt so outside of myself. I was scared to hold the baby and had to have someone help me. They finished all of the tests on the baby. West's family excused themselves to go home. I wanted to be try to nurse so my family waited outside. She latched on right away! I was so relieved because a lot of my friends had such a hard time breastfeeding. They were ready to move me out of the labor room and up to the room I would stay in for the next few days. West and my family helped move me and the baby and our bags up. I got in the room and it seemed like all of the anesthesia wore off in a matter of seconds. It hurt worse than I had let my contractions get. They were delaying giving me pain meds because they wanted to make sure I wasn't going to throw up anymore because it could do a lot of damage to my incision. They finally gave me some with limited water. My family stayed to make sure I was going to be ok for the night.

Born September 10, 2010 at 11:25pm
8 lbs. 8 oz.
21 inches

That first day Keith, Linda, and Kurt Walker, Jenny Cherriman, James, Jenilee, and Jade Robinson, Justun, Jamie and Henry McCormick came to the hospital.

The next few days were pretty easy going. I hurt to get in and out of the bed but other than that, things seemed good. We had more visitors. The Blazzards, Niitsumas, and Lawrences came. Grandma and Grandpa Robinson, Ruth and Nikki, Grandma Walker, Teri and Mykal Hagler. We still had no name for the baby.

West and I went to the hospital with a list each. None of which were the same. (West's top pick was Dottie which I would have NEVER allowed. My top two were Liv and Sloane. West wouldn't allow Sloan because that is a brand of automatic toilet flushers.) When she came out and we saw her, we know none of either of our names were it. I spent the time in the hospital bouncing names off of West. We sort of narrowed it down to Aidree (not sure how we would spell it) and Talia. Everyone who visited voted for Talia. She even voted for it herself! (Grandma Walker took her blanket off when she asked the question so her arm would pop up.) My dad said that he didn't like Aidree because it reminded him of the movie Rocky when Rocky is yelling at his girlfriend Adrian. Ironically enough, the actress who play Adrian is named Talia Shire.

West and I still weren't 100% on the name. We had to fill out the birth certificate paper so they could discharge us so we settled on it. But, it has grown on us and her. We now think it fits perfectly. Talia LaRue Walker.

We chose it thinking of the Greek name Thalia. She is the muse of comedy, daughter of Zeus, and one of the three graces of beauty and charm. We didn't want the silent "h". We later found out that our spelling is a Hebrew name meaning "lamb". LaRue is after Grandma Walker, Dorothy LaRue.

Pictures of Talia

2010-10-10T13:01:00.001-07:00

2 more thoughts...

2010-08-13T12:19:00.001-07:00

First.....the noon news just revealed that the morning low this morning was 36 degrees in Park City. Wahoo! The end is in sight! My bun in the oven is getting overcooked I think.

Second.....as you can see from my ticker, only 34 days left (if that) until baby is here. Still no name. What are we gonna do? We are taking suggestions, but don't be offended if we don't use it.

Summer Update

2010-08-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling guilty the last couple of days for not writing about the last 4 months of my pregnancy and life in general. I guess once the morning sickness left, I was too excited to blog and felt like doing anything but lounging and blogging. So, for the sake of documenting some of the more important things that have happened in the last couple of months I am going to attempt to remember all the exciting things West and I have enjoyed in the last couple of months. Warning....this might become a LONG post!

In the days around June, 8th the Weber River swelled to its highest in over 100 years. The whole town of Oakley basically shut down to sandbag all of the homes along the river and in the flood plains. The river flooded the main road through town every morning when the river peaked shutting it down. Here are a few pictures:

This is the new house my in-laws are building. They just put carpet in a couple of the rooms the week before the flood. Luckily, my father in law had been watching the river and sandbagged early. Besides damage to the yard, no water got into the house and caused damage.

We have gone camping as much as possible. This summer has been busy for West as far as work so we've had to stick close, but we've still had a lot of fun. We went to American Fork Canyon the first weekend it was open with Scotty and Brooke. It snowed one night, but we were just excited to get out and use our trailer!
We have gone to Rockport a few times. West really loves the jet skis so usually some friends meet us at least for a few hours since I can't ride them. West tried to take me for a ride and I'm pretty sure the whole beach was laughing at us. West is not a small guy and my preggo belly is not small. We barely fit on the seat!
We went to the widowmaker hill climb in Croydon (near Morgan) which was fun. I left with Jamie and went to the farmer's market in Salt Lake because for some reason shopping in the heat sounded much more fun that watching motorcycles in the heat.
The most recent place we went was one of my favorite places ever to camp. We went with our friends the Blazzard's and a bunch of their family to the Duchesne Ridge. I LOVED it. We were literally on the mountain ridge with amazing views or Uinta lakes and valleys. I also liked it because 4 wheelers were not allowed in the area so it was very peaceful without all the noise.

West had one last project on the house he wanted to complete before our baby came. So, this summer we added a deck to the back of our house! We are in LOVE with it. It is huge! We pulled our mattress outside the first couple of nights after we finished it so we could enjoy it as much as possible. As part of the deck addition, we needed to add a door from our house to the deck. So we changed one of our bedrooms into a dining room and widened the door opening. It feels like we changed the whole layout of our house! Who would have ever thought opening it up just that much would add so much! Since we don't have to have the table in what was the great room anymore, the now living room is much more livable. While we had all this torn apart, we also replaced the awful carpet with wood lamanite flooring. I loved our house before, but now I can't believe how great it is. My dad is the greatest for helping us get all of this done.

Also, in the house department....I have wanted to seriously de-clutter for the change we will have in our family. I have organized just about EVERYTHING. Being at home is so enjoyable now! I can't wait to host some parties! I have been brainstorming so pretty great ideas!

As far as the pregnancy goes, things have been great since the morning sickness left. I had about a month that my blood pressure was a little high but now its back down. My belly is just a little big (understatement). No problems other than that! The Doc said she would be surprised if I made it to 38 weeks. Some ways I am excited about this. (I could go without feeling like a kangaroo or a turtle on its back.) But, at the same time I am really nervous about this. 3 weeks and I could be a mom. What?! I am not sure why this is just now hitting me, but for some reason I am feeling really unprepared. I am sure its normal.

2010-04-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

So you know when people have head phones on, they sing louder than they think they are and are usually WAY off key......

My boss is in the cubicle next to me singing some crazy rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I can't stop laughing.

I just had to share and she looks at my facebook.

Thanks, I guess...

2010-04-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

I finally told my boss about the pregnancy. Do you know what she said? "Wow, that's good. I just thought you've been eating too many tacos!" What? Who says things like that? I guess she didn't notice the other 20 lbs I lost that have barely started coming back.

Thinking Positive

2010-04-12T08:54:00.001-07:00

I guess if the morning sickness is going to last the whole time, at least its limiting my weight gain right? I may just come out smaller than I started!

Just trying to think positive so I don't entirely hate this super exciting time of my life.....

What just happened!?!? Welcome to 2010!

2010-03-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

So, now that it is the middle of March, I finally have a chance to REALLY update my blog from the beginning of the year.....

Right after we came back from Christmas vacation, West had a couple of Clonic-Tonic seizures. They were very scary to watch and its hard to try to help someone when they are going through that because there is not a lot you can do. His tongue falls back in his throat and blocks his airway so I have to just make sure he is breathing and let it happen. We have had all sorts of tests and doctors appointments. The doctors also think that he is having partial seizures where he doesn't loose consciousness. They have now diagnosed him epilepsy. He takes medication to keep the seizures away. But, every time he stares off or he makes a weird face I get all nervous! I am always waiting for it to happen again. It is possible the seizures are triggered by stress and/or sleep deprivation so we've been going to sleep early and I do everything I can to make sure he is not stressed without making myself more stressed!

Right at this time, West entered a buy out agreement with his dad for High Definitions.

The managers at the Diner also quit while we were on vacation. So I have been helping out with that more than I ever expected.

Because of all of this, I have only been working in design 2 days a week and spending the rest of my time at High Definitions and the Diner. Which has been very convenient because......

I am preganant!!! Right now I am about 14 weeks. I am due on September 16th. We are very excited! Some of the excitement has been dulled a little though because I am pretty sick. A couple of weeks ago, I ended up at the instacare needing 2 bags of IV and an injection to stop the nausea long enough to get the IV in. I was completely dehydrated and I had gone into starvation mode. I got a prescription for anti nausea and it has been helping quite a bit, but I still have NO appetite and am always forcing myself to eat. I was hoping it would be going away soon, but this week the medicine hasn't ween working especially at night. Right now I am just praying it doesn't last the whole time.

We have pretty much figured out how to handle all these changes now are very excited for all the things to come!

Bring on 2010!

So Sad....You've been thinking about you!

2010-03-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

Please keep my Step brother Steven, his girlfriend Shandee and their baby girl HaLee in your thoughts! This has been such a sad things for them!

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=9862181

Christmas ROADTRIP! Sans pictures :(

2010-01-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

So bad news......We went on this A.MAY.ZING road trip and we took pictures all along the way and some how all the pictures are DELETED.....SAD:(

So first off we headed to Reno , NV to celebrate Christmas. We were visiting my mother - in - laws extended family about half of which I have never met so it was very exciting and fun! We had a very Walker meal on Christmas Eve: burritos, tamales, and taquitos. No Walker gathering is complete with out Mexican! (its so great to have married into a family who loves Mexican as much as I do!) The next morning slept in (yay!) opened gifts (more yay!) and played a bunch of Catan (yay plus!) . Then the big cheese (father - in - law) and I hit the kitchen and made the best PRIME RIB and MASHED POTATOES ever! I am so excited that I know how to make a good prime rib and hopefully I can do it again.

so then we left reno and went to Donner Pass on our way to the Redwood Forest. We stayed in Redding, CA on the Western side of the forest. We got up the next morning and headed through the forests. We went down the AVENUE of GIANTS some of the biggest trees in the state park. We also drove through both drive through trees with a Chevy Avalanche. Tight fit! But West is an amazing driver so it great! Proud moment! All of the naysaying tourists on the other side of the tree said he would never make it! That night we stayed in Willits, CA.

We got up and drove down highway 1 in Californina the coastal highway. We went to Mendocino and then Fernadale. Ferndale was this great little victorian town. West bought his first musical instrument, a "music maker". Then we continued on down the coast until we got to San Fran!

We spent a day in San Fran.....Cable cars, Chinatown, Japantown, Little Italy, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Hard Rock Cafe, Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, More victorians, am I missing something? It was a very busy, very fun day!

We then went to Menlo Park and saw where Linda lived when she and Keith met. Drove through Palo, Alto and went to San Jose.

In San Jose, we went to the Winchester House http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/story.html My FAVORITE part of the trip. Then we went to the broadwalk in Santa Cruz.

It was a very fun exciting trip! So glad I had the oppurtunity.

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-12-22T19:08:00.001-08:00

Sunday was my birthday and it was very relaxing. Just what I needed! West bought me flowers and I was woken up at 7:30 in the morning by his whole family singing to me through the phone. It was awesome. I got this really funny card:

Then I got this really fun present from my parents:

I can't wait to make some yummy cupcakes!

Christmas Newsletter

2009-12-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

I’m a big kid now….(singing Huggies Pull-ups jingle!)

Wow! I can’t believe that I am old enough to be writing a family newsletter! It seems like just yesterday I was sitting at the kitchen table with glitter and glue and stickers, and moving around the furniture in my Barbie house. Hey wait, that was yesterday! Just craft time has become a little more sophisticated, and the furniture that I move is life size for people who have way more money than Barbie. (A corvette, get real. Life requires a Ferrari, a Bentley, and a Land Rover. GAG!!)

Same goes for West… as a kid his mom couldn’t keep him out of puddles or swimming pools. He played video games and intensely studied facts and mechanical specifications of boats, planes, trains and automobiles. You should see our Library on the Titanic, his personal favorite! As an adult, he wakes up for his hour of soaking in the bathtub (not exaggerating, I have witnesses!) to be followed by a quick spell of online gaming and on to piles of spec books for anything electronic and daydreams of how to control it all by one remote.

I guess we never really grow up!

Really though, this year I think West and I finally felt the transition of growing into the full responsibility of adulthood. (I speak for us because he would never admit it!) But, we still know how to have our fun! As travelling is a passion of both, we managed to get a few vacations in this year. We spent a week on the North Shore of Oahu eating fresh pineapple (and found out I was allergic!) and swimming in the ocean (and confirmed my fear of water!) I much prefer historical land-based vacations. Which is why, I can not figure out how I got talked into a week long rafting journey through desolation canyon. But, I did enjoy that trip. Mostly because when we flipped the raft, I was left aboard with a few friends to save the day. A very proud moment!

In even more adult news, we finished our basement this year, an accomplishment of which we are very proud and excited. I have also have been doing graphics for West’s parent’s restaurant, The Road Island Diner. About this time last winter, I finished my first published book, a photographic journal of its restoration. I also did some freelance writing and had a few articles published over the summer, but it took too long for too little money. Being a writer should be a diet plan for weight loss rather than a career. You would literally starve on its wages. (No offense Stephanie Meyer, you seem to have figured out the money, let me know how when you get a minute.) West and I are also selling personal budgetary software and financial education through WakeUpNow. (This is a sales plug and should be perceived as such.) J

With all these goings on and different jobs to perform sometimes we feel a little…..Jamaican. It’s really the only word for it! (No offense to any Jamaican who might read this, I mean this in the most respectful way, your ability to juggle so many tasks is inspiring!) So with my Rasta hat on, we are on to a new year and wish you your happiest yet!

With love and warm Christmas Wishes!

West and Jessica

Moved to tears....

2009-10-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

This afternoon my boss called to express her appreciation for all of a coworker and I's hard work over the last 2 weeks. A thanks from her is as hard to find as the loch ness monster. I appreciated the thanks so much I cried! So, thanks for the thanks! It means a lot!

I need....

2009-10-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

These 3 things:

1) More Chill music on my iPod. Why the crap can nothing compare to my "Soothe CD" that is lost and gone forever!

2) An elliptical to create my very own cardio cinema!

3) Sleep or Energy, one of the two!

Let's be honest...

2009-10-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Recently I have not been blogging much because I don't have anything "exciting" to say.
Truth is....
my life is always "exciting" if exciting means not dull. Why is it that I am magnet for drama? Or more accurately, why is it that despite my best tactics, I can not escape it, solve it, or walk head strong into it with every effort to just get through with as little involvement as possible.
And then, by some really ill-humored joke of the universe, when I am a little bit successful in the anti-dramatic arena, I go and mess it all up. I don't think I know what to do with myself when my life is void of chaos, in fact when the chaos meter drops to "Empty" I find myself creating leaps and bounds of it. Which causes me to start all over with the hole simplifying of drama. So as it goes, my trying to to be less stressed about all the goings on around, causes more stress.
It's not funny, seriously.

I am coming clean...
I have a confession.....

I have a problem with stress. I am unable to manage it. I am unable to recognize it until its too late and have put my poor husband through another mental breakdown because I had to get the mail AND do the dishes. I mean come on, can I get a little help around here?

I am doing a lot, but its not like I am doing more than is physically possible. I work a little more than full time, I take care of a house, I do graphics for the Diner, and I am the Visiting Teaching Coordinator, a calling that doesn't take much time. Nothing too out of the ordinary. I don't even have kids. I don't know how you all do it.

So, if any of you have ideas on managing stress, I'm all ears.

It may just work....

2009-08-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well, they approved my article and I have now written 2 very short articles and am waiting to see what they think! It is very fun so far!!

This has also made me discover something else about myself...

I am very happy being very busy. All this time I kept thinking if I could simplify it would be better. Who would have thought.....

New endeavor....

2009-08-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

So, I have always loved writing (even though you would never know by the neglect evident in blog) and have decided to throw some things at the wall. I have just submitted my first trial piece to an article broker for their review to see if I am worthy of them sending me free lance work. I have done some research and learned that this is the easiest way to try out free lance writing. They send you articles based on your interests and pay off per word. If it works out, I might pursue something more serious, but for now we will see how it goes! I am pretty excited and hope it works out! This could be an exciting new adventure!

Best Day....

2009-07-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

I have always been a lover of music in theory and creation and one of its biggest fans of most all its forms. If I ever loose my hearing it will be like part of my soul has died to some extent. But, there are a few songs that hit me right in the heart, that my heart will carry always, most of which the mainstream listener would have a hard time tolerating with out skipping the track. These songs I can always rely on to make my day better now and have gotten me through some pretty crazy times in my life. But, recently I have added a new song to that list. "Best Day" by Taylor Swift. While this song was written about her mom being her best friend, I have many songs that fill purpose for me. I've been collecting them over that last several years. And, while it was written for her mom, this song reminds me of my dad and the relationship that we share even though its rocky. Yesterday my dad paid me an unexpected visit and while it wasn't particularly eventful, he reminded me why this song reminds me so much of him. Thanks dad for giving me another "Best Day". Its been awhile, I really needed it!

Lyrics to The Best Day...

I'm five years old
It's getting cold
I've got my big coat on

I hear your laugh
And look up smiling at you
I run and run

Past the pumpkin patch
And the tractor rides
Look now -- the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep
On the way home

I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
I know you're not scared of anything at all
Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day
With you today

I'm thirteen now
And don't know how my friends
Could be so mean

I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys

And we drive and drive
Until we've found a town
Far enough away

And we talk and window-shop
Until I've forgotten all their names

I don't know who I'm gonna talk to
Now at school
I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day
With you today

I have an excellent father
His strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother
Inside and out
He's better than I am

I grew up in a pretty house
And I had space to run
And I had the best days with you

There is a video
I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen
And you're talking to me

It's the age of princesses and pirate ships
And the seven dwarfs
Daddy's smart
And you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

Now I know why all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side
Even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
Staying back and watching me shine

And I didn't know if you knew
So I'm taking this chance to say
That I had the best day
With you today

River Rats Return!

2009-06-14T10:41:00.001-07:00

We are back from our adventurous river rafting trip. Our journey took 88 miles down the Green River through the Desolation and Gray Canyons. It was filled with history, geology, scenic canyons and amazing fun!

The first night we camped at the put in at Sand Wash, an old ferry site for the river. It is a quick, dusty drive through the oil fields outside of Duchesne to the river. The mosquitoes were beyond ridiculous! Luckily we reserved a screened cabin to cook and sleep in. We got up, rigged the rafts, and headed out on our journey. The first day was mostly flat water, but my husband (gotta love him!) convinced his dad that we needed a motor to speed things up. We camped at Stampede Flat and boy were we surprised to find that there were more mosquitoes than Sand Wash. It was unbelievable. No amount of any kind of bug spray worked. I was wearing 2 layers of clothes covering my whole body and somehow they still got through! We should have motored on through a little further because the farther we got down the river the better the mosquitoes got. During a brief stop, we saw an old iron skiff that had been left on the shore. We also saw wild horses and sure-footed mountain goats.

On day two, we went from Stampede Flat to Three Canyon rapid. Turns out the motor wasn't as good of an idea as we thought.... Going through one rapid, we didn't have enough steering capability and power to have complete control of both the rafts when they were tied together. The combination of the current and the wind pulled us nose first into a huge boulder in the river. Luckily no one was hurt and nothing was damaged. Our camp was great. We had a great amount of flat area for tents right off the river and we could hear the rapids all night. There was a huge aspen, one of the largest I've ever seen. Its twisted roots were exposed in an almost symmetrical ring, creating a great seating area where we placed the firepan in the middle. Above the camp area on the hill was an open meadow with a majestic vista. The three canyons converging on the river creating one of the best views of the trip.

We decided we probably ought to move on down the river a bit to keep a good pace and we had heard that the Joe Hutch Canyon Rapid was now a fantastic rapid especially with the water level and West was very excited to get to it. After a couple of miles we came up on it and pulled off the river to scout it out since the rapid had changed significantly in the last year due to a debris flow from a large mudslide. I have to admit that I was scared and excited to the point of nausea and I wasn't sure how we would fair. The commercial trips and boats flipping all day and the boats with kids were walking all the kids to the other side of the rapid and sending bare bones oarmen through the rapid. We decided to go right of center and then to the left skirting the HUGE hole on the left. There is also a huge wave train. We hit the smaller of the holes on the right and it almost stopped us dead in our tracks. The wake of this rapid is about 8 ft high. You could feel the power of the water rumbling on the floor of the boat and it definitely reminds you of your place in the world! Right at this point, the motor cuts out and Keith and Justun have to get us through this wall of water with their paddling alone. We made it through fine, it wasn't textbook or even pretty, but good enough to get some cheers from the people on the side. Just after Joe Hutch Canyon, we started looking for a campsite and pulled out the snacks. After the excitement of making through Joe Hutch, we let our guard down. This can be catastrophic on the river. Before we new it we were 10 ft away from a rock and being swept right into it. We got the rafts turned to the side and the raft I was on went over the rock, but the rafts were still strapped together. The others didn't fair so well. Their raft got wrapped around a rock, dumping anything not strapped to the rafts (i.e. people) into the river. Then Ross, jumped in after the cooler leaving West, Justun, Jamie, and I to figure this out. We pulled all the gear we could off of the raft by holding JJ over the water by his feet. We tried to separate the straps and it wasn't happening. We got on the high side of the boat to keep the balance when we separated the rafts. When Jamie was trying to get high side, the raft got bumped and Jamie just about fell in. Luckily she got a good grasp on the rope and I grabbed her life jacket and pulled her up. West cut the straps and off the rock we went! Our other raft broke away from the rock and we intercepted it on the side of the river. West jumped in a oared across the river to the other shore where all the lost members of our group had gathered. The rest of us walked down stream and picked up all of the gear that another rafting group had gathered from the river for us. We spun the raft off the shore and motored across the river to meet up with everyone else. As we assessed the damages we discovered we had been very lucky! We had a couple of scraped knees and I had a small cut on my thumb (which bleed EVERYWHERE, you would have thought I severed a major artery!). The only gear we lost was a shoe, a water bottle, and and oar. Pretty dang good, if I say so myself! We bent the frame on the wrapped raft but other than that, that was the only damage. We camped right there on the beach where we pulled out of the river. It was a little out in the open and pretty rocky, but we made due.

We pushed off again the next morning and decided to finish out the river. We skirted Coal Creek the other large rapid and took the safe way through all the rapids. We camped at the pull out at Swasey's Rapid. This is just below Gunnison Butte outside of Green River. We stayed the night and headed for home the next morning. We stopped for an early lunch in Green River and Ray's Tavern. Their burgers are infamous so we thought we ought to try one! They were delish!

All in all it was an awesome trip in the great outdoors with great company. We are planning on going again soon, maybe running up to Jackson Hole for the weekend to run the Snake. Whoever thought that I, afraid of water as I am, would become a river rat, but I think its happening.

We forgot to pick up some waterproof disposable cameras so we didn't take any pictures. But, I found some great pictures on another blog. Follow this link. http://cedarandsand.blogspot.com/2008/09/desolation-canyon.html

Lately......

2009-06-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well, quite a bit has happened lately at the Walker residence. Some noteworthy, some not so much so I will try to to ramble forever.

During Memorial Day weekend we were helping my family move some furniture. I was carrying a dresser with West and rolled my ankle on a 2 x 4. As a recent of the rolled ankle, I dropped the dresser and then my head. My head hit the dresser and it started to swell IMMEDIATELY. Before I could stand up, I have a baseball size bump on my head. West saw the huge swell and ran over and applied pressure to my head to try to get the swelling to go down. Jeni ran to get some ice which I had on my head for 5 hours. Over the next few days I developed a huge black eye. I had such a bad headache in my life.

My sister Jeni moved into our house! We are so excited to have her! She is working at the Diner as a waitress. We now call her Laverne and she looks fantastic in that classic diner outfit. She has had a little more time off than she is used to and has taken it upon herself to touch up the paint on our walls. They are looking great!

Our basement is now finished (well mostly!). West has some more tinkering with his electronics and thus is in constant disarray, but we are loving it! Its great to sit back and admire the result of a lot of hard work.

And, finally.....we have been planning a rafting trip on the Green River through Desolation Canyon. We are so excited!!! We start on the river on Monday and we can hardly wait. We are going with our in laws, a neighbor, and our friends Jamie and Justun. We have been setting up rafts and checking parts, and packing so almost a month just to make sure it comes off with out a hitch!

Pictures of all of these events to follow.

Blog books

2009-05-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

I've come across something that many of you bloggers may want to know about. I've been working on these photo books for vacations, the diner, etc. The website I use to publish them has released a newer version that allows you to import your blog posts, including pictures, in to a book for printing. I just thought this was great because now a journal/scrapbook like album can be published for permanent keeping. The website is blurb.com, you just need to download their program called BookSmart.

The Diner on YouTube

2009-04-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

Small video made by PCTV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rplEcKUF9gg

Feeling guilty...

2009-04-16T08:19:00.001-07:00

Its probably very wierd that I even feel like this, I imagine most people wouldn't mind....

Lately work has been REALLY slow and while I am still grateful to be employed, I have almost nothing to do and I feel like I am stealing money from my boss because she is paying me to do nothing. I was at first concerned that I was going to get laid off, but now it doesn't look like that is going to happen. I just keep trying to find things around the office to do until hopefully it picks up. Not much else I can do I guess.....

Happy Birthday West!

2009-04-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

It was West's birthday last Friday and I wanted to make him a special treat. West doesn't really like cake, he'd much rather have brownies and those aren't really that special (especially because most of the time he makes them himself!) so I was trying to come up with an idea.

I was at the grocery store and strawberries were on a pretty good deal and then back at the bakery they we trying to sell these bricks of chocolate. The idea came to me, CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES! Now, I haven't ever met anyone who didn't like these so I thought for sure West would think they were great! I bought all the stuff and went home. I was very excited because I got to finally use the double boiler West bought me with my pan set over a year ago AND, I was going to learn to temper chocolate. They turned out great (they were actually pretty easy) and West loved them!

Happy Anniversary!!

2009-03-03T09:19:00.001-08:00

West and I celebrate 3 years today! We have done some amazing things together in just 3 years! We built a house, went to Europe (twice), and finished our basement, just to name a few. I am hopeful we will be blessed to continue in our success together and very excited for the years to come!

To celebrate, I am posting some pics of out wedding.

Pay it Forward

2009-02-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

I found this on a friends blog and thought it would be fun to make something for someone.
The Rules}
1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!
2. Winners must post this challenge on their blog, meaning that they will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on their post about this giveaway!
3. The gift that you send to your friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!
4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate pictures and comments! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along.Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! SO, REMEMBER...Pay It Forward!

Valentines M&M's

2009-02-06T12:14:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to note that M&M's is now selling bags of only green candies in honor of Valentines. I, at first, thought maybe they set them out early for St. Patty's Day, but no. I did a little research and they are definitely for Valentines. I guess some people are willing to try anything....

I think this is quite funny! All I have to say is that my mom would have thought this was the best thing in the world. After all, she informed me of their additional health benefits and much too young of an age! I will be buying some bags in her honor.

If you don't know why this is slightly humorous, I can't tell you until you're older. But, you can check it out for yourself at:

http://www.snopes.com/risque/aphrodisiacs/mandms.asp

2009-02-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

Aunt Brittani-
I am so excited you found my blog! I would be even more excited if you invited me to read yours at jessrwalker@gmail.com!

Thanks!!

Just a couple of things I have been working on....

2009-02-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

This house isn't done yet, but we started putting furniture early so they could sleep here for the ski season. Hopefully, I can get some more professional shots later.

Grateful...

2009-01-05T21:20:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my friend Jamie's blog, I'm sure most people have seen it, but after going through the list, I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for all the experiences I have had already in my life. I am one who as always been motivated by my accomplishments and lately I have felt like I haven't accomplished very much. As time goes on my goals only get bigger and need more time (and funding) to accomplish and it seems I never have enough of either. I really have been blessed for the full life I have.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Why does everyone erase this? Yes I have.
70.Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Been on a service mission/vacation.

Apparently the police are bored...

2008-12-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

Somebody commit some crimes!!! Yesterday West and I got pulled over for the lamest possible reason known to man. Just as we pulled out of the parking lot, he turned on his lights. West and I have been pulled over multiple times for many deserving reasons, and we automatically replayed the last 15 seconds in our head and could not imagine what we did wrong. We even signaled as we turned out of the parking lot AND around the corner. (Neither ever happens!) Apparently the police are bored so they just sit in parking lots now and run plates. And, our ever so generous state erroneously flagged our car as uninsured. It has been insured on the same policy number for the last 5 years. We had the policy number in the car, but not the actual card provided by our insurance agent as we hadn't put the new ones in. Since he felt like being a nice guy, he decided not to give us a ticket for not having valid proof of insurance in the vehichle and let us go with the more expensive "No Insurance" ticket instead. What a nice guy!!! Now we have to fight this ticket .....what a dirt bag!!

Tagged!!!: Husbands Edition

2008-12-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

Each Person answers questions about their sweethearts
At the End of the post, the person then tags people and posts their names

What is your husbands name? West Lyn
How long have you guys been married? Almost 3 years
How long did you date? 2 months dating, 4 months engaged
How old is he? 24
Who eats more sweets? West
Who said I love you first? He did.
Who is taller? West.
Who can sing the best ? definitely not me.
Who is smarter? At things that really matter, West. I gained a lot of useless knowledge.
Who does the laundry? Me
Who pays the bills? West.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? West likes to change it up every once in a while. I don't care as long as I have an edge.
Who mows the lawn? Our neighbors company. We're not that rich, our yard is just so small and there is no where to put a lawnmower at the moment. Plus they do a bunch of houses in a row so it was cheaper to pay them than buy a lawnmower.
Who cooks dinner? Me or the Diner. West does make some pretty good brownies though.
Who drives? He does. He gets impatient with my cautious law abiding style.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Usually me. Usually because I'm the one thats wrong. We really only argue those specific weeks of the month when I'm a bit irrational.
Who kissed who first? Me. He wouldn't let me for the longest time!
Who asked who out first? West. He knocked on my door that first night and called me everyday after that.
Who wears the pants? We both wear pants!
What is one of the best things that he does that you love? West would give everything he had to someone who would appreciate it. His sense of humor makes it hard to harbor any sort of negative feelings about any situation. He can turn everything into a comedy.

So, now I tag Tray and Jenny W. to tell about their wonderful husbands.

I love....

2008-11-25T08:31:00.000-08:00

wide empty rural roads with ample amounts of twists and turns, a Phat Noise with all the greatest songs ever written available at the touch of a button, a fast and fun car to drive, and (the most important part) a Radar detector. Thank you Valentine One. You have saved me yet again from another costly hour of fun. Now ticket free since 2005. Not that I haven't deserved one.....:)

November, Twilight, etc.

2008-11-23T17:18:00.000-08:00

I am not one that normally skips Thanksgiving and heads straight to Christmas, but this year, November went so fast it hardly seems that it was here. And, I am really longing for snow. If Christmas comes, maybe it will bring the snow with it.

I would like to preface my talk of Twilight by saying that while I loved reading the books for their entertaining value, I am no where as mesmerized and fanatical about them as most. I don't get fanatical about anything really (except my hubby!). We did however plan a girls date with all the most important women in my life to see the movie on Saturday afternoon. And, I did like the movie. I feel like the beginning was kind of slow and Bella could have portrayed a bit more emotion, and that the house was nothing I'd imagined. But, overall, it was good. West (yes, he came too) even enjoyed it as surprising as that is. I can't get him to watch a chick flick for the life of me so that saying something. The movie could have been better, I'll admit, but the first book was my least favorite also, so we'll see what they do with number two. Until then....

West and I are also really enjoying this restaurant we recently discovered and anyone in the Salt Lake area should check it out. It is called Charlie Chow's. It is on 4th South and about 3rd East. We love the all you can eat grill. It is basically a salad bar style way to create your own dish and then they grill it up for you. This is great for us because I like all the veggies you can cram into on dish and West eats rice, meat, and sauce only. Its the only way we can do it and both get what we want. Please try it.

Beginning of the End...

2008-11-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.ldsmag.com/ideas/081110hate2.html

Eat this Barack Obama!

2008-11-05T13:35:00.001-08:00

At my office there was quite a bit of election involvement! My boss was for Obama and the rest of us "mormon republicans" were for McCain. (She even asked us if they teach us to be republicans at church.) Well, when the election results came in she was ecstatic! She called this morning and told us to order a chocolate cake from the local bakery to celebrate Obama's win. There was no way we were going to celebrate his win, but who can turn down the boss's chocolate cake and the break at which to eat it! Do you think she'd mind how we had them decorate?

Murder Among The Mateys

2008-11-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

ARRRRGH!!!! Ahoy Mateys!!! For Halloween, West and I hosted our 2nd annual Murder Myster Dinner. This year the theme was pirates. We have a really great time doing this and going all out on the theme. I cook dinner for everyone. I usually try to plan a menu around the theme. This year we had pot roast, shrimp, fresh fruit, salad, and of course beverages in bottles. We decorated with nets, candles, chocolate gold coins, and sand. It looked really cool! We plan for months and our guests are all assigned roles and gather costumes to fit their parts. Thanks to everyone who participated and helped. This year was so much fun and a great success!!

Some Pictures of Italy and Spain

2008-10-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

There are more photos to come!

Kettlebells

2008-09-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

Most of you have probably never seen the exercise equipment above, but let me say they kick your butt! Last spring my boss decided to kickstart a fitness challenge among the employees and paid for group personal trainer for all of us. Needless to say, I did not win the challenge, but I become addicted to one exercise in general, kettlebells. Developed by Russians, this training equipment can do it all, cardio, toning, strength training, all of it. The gentleman who teaches this for the trainer offered to continue coaching us at no cost simply for our benefit and the promotion of the activity. It is awesome. Me and a couple of the girls from work still go twice a week to this guy and it makes you feel great. Plus you feel like an olympian! There are other pros too. It takes up less than 1 sq. ft. of my house, it is portable and I so do it anywhere I want, and the dent it leaves in the grass, is bigger than the dent it left in my bank account. Never in my life did I think I would enjoy throwing (literally) around a 26lb ball of solid iron around for fun. But, I am addicted! You can see it on you tube if your interested.

2008-09-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

Today my husband sent me a photo text from work in Las Vegas with the caption, "Life is Good." I knew the photo had to be of one thing. Sure enough. West's goal is to pull one of these into our garage. This thing costs more than our house.

Welcome to our Blog!

2008-09-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

West and I have just started our blog. We hope we now can keep more of you involved in our lives clear up here in Oakley. We will gladly accept requests for posts so leave us comments. Watch for photos of our house and the Diner for those of you who haven't had the opportunity to visit us just yet!