Time to play catch up...

As I'm sitting on Scott's bed watching him play Ghostbusters (at my insistence; I try not to be the bratty girlfriend who doesn't let her man do anything fun...) I decided I would be productive and update everyone on the happenings (or lack thereof) since my last post. Let's see...all the way back to June. That was a long time ago. Here is where Hollywood would insert the flashback complete with narration-just to warn you it's kinda long and there are a lot of pictures-most of which are in chronological but not chronological order... if that makes sense...

June: I branched out and did Beauty and the Beast in Murray. After a rocky start on my end, I ended up having a great time and made some fabulous friends in the process. Aside from the wettest June in like the history of Utah-thus leading to us being rained out not once, but twice AND a rain delay on closing night I had a great time and hope to call Murray my home again soon...plus it wasn't NEARLY as hot as the Sugar Factory-although I'm sure the rain had something to do with that...*sigh* The joys of doing outdoor theater.







July: Sparky, Kimmy, Scott, and I all bought season passes to Lagoon. I've never had one, and I didn't get to use it until after B&B, but it actually turned out to be pretty fun. It's no Disneyland, but let's be honest...there's only one Disneyland. Well one day Kimmy and I met up with some of my friends from B&B- Madman, Myranda, and Chris. I'm fairly sure it was the hottest day of the year, and NATURALLY we had to have the Old West Pictures taken. For some reason I looked ridiculous in all of them--everyone else looked great:

August: Amber and I took the girls to my parent's house for a girl's weekend to see Annie at Tuachan. This was my first show there and if you haven't been--GO. It's really worth the drive. I'm not sure who had more fun, my family or Ashton and Makayla. They both absolutely fell in love with my brother and sister in law Casey and Darla, and his menagerie, got henna tattoos from my mom, and helped my dad with the pond. The trip also served a triple function so Amber could take family pictures--for those of you who remember the last time we took them my dad had long hair--and for me to meet my newest neice, Allison Mae. It was love at first sight for me. I can already tell I'm her favorite aunt...










September: MY BIRTHDAY!!! My awesome friend The Chris-not to be confused with the previously mentioned Chris-- took me to lunch and made me the cupcake tower of goodness complete with a candle and my FAVORITE kind of cake--Red Velvet...oh, and did I mention both my parents FORGOT my birthday? Yeah. They totally did. Kinda put a damper on the rest of the day, but I can laugh about it now...good thing I had Scott that night to lift my spirits--I really am a lucky girl. :)


October: The long-awaited trip to Disneyland was FINALLY here!! I was so excited to get away from everything and spend some much needed (and well-deserved) time with my family. I was especially happy because Scott faced his fear of flying and came with me.
We got tickets to the trick-or-treat party in California Adventure and decided to dress as Mousketeers--except dad because he wanted to be Captain Jack and Scott because he's a party pooper. Joan and I bought iron-on letters before we left and my mom made the shirts once we got to the condo. Well, after making three shirts she ran out of letters and had to fashion an 'N' for her name...leading her to misspell her own name-'Melaine' instead of 'Melanie'. Apparently she STILL can't talk about it without laughing to the point of tears. They still turned out great though:












We had a good time the first two days, but on day three Scott woke up and said he wasn't feeling too hot. By 8 pm that night he was in bed with a fever. The rest of the trip was pretty much a bust, but Scott was great and humored me by not only attempting to go to the park every day for a little bit but going to a character breakfast AND taking pictures with the characters and photo-ops-although he HATES having his picture taken. Looking back I'm 99.9% sure it was the Swine Flu...especially because Joan was diagnosed with it three days after we got home...

And that brings us to now. Looking back I've had a busy couple of months. Nothing of note is happening this month...unless you count me paying off my car, Thanksgiving, and Christmas music starting on the radio...you gotta love this time of year. Hopefully I will be better at keeping everyone posted.

Thanks for reading. :)

So now I'm private...

Yeah, I bet you're all wondering why I invited you to my blog. Well. It's a LOOONG story, but I decided to go private for a bit, but I still want people to be able to read it. And in order to go private I have to add you as a reader by your e-mail. Lame, I know, but I will pontificate on the specifics later to fill you all in. Loves~ Kristen

Why it's great to be single...

Hey y’all. I know, I know. I’ve been a bad blogger. I wish I could say I have a great excuse—like I was abducted by aliens for the last three months and after a daring week-long stand off I just now made it off the Mother Ship; making it my first priority to update you all. Yeah, that’s not the case. My only excuse is that my life is SO unbelievably boring I haven’t had anything exciting to share. I still don’t, but I have been thinking about this the last few days and thought it would be fun to put out into the "blogosphere".

It’s become obvious that it’s spring. Not by looking out the window; because just yesterday it looked like a day in January, not April. But I digress. You know that it’s spring because everyone and their dog is getting engaged, getting married, getting knocked up, or getting ready to pop like an over-filled cream puff. Everyone that is, but me. Now don’t worry. This isn’t going to be a down-on-life-woe-is-me post. It’s also not a big fat boo on being married, pregnant, or anything of the sort-well not directly anyway. ;) I’m just merely reminding myself and all my single friends it’s not as bad as sometimes we may think. So-for your enjoyment here’s my list of why it’s great to be single:

I don’t answer to anyone but me-I do what I want when I want. I don’t have to put plans on hold while I find out what my hubby is doing and if it will interfere with what he has going on.

Relationships are disposable-Although I’m not a “serial dater” it’s nice to know I can be if I REALLY want to. Some guy bugs the hell out of me? Kick him to the curb and move on to the next one. That whole “I’m in a committed relationship” thing doesn’t get in the way. I can throw my hands up and walk away at will.

My credit is my own-I’ve worked hard to make my credit almost blemish-free. This is something I’m very proud of. Not many people my age can say their credit is almost perfect. I don’t have to worry about the credit card my husband defaulted on two years out of High School keeping me from being able to buy a car—or a house.

I have free reign to be completely and utterly selfish-If I want to buy that pair of jeans at Aero or the new ipod touch I can get them without worrying who will be going without.

Traveling is so much easier-I go where I want, when I want. If I want to go to Disneyland six times in one year or pick up and go to Washington to visit friends on a whim it’s ok. I don’t have to worry about everyone making arrangements for taking time off work and school, saving for months in advance, and if everyone is having a good time. I also don’t have to worry about looking into alternative modes of transportation because my husband is afraid to fly or my kids can’t handle a road trip. Packing for one is also a whole lot easier than packing for six.

I’m not a 24-hour caretaker-I don’t have to worry about tending to sick children in the middle of the night or helping my husband find his misplaced car keys--again. I'm the only one I have to worry about.

I'm the only one who can humiliate myself-If I'm embarrassed it's because of me and my ineptness-not my husband for making a joke at my expense or my child yelling choice words/phrases at inopportune times.

Saturdays are still for sleeping in-I don’t spend my days running errands and doing yard work or peeling fighting children off one another because they both have to have the toy in the cereal box. If I choose to stay in bed until 11 it’s perfectly fine-I don’t have to worry about fighting crowds at the Grocery Store or waking up to the cereal toy carnage.

My time is my own-If I want to take 17 credit hours, work full time, AND do a show I can. My biggest concern is where to fit sleep into that equation.

I support me-I don’t have to count on someone else to bring home a paycheck. Because of this I choose how, when, and where my money does or doesn’t get spent without consulting with someone else first.

I'm old enough to be a realist-Not a cynic. Because I'm 28 and still single I've had time to experience some of life's highs and lows and learn that not only am I stronger and smarter because of it-I also don't need someone there to hold my hand every step of the way. Because of these trials I can be a better wife and mother because I can relate to my child having their heart broken, or understand my husband's fear of being alone. I feel bad for people who have no life experience to draw on when someone they care for is hurting and in need of help.

And most importantly-when I’m playing with a baby or my nieces and nephews if they misbehave or poo everywhere I get to turn them back over to mom and dad to handle. Not to mention I can load them up with sugar or get them all wound up and then send them home. I get all of the highs and none of the lows.

Although this list may not show it I can’t wait to be married and have a family of my own. This is just a reminder for all me and my single friends how good we actually have it. While I plan on enjoying it while it lasts I’m still eagerly (and somewhat impatiently) looking forward to the next step. :)

Hooray for Disneyland!!

This summer I started having "girls night" on Thursdays with two of my dear friends, Aaron "Sparky" Sparks, and Kimmy. It has been so nice, and I'm sure Scott appreciates the weekly break. :)
Anyway, in July Sparky mentioned taking a trip to Disneyland. He told me later he didn't ever think that it would come to fruition, but apparently he didn't know me as well as he thought. Aside from the fact I'm a Disneyland addict, I love a project. So I did the research, made the presentation, and before you knew it, we were in Disneyland! Kimmy ended up having some things come up and was unable to go, so it was just me and Sparky. We had a ball!! We spent six days in the park--which some people would say is excessive, but in spite of all the time I've spent there I still did things I've never done before! We took TONS of pictures, and walked onto almost everything. Pirates was by far our favorite.
Here's some photos for your enjoyment:

I'll be home for Christmas

So I'm cheating and changing the dates on this, but you all love me so you're just gonna deal. :)
Every year since 2005 I've been able to go home for Christmas. For those of you who don't already know, home is now St. George. For everyone but me, anyway. Well-Christmas with my family has changed so much over the years. We've gone from our small little family spending the day together to in-laws and grandkids, sharing the day with everyone. As different as it is, I wouldn't change it for anything. I love my sisters in law and my nieces and nephews so much.

This year is especially neat because Jon and Michelle are expecting their first baby-something I thought wouldn't happen, that's for sure. :) Jon really met his match in Michelle; she puts him in his place and I love to watch them together. He loves her so much and will be such a good dad. He's got a great empathy belly going, as you can see here:

Although Darla and Casey aren't pregnant, Casey needed to throw his hat in the ring:
I think he's pretty impressive...
This Christmas I also spent with a lot of time with my mom. I love her so much, and I am so lucky to have her as my mom. Even though I am grown, she still continues to teach me. For Christmas she gave me the best gift. She made a cook book for each of us with our favorite recipes when we were growing up. Then we made cookies together. I think they turned out great-although my mom's side of the family didn't appreciate them like they should have. My co-workers LOVED them! I think they're cute:

I normally stay the entire weekend, but I cut my trip short for the Vander Linden family Christmas party. Scott and I have been dating a little over a year, and so I decided it was time to introduce him to the family. (actually, my wonderful family was giving me grief and questioning whether or not he was real, so I HAD to call their bluff.)
I spent the weeks leading up to the party telling him about my family-who is married to who, who their kids are, and how they're related to my mom. I also prepped him for the noise. You know how loud I am, and I come by it honestly. Scott comes from a very small family-one sister, and his parents families don't live near by. His mother is from Kentucky, and his dad is a farm boy from Tremonton.
My family on the other hand is like the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". My mom has seven siblings, they're all married, and they all have kids. I have TWENTY FIVE first cousins, and most of them are married with kids of their own. Needless to say my family is HUGE and LOUD. Scott was fantastic. He remembered most everyone, and everyone seemed to really like him. It's always nice when your family likes the person you're dating.
All in all my Holidays were fantastic, but I'm SO ready for spring!!

How much is enough?

So, as most of you know, I moonlight as a server. Like everyone else, I have felt the crunch of the economy, but too many people are using this as an excuse to tip poorly. So I am taking it upon myself to dispense a little knowledge about the fine art of tipping:

1. Contrary to popular belief, we do NOT make minimum wage. Minimum wage for servers is $2.12 an hour. NOT $5.75 or whatever it is now.

2. We pay a percentage of what we make back to the restaurant in what's called tip-share. This money goes to the Hosts, bussers, and bartenders. We pay this REGARDLESS of whether or not we are tipped appropriately. Plus if the restaurant has a food runner/expediter like we do, the servers are paying someone else in cash every night. Both of these amounts we pay are calculated based on our gross sales-NOT how much we make in tips. So if you stiff your server, chances are they are paying the restaurant for you coming in for dinner.

3. Although people may think otherwise, serving is hard work. You have to constantly be multi-tasking, remembering what your tables have ordered and correctly enter it into the system, when you don't have a food-runner you are running your entrees to your guests, filling drinks, and helping other servers when it is busy. This becomes even more difficult when you have large parties in your section or you have difficult tables who think they are your only guests and keeping their drinks filled, or extra sauces available to them is your only task. Forget about letting you help anyone else.

4. Anything less than 15% is NOT considered a good tip. Actually the standard is being raised to 20%, but you won't be talked bad about in the back for tipping 15%, and if you're a regular at a particular joint, your reputation WILL precede you if you don't tip well. This amount is based on the total check, NOT how nice the restaurant is. I'm in no way saying you should tip a lazy server who gives crappy service, but before you stiff them, take a few of these things into consideration:
A: How busy is the restaurant? How many tables BESIDES you can you see your server helping? Do they seem new or just frazzled?
B: How was the over all visit? Was your server friendly? Did they know the menu and answer your questions thoroughly? Did they seem on top of things? If not, why? Was the restaurant legitimately busy or were they being lazy?
C: How were YOU as a guest? Were you overly demanding or needy? How quickly did you empty your drink? Unless they were hovering over you with another ready, would it have been possible for them to get you another one before you finished the previous one? Were YOU spreading your server thin? Do YOU realize that your server is after all a person, too and incapable of the perfection you demand?
D: What are you upset about? Are they things that your server had control over or not? If the kitchen is backed up and it takes longer to get your food out, or if the food quality was HORRIBLE? Is that REALLY something your server can control? Same with the bar drinks and the politeness and efficiency of the host staff. Can your server CONTROL those things? If not, you shouldn't punish THEM for things they can't control. Instead let the manager on duty know what's going on so the situation can be rectified.

You should base your tipping on how you answered these questions. You need to remember that although we are trained professionals :) we are still human and capable of error. If you can see that we are busy and spread really thin, cut us some slack if you have to ask to get another coke, or if we forget to bring you a box right away.

5. If you can't afford to eat out AND leave a tip, DON'T go out. PERIOD. People who have never served don't understand how important tips are to servers. We are busting our asses for you, it's your job to pay for the services provided. PERIOD. If you don't want to pay a tip, there are plenty of places that you can go where tips aren't expected. Having a huge family or spending $60 on your crab dinners and another $30 on drinks DOES NOT mean you can stiff us. Just plan on the tip as part of your check. Unless you have actually worked a 60-minute wait dinner rush on a Saturday night with your four-table section filled-one of them with a party of twelve (Let's do the math-four seats per table times three tables is 12 plus another 12 is TWENTY FOUR PEOPLE) do you understand how hard it can be. We have TWENTY-FOUR PEOPLE we are trying to help all at the same time. Have YOU ever had to help 24 people at the same time? How hard is it to help two or even three people at once, let alone two dozen?

6. If we don't get tips, we don't have money. PERIOD. What about our paycheck from the restaurant you ask? Well, since we make only $2.12 an hour, ALL that money is usually taken in taxes-yes we have to claim another percentage of what we make to the IRS. But where does Uncle Sam get that money from? The hourly wage we are paid by the restaurant. It's not unusual to have a ZERO balance on your bi-weekly pay stub. So this means your money is in your tips. No tips means no money. Period. Not everyone uses this job as a means for "fun money". Several of my friends use this as their sole source of income. You should think about that the next time you're leaving a tip. You're determining someone's hourly wage. Could YOU get by on $2.12 an hour?

I'm not posting this to preach, but to inform. I've been amazed to see how many people don't understand that a tip is a server's SOLE source of wages. Please pass this information on to your friends and people who don't understand the importance of tipping. Again, if the service sucked, the tip should reflect the service and you should let the manager know so it can be rectified. Don't set unrealistic expectations for these people that are serving you, because after all they are still people. How much better could YOU do in the same circumstance? Most importantly, DON'T go out if you can't afford to tip. You are literally taking the money out of someone else's pay check when you do.

I look like WHO?

So in July I bought two pairs of new glasses. My old ones were five-plus years old and it was time to get an update. I got some super-cute frames, and didn't think much of it.

Then in August McCain had to go and announce Sarah Palin as his VP running-mate. Subsequently my world came crashing down.

It all started innocently enough. I'm very lucky; I'm only near-sighted. So I only have to wear my glasses while driving, watching TV or a movie, or if I want to see anything clearly that's more than 10 feet away, etc. I usually take them off and put them in my purse once I don't need them anymore, but this day was an exception. I wore them into the office, and my friend Jen looked at me and immediately says I look like Sarah Palin. I didn't really think much of it, because it was just one person's opinion-granted she told it to anyone she could; I was her personal freak show-"put your glasses on and show them, Kristen! You're gonna get a big kick out of this". The trouble didn't REALLY start until I decided to wear my glasses into Joes one night. That's where the fun REALLY began. I had THREE guests on separate occasions tell me I looked like Sarah Palin!! Thinking it was just the one pair in question I wore my purple frames instead last weekend hoping that I wouldn't have the same outcome. No such luck. I had an entire family say I looked like her! Now, I'm not complaining-much. I know there are worse people I could look like-President Bush or Martin Scorsese for example...but I liked being my own person-not to mention disappearing into obscurity was nice.
Plus she's not known for saying the brightest things--"I'm a Maverick" and "You can see Russia from my house"...I don't want to be associated with that! Oh well. Hopefully once Obama is inaugurated it will blow over so I can wear my glasses again and know I'm being complimented on them because I look cute in them; not because people think they make me look like someone else.
For those of you who need to see it with your own eyes, here you go. My co-worker insisted on taking this picture to send to her VERY liberal family back east for a giggle-ignore the hair, I know it's a mess. She made me pull it back because apparently I only REALLY look like her when it's back:

Great news!!

So my little brother called me last night. He and his wife are expecting their first baby!! I'm so excited!

It's odd though. He's still the little hellion I remember growing up. It will be fun to watch him raise his own little bunch of hellions. :) Not to mention odd because I thought I would become a parent before he did--never seemed the type growing up. I'm happy that's changed! I love being an aunt and spoiling my nieces and nephews with love and treats! :) (The treats are why I'm the favorite.)

Congrats bro. I love you and Michelle. :) I'm excited to meet the young one.

I've been tagged!

I never thought I would be tagged! Sweet! :) Here goes.

20 years ago......
1:I was 8 and getting ready to be baptized.
2: I was in 2nd grade.
3: The love affair began. I went to Disneyland for the first time.

10 years ago......
1: I was starting my Senior year in High School
2: I had my first boyfriend-yeah, he was a tool.
3: Was in Madrigals getting ready for Christmas.

5 years ago.......
1: I was working at Tasty's, getting fat on donuts. :)
2: I bought the car I'm driving now.
3: Was trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up.

3 years ago......
1: Was engaged.
2: Went to Disneyland for the 50th anniversary-WAY FUN!!
3: Got dumped. Started over by working three jobs.

1 year ago.......
1: Started dating Scott.
2: Played Princess July in 12 Dancing Princesses and met my male doppleganger, Sparky. :)
3: Started working at Joes.

This year so far......
1: I have moved up at work-meh.
2: Turned 28 and can't believe it.
3: Finally decided what I want to be when I grow up-a teacher, BTW.

Yesterday......
1: Worked.
2: Made cookies with my friends.
3: Washed work clothes.

Today.........
1: Came to work.
2: Checked my email.
3: It's only 9:45. I haven't done much yet.

Tomorrow........
1: Change my oil, do safety and emissions, and try to clean my car.
2: Go to the Chiropractor
3: Clean my room!!!

In the Next Year.......
1: Go to Disneyland
2: Start school
3: Be Sara Brown in Guys and Dolls (hopefully!)

I tag Karalee, April, and Candace

Get your house in order...

So lately I have been daydreaming of my childhood and thinking how great I had it and how much I took it for granted. You never realize how great it is being a kid until you're a grown-up wishing for those days long gone by. Especially when it comes time to pay bills.
Now, I have heeded the Prophet's advice-I have no unnecessary or consumer debt, and for a 28-year old single girl, I think I'm doing an ok job of not living beyond my means. Sure I have an occasional slip-up, but who doesn't?
Well now I'm really starting to stress. I've made the decision to start school in January, and needless to say I am mortified. I've always been a good student, so I'm not afraid of that aspect. I'm afraid of the debt I will incur. Especially in a volatile economy like the one we're in now where even people with damned near perfect credit aren't qualifying for AUTO LOANS!! I'm sure there are extenuating circumstances for these instances, but it's still scary.
I'm sure that I'm just having these second thoughts because I'm facing a lot of HUGE life changes in the coming months-starting school, acquiring a new roommate (and therefore putting my trust in them to not stick me with ALL the monthly bills), and I'm FINALLY getting out of a long-term situation that was only intended to be a temporary one. Basically just I'm just working on being more self-sufficient. As exciting as this all can be-whenever I think about it, I give myself a small panic attack. Yes, I have savings, yes I'm trying to have some semblance of a plan, but this fear is crippling. I know these are all things I should be doing, and rites of passage everyone experiences sooner or later, but I'm still scared. I even had the thought of postponing school AGAIN--for no good reason this time!!
I know if you wait for the perfect time you'll be waiting forever, but I'm human. I think like one. I was so grateful to be able to listen to Conference this weekend, because that point was hammered home for me. I especially appreciated President Monson's talk on Sunday morning-granted, I know this wasn't specifically what he was referring to, but I appreciated it nonetheless. Aside from the fact he loves him his musicals-YAY! I loved how he stated (I'm paraphrasing here because the transcripts aren't available yet for me to correctly quote)-that if we wait for the day when we're richer, or smarter, or more prepared we will be waiting forever because that day will never come. He went on to quote Professor Harold Hill from "The Music Man"-one of my favorites btw-"Pile up too many tomorrows and you'll find that you've collected nothing but a bunch of empty yesterdays."
I know I shouldn't wait. Because all I've been doing all this time is waiting. And what do I have to show for it? Nothing. However, this knowledge doesn't make change any less scary. So I guess more than anything I know what I need to do, I'm just scared to take that initial leap. I know Heavenly Father will bless me as long as I'm making worthwile pursuits and doing what I should. But that initial step is a scary one. I just need to have the faith. Ugh. So in a very un-Kristen like move, I'm asking for help. If you can make time to include me in your prayers so that I will have the faith and courage to embark on this huge undertaking, I would appreciate it. Thanks muchly, and peace out. :)

Leave me alone...please

So yeah. I'm kinda having a moral dilemma...but let me preface. I'm LDS, born and raised. Love the Gospel, most people in the Gospel- not so much, but that's the price you pay living in Utah. I don't let the stupidity of a few zealots ruin my faith. Anyway, there's one thing that I can't stand--Visiting Teaching, Home Teaching, and Group activities. Up until a couple months ago I was gloriously flying under the radar-one of the joys of being in a singles ward with high turn over-and let's be honest- I've been pretty lazy the last bit so I'm not there as often as I should.
Well lately there has been a big push by my Visiting and Home Teachers. I know they are trying to magnify their callings, but I don't want to be visited. It's nothing personal, but that's part of the reason I didn't serve a mission. The thought of making small talk with total strangers isn't my cup of tea. Small talk has never been a skill I possess. I'm not bitter at all, I'm just saying it's not my thing. I'm not into being Visit or Home taught, Visit teaching anyone else, and I think PPIs and Ward activities are lame. I prefer to keep my worshiping to Sundays and on a personal level, and ask for help if I need it. Does this make me a bad person? I love these brothers and sisters who are putting forth such an effort to magnify their calling and make me feel included and loved. But I JUST WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!! Say 'hi' to me at church, send an e-mail every now and again to see how I am, that's fine. But don't show up at my house unannounced or otherwise. I'm never home, and so when I am, it's MY TIME. I don't want to spend an afternoon (or 30 minutes, for that matter) sitting in awkward silence attempting small talk.
I'm not angry, bitter, or anything of the like. These things are just not my cup of tea. I'm a loner, I like to be left alone. I don't need to sit with a group of friends making noise to high hell in the chapel like everyone else, and I don't need a big fuss made over me. If I need something, I'll ask. Otherwise, please leave me alone. My last Visiting and Home teachers were great. They would say hi at church, ask if there was anything they could do, and pass on a photocopied page of the Ensign and call it good. Why can't everyone be like this?
Does this make me a bad person? What's the best way to politely tell them that I have no interest in being visited or visiting others? Because we all know that this will deploy a huge effort to change my outlook it will be well-intended, but completely unwanted. I just want to be left alone. I know I'm loved and if I need anything I can ask, but in the mean time can I just lead my life and be left alone?

Coming over to the darkside

Well, not really. Although I was pretty surprised last night when Scott told me what he wanted for dinner. Sushi.
I love the stuff, but like most people who have never had it before he had always said he refused to eat raw fish. Well for his birthday in June I took him to Tepanyaki for dinner. He naturally got the cooked stuff, and I got some Sunshine Rolls. Well, after a lot of persuasion I finally got him to try one. It's been down hill ever since. My favorite comment he made that night was, "It's not bad. It's not something I would order for myself, but it's good." Oh how this boy makes me giggle. Because the next time we went, I couldn't keep him away from my plate! Then finally the deal breaker last night, when he was the one requesting sushi. I always get the sunshine roll, but Scott is big on mixing things up and trying new things, so we tried the dragon roll. It was good, but I don't think I dig the spicy tuna. :( He loved it though. I even got him to try edamame. YUM! The transition to Japanese cuisine is almost complete. ;)
Then to top it all off I even got him to pose-literally-for a picture with me!! (For those of you who don't know this-he's anti anti photo taking. And yes, that's the only face he knows how to make.)

He's just so cute-I don't know why he hates pictures so. I just look tired. And what's with that weird flippy part of my hair? Huh.

Let's play catch-up, shall we?

Holy crap. Have you ever had times in your life where it's just sped by, yet you have nothing to show for it? That's how the last couple weeks have been for me. Then when I sit down to account of my adventures (or lack thereof)-I draw a complete blank. So...I will attempt to make this short, sweet, and somewhat interesting for those of you who care to read further.

In August my best friend Amber, Grandma Honey, and I took the girls to see "South Pacific" in Sandy. Amber is doing such a great job teaching her girls to love the theater. We had so much fun dressing in hula skirts (the girls did, anyway), our flower leis, and hibiscus in our hair for the night out. I thought the girls would have a harder time with this show than they did with last year-we saw "Beauty & the Beast"- but aside from a few wiggles they were captivated! Now they go around the house singing "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair..." Thanks to my little shutterbug best friend I have photos of the evening:

Makala, Mommy, Grandma Honey, and Ashton

Makala, Mommy, Auntie Kristen, and Ashton

Um...what else....ooh! ooh! Kimmy and I went to the State Fair a couple weeks back. We had a BALL!!! She had only been once before and had missed out on so much. The Fair was a family tradition for me growing up--I have especially fond memories of the "Big Yellow Slide". Amazingly enough Kimmy had never been on it, so NATURALLY we had to go!! It was so fun spending the afternoon with her wandering the Fairway, people watching, and eating all different varieties of Fair food!! P.S.-the corn dogs and funnel cakes were our FAVORITE!! :) Kim never sent me HER pictures, you you're stuck with mine: (Why they're HUGE, I don't know...)

Waiting in line on the slide-Kimmy is so cute in her new shades!

Partaking of the Fair food...YUM!!

Last week was my birthday, and that was fun. I'm not one of those people who dread getting older. Actually I look forward to my birthdays. The only thing I dread is the landmarks--you know, the milestones society thinks you should be hitting each year. That aside, I had the special treat of my parents visiting. It's always so fun to have them here. You don't realize how much you need your family until they aren't readily accessible. Unfortunately I don't have pictures-my parents are about as willing for pictures as Scott is--but I do have a couple of what awaited me when I came back to work the next day:


This is the whole reason I didn't come in on my birthday. I was trying to avoid the chaos!! I appreciate the effort of my co-workers though. It did make me feel loved.








Hanging in my chaos--let's just say I didn't get much done that day-there was TOO MUCH going on!! :)

Can you believe she'd never been on the Big Yellow Slide!? I KNOW!! We had fun though!

Last year these were all over the fairgrounds, but this is the only one we saw...

Well, that's about all that's been going on as of late--nothing too exciting as you can see.