'Lunar Eclipse' party...

We decided a few weeks ago we were going to have a little get together for the lunar eclipse that just took place.  Darons mom came over...as well as his oldest son and his wife and kids.  We bought some fireworks (cause they are now legal in Arizona!) and cooked hot dogs over the firepit and just had a good time hanging out together!

 As you can see, by the end of the night we all ended up inside, and eventually every left and most of us were in bed before you could see any evidence of a lunar eclipse.  But, it was fun anyway!

Feliz Navidad...

For some reason it has taken me a while to get into the Christmas Spirit this year. I have felt so overwhelmed with the gift giving aspect of it all. I guess I have never been responsible for making sure a family has a 'good' Christmas morning...and I have really felt the pressure this year. I think it didn't help that I've only been around for a couple months...and it seemed like a huge responsibility to take on in such a short time. But, Daron has been super helpful, even though I know he HATES shopping and keeps telling me "I really have no idea how we made Christmas work...I wasn't in charge of that"...but together we figured it out I think.

But throughout this whole process I've been so bothered by how important gifts are, and getting the right thing, and spending enough/not too much money. I guess I've always felt like I could put more time and thought and maybe a little 'homemadeness' into my gifts...but this year it was simply about 'getting a gift and checking that person off my list.' So it makes me sad that what I would of gotten everyone isn't' as personalized as I may of wanted it to be. But...there is always next year I guess...and I won't have to shove what most people have a year to think about, into just 2 or 3 months.

Needless to say, I woke up today feeling all festive inside! We got the house cleaned up this weekend...and Hannah fixed the Christmas tree lights so they ALL light up...and we got some present put under the tree (compliments of Tacy and Jessie) ... and the Christmas Program was really good at church yesterday... the shopping is just about done... so now we can just get ready for the fun times, like the family dinner and just being together.

How do you like the new look for my blog???

reminiscing...

I found myself looking through some of my old blogs the other day...

Here are some of my favorite...

Are you sure... - one of my first blogs
Holy Dirty Dead Creature Batman... - a true story
Living Beautifully...Ocassionally... - not my words...but I love this!
Beware...some men might find this a little uncomfortable... - Poor Tacy and Tuna!
Psst...look at this... - the first of many Lane Bryant stories
That'll do... - this was such a big deal when it happened...let me tell you...
Smile for the Camera... just some good memories and pictures
Amish Bread and bra fittings... my most famous Lane Bryant story! I just got another anonymous comment on it this weekend!
Sniff... this is one of my favorite blog pictures
My bad... hahahaha...I forgot about this one!
The results are in... my mom is so silly...
Get comfy, this is a long one... it's really not that long...and it's worth the read!
Out of my element... a post about Daron, but you wouldn't know it since I never mention his name


In going through my old blogs I've notice a few things... I'm not as fun of a blogger as I once was. I used to have fun things to talk about...and now it seems like I don't. Also...the comments I get on my blogs are fewer and fewer. Granted, maybe that's due to the lack of good blogs to read. Who knows...

I'm going to try and be a fun blogger again... shorter, more frequent blogs about random subjects. Those were some of the good ones...

*the fact that even though I miss the holiday spirit that comes with cold weather...I am really glad that I don't have to deal with scraping the windows, preheating the car, and spinning out on black ice.

*that Darons goes to the grocery store with me on Monday nights even though I know he'd rather stay home and watch football.

*that we can pay the bills....even when there's not much left over...

*that the kids like me...i think...

*that my parents instilled such strong family traditions in me...

* my king size bed! How did we ever sleep in a queen?!?

*that I am getting more hours at work now...at least until Christmas

*that I was able to get insurance through my work for me and Daron...so he can stop paying out of pocket for his...

*that Bryan has decided he wants to go to church and that Hannah has always wanted to go

*that Hannah is doing better in school and that Bryan is good at school

*Pepsi

*for my funny sisters...and how even 2,000 miles across the country...they can still make me laugh uncontrollably

Another favorite I have to share...

I am one of those people that feel the need to pass good things on when I hear about them. And this falls into that category. I LOVE THIS POPCORN. I saw it at the grocery store...and where They sounded REALLY good...but I was still a little nervous to try them. It was only $1 for the box and I was looking for a good snack to have at work...and I LOVE those HINT OF LIME Tositos and so I didn't think these could be too bad. And I was right...they are SO SO SO GOOD!

So, Orivlle Redenbacher's Natural Lime + Salt Popcorn...put it on the grocery list...it's a must!

Whirlwind...

Things have been so busy here it seems... I can't believe it's already been almost 2 months since we got married. Let me give you a little run down of life...

We got back from our road trip from Illinois to Arizona...and that next weekend Darons son Joey got married. Then a couple days after that we had our cruise. We had a couple 'normal' weeks at home...then Darons dads wife Marge was sick in the hospital...so we went up to Payson (about an hour and a half north of us) and visited her on a Saturday...then we got a call on Sunday that she wasn't waking up and so they rushed her down to the hospital in Phoenix. The doctors said they were sure she'd wake up and that she'd be fine...but Monday the 15th I was almost to work and Daron called me and said that now they were saying she wasn't going to make it much longer and we should go see her. So...awkward of all awkward things...Daron picks me up from the office and we went to the hospital where she is hooked up to a breathing tube and unconscious and her kids from her first marriage are there and Melissa (Darons sister) and Darons dad Dwight is there and her first husband is there...and then there's ME. I've never met her (cause I didn't go back to her room when we visited her in Payson a few days before) and I barely knew Dwight at all...so I felt really stupid. But...I didn't make an issue of it cause I didn't want to attract attention to myself. So after a couple hours or so of being there she died. That was on a Monday and so that Saturday was her memorial back up in Payson.

And then we had Thanksgiving on Thursday. I was a little stressed out cause I wanted to make the rolls that my dad always makes that taste like perfection with leftover turkey and cranberries. I also wanted to make a lemon meringue pie. Well...lets just say it was a little stressful. My first one didn't turn out at all...so I ended up dumping it down the garbage disposal. But...after a pep talk with Tuna...then one with my mom...then with Daron...and then after getting my dad on the phone and him meticulously talking me through every detail...I was able to make a passable pie and DIVINE rolls! I also made two pumpkin pies...but that wasn't nearly as stressful...

So it ended up being a really good day. Darons whole family was there...including his dad who came down from Payson. His sister and her husband and two kids were there...as well as his mom Judy. Me and Hannah did a puzzle after dinner...which was nice.

So now we have Christmas to get through...but I'm looking forward to it!

can you find it...

I changed something about my blog...can you find it?

Also I am in the mood to re-vamp the blog again. I'm getting bored with this...but it's time consuming for me to change everything. Hmmm...

Have you heard of this...

This sounds like a forward you would get on your email...or a dateline special report...

In fact I HAVE gotten forwards like this and heard stuff about this on the news...

My boss Dave calls me into his office this morning to show me an email he got from the lady in his ward who used to be the Primary President (Dave was in the bishopric until last Sunday, and was over the Primary...so it wasn't uncommon for him to email with this lady). It was from her and her husband...saying they had taken a trip to London and had gotten robbed...all of their money and passports and credit cards were stolen. They were looking for anyway who could wire them some money. I didn't read through the whole thing...but it looked like it gave an address and information about how to get the money to them. Well...of course Dave freaks out, trying to figure out what he can do to help, but forwards it to his Bishop first to see if he knew anything about it. The Bishop calls the couples house, and of course they are home and when they go to check their email...they can't log in because they 'don't' have the right password'...

CRAZY huh...like I said I've heard about all sorts of stuff like that in forwards and warnings on the news...but never heard of it happening to someone I know! I guess these people don't even have to hack into your email... If you just put enough info out on blogs or facebook, like your old high school and the town where you grew up...and then they can create accounts and stuff and add you as a friend and 'pose' as someone you used to know or someone you 'should remember' from high school or whatever...and then explain their 'situation' and try to get money out of you...

It's crazy...

a new favorite...

For our wedding reception here we had BBQ and chips...we just bought one of those big cases of individual bags of chips. One of the flavors was this Cheddar Jalapeno Cheetos. No one ate them at the wedding...so we had a bunch left over for us at home. I was nervous to try them because I really like the Flaming Hot Cheetos...but I can only eat just a few before it's way too hot...and so I figured these jalapeno ones would be hotter...but they aren't. They are DELICIOUS! A hint of a flavor of jalapeno...with the regular cheesiness of a Cheetos that you would expect. I am happy cause Bryan doesn't like them (he eats a family size bag of the flaming hot ones a week by himself) and neither does Daron or Hannah...so they are ALL MINE!!! These will probably become a regular chip for me to get when I'm in the market for a bag of chips...

bon voyage...

We leave for our cruise tomorrow!!!!!!!!! Our boat actually doesn't take off (take off...is that what boats do?) until Monday afternoon...but we are leaving tomorrow after church for L.A. and staying the night there! I am so excited to see the ocean for the first time! I plan on taking lots of pictures and I will make a huge effort to get them posted not too long after getting home.

I haven't heard back from my photographer for the wedding yet...but I will get those posted too as soon as I get them!

As for tonight...we went to Peter Piper Pizza for Darons nephew, Charlie's birthday party. Darons family has a dinner together once a month to celebrate everyones birthday in that month. It's usually a homemade dinner at the house...but this has been a BUSY month with our wedding and Darons sons wedding and the cruise and stuff...so we just decided to combine the family dinner with Charlies birthday party.... so here are a few pictures from that...

And that's it for now...I'll be gone for a week (not that I've been blogging any more frequently that than anyway...) but I'll be back with lots of pictures!!!

movin on up...

Here is something happy........me and Daron got a king bed yesterday!!! You have no idea how excited I am about this. For many reaons...

1. The bed we were sleeping on was the bed him and his ex-wife slept on....and for some reason he didn't understand how much this bothered me...

2. It was a queen bed...and we learned quickly that we do not fit well on a queen bed. We start off fine...but I move around and sort of gravitate towards whoever is on the bed with me...and that didn't leave much room for him.

3. The bed frame he had for the old bed so SO FREAKING TALL...I had to sort of jump to get in it and then pray for a soft landing when I fell out of it every morning.

4. We really only ended up paying a couple hundred dollars for it! It turns out that the money we got for our wedding was just almost exactly how much we needed for the bed!

So...needless to say we slept very well last night...I am very excited about it...

oops...

I promised my mom I would update my blog a few days ago...and I didn't.

Things have finally slowed down a little...

The wedding is done...both receptions are done...now I'm just back at work and living life! Things are good here...almost too good...I keep waiting for a melt down or a freak out or a 'WHAT WAS I THINKING' moment...but I haven't had one yet. Granted it hasn't even been 2 weeks...but I wouldn't of put it past myself to have an episode by now...

Next week we go on our cruise and I am SO EXCITED!! I still haven't seen the ocean and I can't wait to FINALLY check that off my 'to do' list...

I haven't gotten back the wedding pictures yet...and I will post those as soon as I get them...but I should be getting some pictures from the open house we had here in Arizona. I'll post whatever I get as soon as I get them...

That's it for now...

nauvoo bridal shower...

Here are some pictures from the bridal shower Jennifer and Sophie Smith threw for me!!

a couple stories...

A few days ago me and Daron went to P.F. Changs after going to the temple and here is what our fortunes were:

Mine: Your sense of adventure will lead you on a great vacation.

Darons: You will do well to take a vacation travelling to the west.

Funny huh!

In other news I don't think I ever wrote about the drama that was moving out of my house in June! Well...the moving part wasn't the drama...it was trying to get our deposit back that was such an issue!

It all started at the final walk through with me, Jillian and our landlord Beth the day after we had all moved out. We walked through the house and she pointed out a few things that were broken and that would be deducted from our deposit, there were about 5 or 6 things and it was looking to be a few hundred dollars...and at the end right before we all left she says "And I just want to tell you girls that I really hope you don't do to other landlords what you did to me. You are the filthiest girls and it was just disgusting in here every time I came over." (if you know me you are probably thinking that there was a good possibility that that was true...but if you knew Jillian you would know that our house was never disgusting...and even I wouldn't let it get disgusting...I just let my room get cluttered sometimes) So we were like...um...ok... and then we left...FUMING of course. So a few days later we get an email informing us that we weren't going to be getting anything back because of the cost of everything...and she included a list of the deductions and one of them was a $3100 carpet replacement!!! We were FURIOUS because the carpet was just fine when we left! So we asked for copies of the receipts of course.... A few days later we get an email with ONE receipt scanned in and it was for the carpet replacement... After looking the receipt over for a little while it just didn't seem quite right. So we looked closer and it turns out she ALTERED the receipt! It was actually an ESTIMATE from 2008!!!! You could see where she had whited out the dates and then photocopied it again with a date of July 2, 2010 over one of the spots...which you could tell was a different font and size...and she forgot to white out one of the smaller dates that said 2008 on it.

So, we informed her that if she did not provide an actual receipt for the carpet replacement as well as the other receipts then we would be taking legal action.

Needless to say...after weeks of going back and forth with emails and her sending over new lists with new deductions and different prices (included air conditioning replacement, a new garbage disposal, and a bunch of other made up stuff that she never actually did)...we did sue her. And we won! We didn't get it all back like we were hoping...but we got a good chunk back...

And I have to give a shout out to my former roommate Jillian...who did all of the filing and the organizing and the submitting of everything to court! It wouldn't of happened without her!

busy busy busy...

Well I only have a few days left in the Arizona before I head back home for the last time as a single woman! I fly home Thursday, and less than two week later Daron flies into town, and a few days after that we are married! It's absolutely crazy to think how different life will be after that! I've realized on this trip how funny it will feel to live away from my family and know that it's a permanent thing...that my life for the most part will now be solely in Arizona.

Me and Daron have thought that we will get the car all packed and leave from the reception and go to Iowa City...since we are driving home anyway (through Utah to see my grandparents)...and stay there Friday night and leave Saturday morning. I have been thinking about how bittersweet my reception will be. It won't just be a 'congratulations on your wedding' (well, for some people it will be just that), but for lots of important people in my life it will be saying 'goodbye' too...and I worry that I am going to cry a lot (sort of like the way I am crying right now just blogging about it!!)

Ok...on to happier thoughts. I had a mental list of things that needed to be done on this trip...and I believe we accomplished most if not all of them... Let's see...

1. find sweaters for the bridesmaids...check
2. rug doctor the carpets in Darons house for the company we'll have for the AZ reception...check
3. get ties for the groomsmen, my dad and Daron...check
4. get Darons front room cleaned up (which has been basically collecting boxes of unwanted crap for the past many months...check
5. have the AZ bridal shower...check
6. have dinner with the girls...check
7. go with Daron to the temple for the first time...CHECK :)
8. get Darons wine cabinet on craigslist...not yet...but my time here isn't over yet!

Anyway...so it's been a productive and eye opening week...
There is TONS of stuff waiting for me to do when I get home...even though my family has been busy while I've been gone! As much as I didn't want to depend on them to get things done for the wedding I absolutely would never of gotten anything done without them!

You need to watch this...

A while back I blogged about how funny Modern Family was...and I'm the type of person that I really hate people missing out on super funny things...so I'm sharing this video with you. I couldn't copy and past the embedding code into my blog for some reason but this link should take you there...

In other news...I'm back in Arizona for another week of getting the pre-wedding things done. Daron went through the temple yesterday and that was so good!! The bridal shower that Hannah and Keri are doing is tonight and I am very excited about that! We are getting our new couch delivered here on Wednesday. The couch and love seat Daron had were pretty worn out and old...so it will be nice to have something new. I will for sure get some before and after pictures to share with everyone... We also got a new cat! I have never been a cat person, but we went to the pound the last time I was here and they had this cute little Russian Blue kitten...so they went a couple days before I came and got her and we picked her up on Tuesday! She is adorable!

Jennifer and Sophie Smith threw me the coolest bridal shower shower last week! There was tons of purple and sparkles (which are my two favorite things) and it was just really nice! Over the top nice!! Jennifers niece Sarah took pictures and as soon as she sends them to me I will get pictures posted of that.

Don't let the bed bugs bite...

Last night when I went to bed I rolled onto my back and saw a black shadow on the ceiling. I put my glasses on and saw it was a praying mantis. I didn't think much of it and I rolled back over, turned off the light and went to sleep.

When I woke up this morning that silly thing was STILL THERE on the ceiling right where I had left it. Again, I didn't do anything about it and got up and went to my tanning appointment.

When I got home about 15 minutes later I gathered my things I wanted to take pictures of to put on eBay and I walked into my room and just about plopped myself down on my bed when I noticed the mantis sitting right in the middle of my bed...right where I would of squished him if I had continued with my plopping down.

For some reason I found this little scene 'blog worthy' and so I got my camera to take a picture of it and right after the flash went off he flew across my bed and landed somewhere in the mess of blankets I keep between me and the wall...

I hope he makes his way back to my ceiling by the time I go to bed again...cause I don't relish in the idea of cuddling up with a praying mantis at night...

A preview of life to come...

I'm in Arizona where I've been sweating like a prostitute in church since I got off the airplane last week...but I have been very productive...

We got the Arizona reception sort of figured out a little and planned somewhat...we went to Darons insurance provider and looked into what it would be to add me to his policy in October...we got engagement pictures taken...we almost got a baby kitty...we had dinner with some friends of his...we are going to print the announcements tonight...we will register tomorrow...I cleaned up (part) of the house today while Daron went to the office to get some paperwork done so he can take tomorrow off too...

Now that I try to list everything it doesn't seem like that much...but it feels like a lot...but either way it's been a good 4 days!!

What am I thinking...

It may seem a little silly to start a whole new blog since I struggle to keep up with this one...but nevertheless I have...

It's more of a journal type thing....only for my dreams....I don't really expect anyone to follow it or read it faithfully...but I thought I'd put it out there as an option anyway.

www.onedreamygirl.blogspot.com

surprise surprise...

book the location...check!

wedding shoes...check!

another one bites the dust...

apply for a passport...check!

to do list...

wedding invite....check

wedding dress...check

plane tickets...check

Everything else I have to do...NO CHECK!

AHHHHH!!!!!!

oh my...

Holy crap I don't think I've ever gone this long without blogging...and the sad part is I have SO MUCH to blog about!!

First things first...as I'm sure all of you know already...I'M ENGAGED!! Daron flew out last Tuesday and spent the next 10 days out here! I am taking him to the airport tomorrow morning. It has been an amazing 10 days but it will be nice to get back to 'normal' for the next little while. That is until my definition of normal changes drastically in a few months.

I knew he was going to ask me while he was out here...but I didn't know where or when...so when he asked me at the Arch in St. Louis shortly after I picked him up, needless to say I was surprised. I knew he wanted to talk to my dad first...and come to find out he already had on the phone (that's how my dad asked my grandpa about my mom...so he thought that would be fine to keep up tradition)... The fun thing was, when I got home there was a surprise 'Happy Engagement' that Tuna and Daron had been planning for a while!!! It was nice to have everyone there!

Here is a picture at the arch where he asked...

We had a rockin 4th of July party! There was a super cool 3-legged race...good food...door prizes...and of course some fireworks! ( I was trying to post some picture of it all...but for some reason the picture uploader isn't working anymore)

Me and Daron went to Indiana and spent most of a day with Sarah and her family! It was so nice to see her again!

So it has been a crazy week or two...I got engaged...Had a party...got my dress and my bridesmaid dresses...saw Wicked in St. Louis...went to Indiana...worked a little...took some engagement pictures...and lots of other stuff. Needless to say I am tired and should be going to sleep now instead of blogging...

I will try to get the pictures posted tomorrow or at least sometime soon!

Nubbins...

It's storming tonight and our dog Nubbins is absolutely petrified of storms...but...I have to admit I sort of like it! Nubbins isn't usually a very warm and cuddly dog...he likes to be in the same room as you...but doesn't like to be on your lap or really touching you at all...unless it's storming...and then he is right there next to you and on top of you if he can be. If you're walking around the house he is right at your heels and when you sit down he is next to you begging to be picked up. Then when you do pick him up he is shaking like crazy! If he wasn't such a sad and pathetic little thing I would with for storms more often.

In other news...things are going pretty good here in Nauvoo so far... We've only been back for a little over 2 weeks...but it feels like a lot longer than that! I'm back at the Adventure Zone again, and at the Fudge Factory as well. Just like old times! I called the flower shop to let her know I was back in town and ready to help her for the summer and fall (like we had agreed on before I left Arizona), but she said she no longer needed my help and that if I wasn't going to be staying in Nauvoo I shouldn't get my footings here. So, I am just working at the other two places.

I realize that most people who read this probably know why I won't be staying in Nauvoo forever...but then some of you may not...so I'll fill you in. It looks as though I will be getting married in October! It's crazy I know...but I'm happy and excited... I'll write a more detailed blog about it all later...I wouldn't want to waste all my good topics in one blog!!!

There's no place like home...

Well...we made it safely from Arizona to Illinois...and it is good to be back home!

Until today I couldn't find an internet connection at my house so I haven't been able to update my blog...but I'll update you on a few things that have happened over the past couple weeks...

*When doing the final walk through at my house my landlord told us that we were 'slobs' and she had never seen a dirtier house than ours was when she would have to come by every once in a while. I was LIVID and if I didn't need some portion of my security deposit back I would of told her what a 'wonderful' landlord she was...

*I realized I have TOO MUCH STUFF and I am way to sentimental...

*I got a dozen long stem roses from Daron sent to me at my office!! I was sad there was no way I could bring them home with me. I did manage to get three of them home safely and am drying them out now...

*We had a great Memorial Day! After the 'walk through' and packing my car in the morning we came home and swam and BBQ'd and ate all day!!! Good times!

*We are almost all moved into our house here in Nauvoo. Well...everyone is moved in except me. I have too much crap and I can't figure out what to do with all of it... If you live around here you are welcome to come by and hang out any time!

*I had my first shift at the Adventure Zone on Saturday. It was almost like I never left... At one point the girl I was working with complimented me on something that I did well and I said "Well, I have made a pizza or two here in my day" and right after that I dropped a freshly cooked pizza on my foot and all over the floor...YUCK...

*I am going to talk to Marty at Hilltop Floral tomorrow and I am excited to get started working with her.

*Daron is coming the Tuesday before the 4th of July and will be here a week!! I am very excited to see him again!

I will try to be a better blogger and post things more regularly...

out of my element...

So last night I went on a date to this super fancy restaurant called Ruth Chris. Here is how the night went...

First...he had the car valet parked...

Then we got to the restaurant where we gave them our name so they could look up our reservation cause you pretty much have to have a reservation I guess...(even though on the phone they told him they were busy and they would have to see if they had an open spot...the restaurant was more than halfway empty the whole time we were there)

Then the hostess sat us and asked if we'd like a black napkin so we didn't get white lint on any of our black clothes...(I know right...weird)

Then our waitress came and she asked us if we wanted anything to drink and I said water and I was promptly offered...get this...3 types of water. Some fancy name I couldn't understand...another fancy name that was a sparkling water...and then the house water. I got the house water and it was almost too watery for me...(kidding...it was fine).

Then I got to looking at the menu and I had to calculate how many hours of work it would take me to just order and appetizer or salad so I almost refused to pick anything because it was out of control.

Then he ordered us shrimp cocktail for an appetizer (which was SO DELICIOUS...it was 4 of the biggest shrimp I've ever seen and it cost more than most entrees I've ever ordered in my life)...then we both got ...oh crap...I can't remember what sort of steak it was...but let me tell you it was a PARTY IN MY MOUTH...when it came out the waitress says to hold up your napkins so the puddle of spattering butter on the plate doesn't get on your clothes.

So...it was a super good dinner...but I was a little out of my comfort zone to say the least. But I guess I better love it while it last since in a few weeks the fanciest thing I'll have is The Hawkeye if I'm feeling lucky...

17 days till we leave!!!!

is there anyone who doesn't know this already...

I was re-reading through some old blogs from last year and I used to be a really cool blogger. I suck super bad at it lately...

Here is a blog that has been a long time coming. But...I doubt it is anything new to anyone...

About a month or two ago I was on the phone with my sister and she informed me that Marty Hopp was going to retire at the end of the year. Marty owns Hilltop Floral, where I did my internship during school. She then suggested that I move home and open a flower shop...I would have a corner on the market and be able to do something I've always like doing...

To make a really long story short....I'M DOING IT! I am moving home in 4 weeks. I will be working with Marty until the end of the year...and then hopefully sometime shortly after that I will open my own shop...with the help of Marty and family and anyone who would like to be an investor in my little idea!

My friend Stacie is going to move with me! She will be there for at least the summer...and depending on how the job search goes (she is waiting to hear back about a teaching position here in Chandler) she may stay longer!

Here is the cool thing about this plan. Quite a few weeks back when me and Stacie were trying to make a final decision about whether to stay in AZ or go to Illinois...we both came up with our main reasons why we shouldn't go.

Me:

1- My one and only reason for thinking I shouldn't go was my job. I really like my job! I like the people, I like what I do, I have insurance...it just didn't make sense for me to quit.

Stacie:

1-She didn't have a job here and was worried she wouldn't be able to come up with enough money to move and have some to live off of for a while in Illinois.

2-She was really worried about actually finding a job in Nauvoo once we got there.

Since then, Stacie has substitute taught almost every day for about 3 weeks (previously she was only doing once, maybe twice a week). And...she has 3 jobs lined up for when we get home! (can you live in Nauvoo and only have 1 job? I don't think so)

And...come to find out...this big contract my boss had with the City of Phoenix...the one that got put on hold for 6 weeks this winter resulting in me 'losing my job' for 6 weeks...Dave found out early last week that the City of Phoenix is backing out of the contract they had with us...and that project is going to be over at the end of July...so...odds are...I would of lost my job then anyway...or at least been cut back to part time...

I just think it is AMAZING that our 3 really only hesitations with moving to Nauvoo have now become obsolete...in just a matter of weeks!!

So that is the plan! I am SUPER excited and SUPER SUPER nervous about this new adventure...but I feel really good about it and hopefully it will all work out well...

A week of firsts...

Well it has been a long and exciting week...

I finally had my surgery to get my gallbladder out...and it went really well...I guess...since I slept through it all. I have 5 little incisions that hurt A LOT and are bruised and itchy right now...but that is a lot more tolerable than a gallstone attack... The only 'problem' was that the nurse couldn't get my IV to go into my hand...so she had to get the anesthesiologists assistant to come down and do it...and he did and it was fine! (and so was he!)

I was sort of excited for my surgery...I was my first time as a real live patient in a hospital and I was pretty pumped about it. Right before they wheel you away to go to the operating room they give you a dose of 'happy juice' that the nurse said would take the nerves off and just relax me a bit. I told her that I was feeling pretty relaxed and not nervous at all...then she dumped the stuff in my IV and my mom said it was only a matter of seconds before I was laughing really hard. I don't remember anything after that until I woke up in the recovery room.

Here is my IV...and my only hospital bracelet I've had since I was born!

So since Tuesday we haven't really done much...just been lazy. Of course I couldn't do much if I wanted to because anytime I would twitch for the first couple of days either my mom or Stacie would be right next to me with 'what do you need'...'what can I get you'...'what is wrong'...but I tell you what it's been very much appreciated. I FOR SURE would of never made it through my week without them!! I got flowers from a few people which were so nice...my office, Daron and Joe and Jennifer Smith!!

So today we decided to get pedicures...another first for me this week...and as many of you know my huge phobia of feet...this was quite the accomplishment for me. And even just having this nasty picture of our feet on my blog is a big deal! But...I had to show off the cute little flowers!!

a saturday in pictures...

I took this...

turned it into this...

then I did this...

(and it may be in the 90's outside...but the water is no where near ready for swimming...it was FREEZING!!)

Get comfy...this is a long one...

Almost every day on my drive home from work I drive by a cutie old lady who is walking a basset hound that I can only assume is older than the lady herself!

I didn't see them at all last week...or at all earlier this week...and I was starting to actually get really nervous that one or the other...or both...had died!

I saw them yesterday...and I can neither confirm or deny that I may of started crying a little...

This little lady and her basset hound got me thinking about all of these people in our lives that we see on a regular basis that we have really no actual relationship with whatsoever.

I wonder if people who 'see' me all the time start to get a little worried if I 'go missing' for a while.
Like...do the people at the McDonalds drive through on the corner of I-10 and 7th st. start to wonder if I'm alright when I've gone more than 2 or 3 days inbetween visits. Or...the girl that dresses up as Lady Liberty and walks outside the tax office on Mill and the 60...does she wonder if everything's ok when she doesn't see my orange Ford Escape coming down the road around 5:00 every day? Or maybe the guy who is always taking his offices mail to the mail box at the same time I am every day...does he think I've been fired (or maybe quit) if I haven't been there for a while?

Probably not..........

But...that brings me to another thought: the influence and effect we can have on people we only meet once or twice. I can think of quite a few instances where I came across someone only once...and I can still remember how they acted or what they did and how that influenced me.

Like the other day I left the office to get lunch at Panda Express and I grabbed by debit card and left and I got through the drive through and went to pay and realized that I had grabbed my credit card (which doesn't work anymore) and I had no way to pay! I looked around my car...I don't know why though...I guess hoping a miraculous $5 bill would appear...but it didnt and so I turned to the guy and said "I'm so sorry...I don't have anything else" and took my card back and was just going to drive away and he says "Oh...don't worry...you can just have it! We're just going to throw it away anyway" and I said I couldn't do that and I felt really bad, but he insisted and so I took it, thanked him, drove off (and probably cried then too!).

Another time I was in the line at the post office...I think it was mid July or August last year...I guess I just remember that it was REALLY REALLY hot and the line was long and people were grumpy and short to the workers (and I'm sure the workers weren't thrilled either) and it didn't seem like a very posative situation. For some reason that I cannot remember now, the lady next to me struck up a conversation......OH I REMEMBER NOW...Sarah Harward called me and talked to her for a minute, but then asked if I could call her back in a few minutes. The lady next to me says "You must be pretty optomistic thinking you're only going to be a few minutes" and from there we just started talking about who knows what...gardening I think...and she made what could of been a miserable visit to the post office something rather enjoyable.

I know neither of those are really great examples...but those people could of easily turned those situations into something completely different. The Panda Express guy could of (and had a right to) be really upset and said rude things...or the lady at the post office could of been crochety and said some rude thing about me being on my phone in a public place or just completely ignored me in the first place, which is sort of the 'socially acceptable' thing to do when you're in a public setting now (elevators, lines, city transportation) ...

In closing (since this is turning out to be longer than any formal talk I've had to give) I'd like to share a quote with you that I have framed on my desk at home:

"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again."

Easter...

Here are some picture from Easter Sunday. I spent the afternoon with Danille and Brian and Brians family. It was nice...

The picture I DIDN'T get were of the girls deciding they wanted to go swimming and I volunteered to chaperon that event...resulting in me jumping in the pool after Briana who thought she was a fish... And also later that day completely running out of gas and coming to a standstill in the middle of the road and having to call my Relief Society President to come and pick me up and drive me to the gas station so I could buy a gas can and some gas!!! It was awful...

Although it may not seem like a very 'General Conference' themed Sunday for me I did get too see 3/4's of the broadcast session...and it was very good and uplifting...which was to be expected. Lots of good council to get through the next couple months!!