Flowers!

Aren't they BEAUTIFUL? Isaac sent them to me for Valentine's Day! Flowers just make me happy. And I don't have to eat them and be sad the next day!
I got to go to Phoenix last week for a day and a half. I love that the kids get so excited to see me. Kamnden and kinsee just talked my ear off!!! Even Kaileigh remembered me which I was afraid she wouldn't. Kallen, well he is still too little so it's just great that he loves to snuggle. Isaac gets free passes and so he let me use one to come out. It was a fun trip. He got to meet Rachel and family-- the kids love him... We went to "the Coffee Shop" this lady has been on the food network channel for her cupcakes. Isaac found the place as it was really close to his house.I must say for $3 a cupcake I was expecting an out-of-this-world treat... I was a little disappointed. Maybe if we had gotten there when they first came out of the oven....or if they had been chocolate... well..I will try another place next time. It was fun to see where Isaac lives (Mesa/Gilbert) The library there is really neat. It has a beautiful park behind it. Lots of people fishing. I saw some hummingbirds SITTING on a branch! Maybe my brother should look into working for them.... The trip was too fast... but so good to see Isaac and my sister. Makes me realize just how much I miss living close to her and the kids.

Work has still been going well. (Read that as busy). I haven't been feeling the best this week. Lost of zinc and I think I am finally feeling better today. After a week of no exercise it was tough to do my workout today! My favorite DVD is Biggest Loser Cardo Max workout (with Bob) Totally kicks my butt and I love it!

Austin

Does anyone know how to change font color on here? For some reason I don't remember and I can't find it.... aggravating!

So Christmas came and went....New Years came and went... and here we are in mid-January. Guess that means this year will fly by?

The big news of today is that we have SNOW! It is 5:00 and already schools are closing for tomorrow. Got to love Texas!!! Maybe I won't have to go in to work tomorrow. Is it already too early to ask -- I don't have to be there until 4:00 tomorrow..

I did start my new year out with a small (?) slight concussion. I knocked my glasses on the floor and went to pick them up and smashed my head into my dresser. It sounded just like it does on CSI when someone gets whacked on the head!!! Anyway the next day it was more difficult to do 2 things at once (Drive and sing...drive and talk... shop and talk...) and I had a hard time connecting my thoughts!!

As some of you know I signed up for ldssingles awhile ago. I really don't recommend the whole on-line thing as it really hasn't worked for me and it is just not my thing... BUT I have made a new friend! His name is Isaac. He lives in Mesa, AZ. He is a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines. We have had a lot of fun talking on the phone the last month. He was in Austin this weekend with a long overnight...so I found someone to cover my shift at work and I went down! The only thing I remember about Austin was as a kid being taken to the Capitol Building... and hating having to go through it. But this trip was MUCH better. Isaac and I walked along the river...saw the bridge where the bats come out at night (have to see that some time...missed it this go around as I wasn't there yet or already left). We also walked around the University of Texas. It was a beautiful day...got to eat some good b-b-q and really had a lot of fun getting to know Isaac better.

Work has picked up quite a bit, which I am so grateful. I hope we are out of the Fall slump..and I hope there isn't a Winter or Spring slump! I figure all the Christmas gift cards will continue to trickle in and then we will hit Valentines day. I also wonder if any of the 200,00 people that are coming for the Super Bowl in Feb. will want a massage... let's hope so!

Utah

Another wonderful trip to Utah has come and gone. I spent the first half in Bountiful with Becky and her family. Josh was baptized so I got to help clean and cook. It was a lot of fun. So glad I could be there for it. We had a good visit. Becky taught Relief Society and it was a GREAT message. Loved it!!!
Darlene took me to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It was WONDERFUL. That is where I took the foggy picture of the SLC Temple.
Then I got to go to American Fork to be with my brother and his family!!! Got to see Miranda perform in a school Christmas Concert! They sang, "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas!!!" Love that song. It is currently my ring tone. Heather and I did a LOT of paining. I think it turned out great!!! I look forward to hearing the comments of friends and family as they see the "new house". She may have to get my Dad to help paint the kitchen and upstairs hallway.
As always the trip went too fast. Not enough eating at favorite places...though I did introduce Heather to Zupas. (YUM!!) and I had my Cafe Rio salad. Then we went to Texas Roadhouse and I must say... it was so good! Need to go there more often.
I think I have finally finished my Christmas decorating. I can't find a box that has some things.... grr. Maybe when Dad and I clean out the garage I will find it. we'll see.

Well as Darlene has told me: I have dogged a bullet. I got dumped over a TEXT MESSAGE yesterday. Really! and I was at work! So... my fun with David is no more. I know it will be fine, but it is my day to be cranky about it... so I will be for just awhile longer.
Enjoy the pictures I took!

Funeral

I am finally getting around to posting the pictures I took while in Missouri at my Grandma's funeral. It was a quick trip (yet again I learn I hate sitting for 10+ hrs while in a car!) It was great to see the family. I enjoy my aunts and uncles a lot more now that I am older. It was wonderful to see Grandpa. Still don't like seeing him get older, but sure do love him.
I will miss my Grandma, but the image I have of her reuniting with my Mom and her parents/ sisters makes it all ok.




I also got to go to AZ to see my sister and family. It was wonderful to meet Kallin. What a cutie. Love the stage when they just want to cuddle and don't care who is holding them. Took Kailiegh only a minute to remember me and that was so fun. Kinsee-- I will always treasure her hugs. She is just too funny. Kamden, growing up to be such a big boy!! 1. he is tall, 2. he is in pre-k now. CRAZY! Kait-- busy girl with school and the play (Sure wish I could go see it!!!) Kaijsa-- got to take her Sr. pictures and that was a lot of fun! Got some really good shots. I will post a few of my favorites.

Air Show and other things

Last few weeks have been busy in a new way! I went to the single adult conference and actually met someone! His name is David (yes... I know... but he does go by David and not Dave). He is 35, has 3 kids (girl 6, boy 5, girl 2). He works for ThyssenKrupp (elevator people) and has a personal business-- WorldVentures (A discount travel multi-level marketing company). We see each other when we can. With me working until 9 or 10 it is not always the easiest. We did take his kids to the air show this weekend. It was fun. I do love the loud jets. I was caught by surprise just once when the blue angel flew from behind us, low and fast. I loved it the kids started crying!

Work has been pretty slow. I am hoping with HS football winding down and the world series about over (Go RANGERS!) that things will start to pick up. Not sure how going into the holidays will impact things.

I get to go see my newest nephew next week! I am excited to meet Kallen. I will take lots of pictures. Then in a month I get to go to UT and I am super excited for that!

Today I took the Halloween decorations down and put up the Thanksgiving ones. It is a little crazy to me that we are in NOVEMBER!

Creativity

My Dad has been out of the country for the past 2 weeks. He gets home Sat. While he was out I decided to spend his money!!! I am so nice! We have needed a new vacuum for quite some time and I was sick of vacuuming with the hose! I decided on a Dyson ball and got it ordered...and then the consumer report magazine came in the mail and the Dyson did not rank as high as I wanted....and for HALF the price I could get a hoover that was ranked number 2! So I canceled the dyson and got the hoover. I used the hoover today and it was quite nice!
Now, what to do with the other half of that money-- I decided it was time to plant some flowers!

I hope I can help them last a year and then they should be pretty good. This has been a really hard spot of ground to get anything to grow... so we'll see. I will really try to get them to survive!

This week I also got to make a Halloween decoration-- blocks with vinyl lettering that says "Boo!" I like them. It was fun to do.

Work has been pretty steady this week. That is a good thing. And I am getting more "regulars" at least getting people to request me. I had one lady tell me that I do a really good job. That made me feel good.

Got my tickets to Utah!! That is definitely something I am looking forward to.

Here is a shout out to my sis-in-law: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope it is a great day and I mostly look forward to painting with you in December :-)

Not much

Again not a lot going on in my world. No fun work stories..hmmmm a co-worker showed us a picture of him in drag for Halloween... or was it for a night out? (it was Halloween). I worked on a lady that doesn't shave her legs or armpits. That was a little disturbing.... Work has been a little slow lately. Thankfully I can at least pay my bills, but I want to get my plane ticket to UT and start Christmas shopping!

I discovered I have allergies. The riding mower wasn't working the other day so I used the push mower to mow the back "40". I was so miserable for the next few days! Ragweed is NOT my friend! I did get to have one last swim towards the end of Sept. Now the nights are cool. I LOVE having the window open! (ignore allergies here)

A friend showed me how to prune the rose bushes this week. We'll see if Dad notices when he gets home from his Canada trip.

I am almost finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia. I have really enjoyed them. I like the first few the best... I wish the 4 kids were in all of the books. I really like little Lucy.

I have started watching Glee season 1. I like it for the most part. We'll see.

Here is Dad's pet spider: she has 3 egg sacks above her web. Guess we'll have natural decorations this year.