Holy Colee!

Well, I've been chastised again for not actually updating this thing, and since I am avoiding moving furniture, I figure now is the time. Life is actually pretty quiet – with days that are super busy. I spent last week in Dingle which is always a busy time, and of course it was full of fun things. I got to be home for Cannon’s Blue and Gold Banquet, quality scrapbook time with the girls, dinner with my Georgetown family, watch parties, humanitarian aide day, Relief Society dinner, temple day, we learned a new card game – and I am pretty sure I can even remember most of the rules ;)

This week I finally picked out bedroom furniture. I’ve been putting it off, but I found a set I love and is on a stellar deal. Grownup furniture will now be in my living room, kitchen AND bedroom. Look at me being an adult. What that means is now I have to rearrange, redistribute and get rid of stuff so it can all fit. The tricky part is doing all of that AND leaving my house liveable for my friends coming for dinner and my family that is coming to stay over spring break. YAY! for them coming to stay. BOO! that I won’t actually be here when they do.

PS – know anyone who wants an elliptical? I’ll take $50 off the asking price if you can get it out of my house before the delivery guys come ;-)

It's been kind of a long week... 4 people who I love have lost someone they love. It makes my heart hurt. It also makes me realize how blessed I am to have the gospel in my life. The sweet assurance that we will be able to be with our loved ones again. It allows us to miss having them with us now, but know that the sorrow is only temporary.

I guess, now the goal is to make sure we are living a life so that we qualify for that privilege.

Tonight is the first time I have tuned into American Idol - I know, you're shocked and slightly amazed. But here's the thing, Simon is leaving after this year. Let's face it - is there really another reason to watch the show? No really - IS there another reason to watch the show? I guess one could argue that I should watch to fill my "Simon's snide remarks" tank... hmmm... maybe

It has been a lovely weekend, really, Friday was my grandma's birthday. She turned 88. I vote 88 is an accomplishment all in itself. My mom and Cannon came down and we spent the afternoon with grandma and grandpa. I even got to meet my cousins' spouses and children. And for that matter, see some of the cousins I haven't seen for so long one of them had actually NO clue who we were. The last time I saw him he was probably 4... now he's probably 24. It's a stark contrast to the family relationships on my mom's side of the family - where we get together for everything...weddings, funerals, blessings, birthdays, ummm Tuesday?

Today was a super good day. Liz and I went to Logan because we're being supportive. Our friend, Spencer, was released from the stake calling he has held for the past 10 years. As we were walking into the tabernacle, I noticed Spencer was talking to someone who has actually been on my mind a lot lately, for no known reason, Ron Godfrey. Ron was my advisor at USU, and I am pretty sure one of the most influential people in my actually get through my program. I had lost track of him when he left Logan to serve in Kentucky. So, yay :) Coincidentally, Brother Godfrey was sustained as the new Stake President. It was fun just to see him again. After Stake Conference, we went over to Lafe's, where his fabulous roommates fed us dinner. Afternoons like today remind me of how much fun it is to actually have people around. Don't get me wrong, I still love the quiet little life I live, but having people around to just laugh with - not a bad plan either.

It was a good way to end a good weekend.

I went to the funeral of a man I didn't really know well, today. He came to our family about the same time that I was moving away. 14 years ago, Harry married my Great Aunt Helen Rae. She is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet - and I do suggest you meet her. Listening to his family and friends talk about him today, made me wish I had gotten to know him better. I know that sometimes at funerals you think - wow, did these people really know the same person I did? But today that was not the case.
Today, I think I want to be a little better... so that when you silly bums have to talk at my funeral - you can be as genuine as his family was.

I had a small moment of bliss this morning. I got to work, and as I was sitting in the parking lot deciding whether or not to get out of the truck, I looked at the eastern horizon. The faintest shade of pink was beginning to appear over the mountains. That's right my friends - the days are getting longer! A ray of hope in this dreary winter! The groundhog may be predicting 6 more weeks of winter, but he's only accurate 39% of the time... I'm still crossing my fingers.

I used to think my life was actually interesting. And for some reason I needed to advertise that interesting life to the world wide web... I have recently come to the conclusion that this is not necessarily so. However, I do like to hear myself talk - so here I am again making you listen :)

I was super excited this past weekend to get out of town and visit the center in Baton Rouge. Working remotely has some benefits, but I really enjoy being able to get back into where the work is happening and visit with the people I talk to every day. And, I'm not gonna lie, I like getting to see my friends.

I travelled to Baton Rouge with the other Utah kids, Leah and Warren. We got to the center late afternoon on Thursday - just in time to check in and say Hi. It was good to meet some of the client visitors who were already there. We stayed a couple of hours before going back to the hotel, and getting out for dinner. I have also decided I like traveling WITH people. Dinner is much more fun with people to talk to.

Friday we spent part of the day in the center and then headed back to the hotel to set up the conference room for the meetings that were the actual cause of the trip. I think the meetings went really well. The energy was positive and I think people walked away with a good understanding of where we are, and where we want to be. And best of all, I think they understand what we need everyone to do to get there.
After the meeting, there was a cocktail hour and dinner at a fabulous little steak house called Sullivan's. I especially love seeing people get out of the work frame of mind, let their hair down a little and just have a good time. I definitely learned more about my leadership team than ever would have come up on a conference call. I am thinking we need to push Steve's wife for some pictures :) If for no other reason than that he dared us to try.

Saturday we woke up and went to lunch (yes, those things happened very close to each other) at a place called George's. I am not sure where Jon found this place, but it was awesome! It was funny to see Leah get all nervous. I'm not sure she was a fan of the idea at eating at a hole in the wall that is literally under the overpass of the freeway in a not so "Chili's" part of town :)If you're ever in Baton Rouge, I highly suggest it. Great food, unique atmosphere, reasonable prices... a winning combination.

After lunch we did it all again! for the team that wasn't there the night before. Saturday night I stuck around for the after party at Ringside. The band was great and again, it was just fun to see people be people instead of be "at work."

The trip back - for our little group - was pretty uneventful. There were a couple of horror stories from some of the other folks who had traveled, but we were not among them. And, fortunately - we got out of town before the game... Maybe that was fortunate.... maybe it would have been fun to see the whole town going crazy for their team :) GOOOO SAINTS :)

There has been interest expressed in knowing why I have wire in my living room, so I figured I'd better post.

I am clutz. I present to you two exhibits.

Exhibit A: I managed to step on a piece of barbed wire which has left a gash in the bottom of my foot. Where is this wire? Sitting near the wall IN MY LIVING ROOM. Who really has barbed wire in their living room? And who walks on it if they do?

Exhibit B: I managed to sprain my ankle walking across - The Parking Lot. It's a flat surface. I wasn't anywhere near ice or snow. I wasn't wearing heels. I have been walking for over 30 years.. and yet...

Best part - same foot. Happy Thursday!

I love the smell of fresh ginger. I can remember the first time I ever cooked with fresh ginger, because it wasn't all that long ago. I was taking a cooking class with my friends James and Heather and the instructor, Hiro, was going on about the wonders of this ugly little brown thing. It's good for everything from flavoring food to relieving PMS... just incase you were wondering. I remember when he cut into it and that yummy lemon smell was passed around... yes, I am a geek. Why do yo ask?

Anyway, tonight I was making orange ginger chicken and was mincing the ginger and now my house smells the same yummy lemon smell. Oh, and dinner was really tasty.

I wonder how long my hands will smell like ginger? It's like a pleasant little surprise every time I touch my glasses :)

I've been thinking a lot about stomachs lately. Not their size, so much as their function. Michaela has been sick, and no one could really figure out why. To be honest, I don't think anyone still knows the original cause, but 3 trips to the ER, 1 CT scan, 1 scope, 3 doctors, 2 prescriptions and 3 diagnosis later, she seems to be feeling much better.

I guess it really is even more than just stomachs, or even the digestive system in general (which I am still pondering even after surgery 3 months ago) but the entire human body. What an amazing machine we are. All of the pieces fit together in such a specific manner that even the slightest imbalance, bump, bruise, tear, scratch or break can set of a series of events that most of us don't even recognize as related. Thank goodness for doctors who dedicate their lives to learning how to recognize and treat these machines. It is also good that most of the time the initial concern doesn't expand any further than that. But, wow, when it does....

Anyway, I figured it was time to update the blog and i don't have anything super profound. Now you know.

How can you pass up $25 tickets to Las Vegas? We couldn't.

Wednesday afternoon we arrived in Vegas, took a shuttle to the hotel and checked in. I think the best way to describe The Imperial Palace is to quote the guy from Hard Rock,"Ghetto Chique." We explored the hotel and casino for a bit, and then decided we needed to go to a show that night. We got hooked up at the half price ticket booth with Donny and Marie tickets... Yes, that's right :) We went to see the Osmonds. It was super cheesy - and perfectly fun.




Thursday we had a lovely sleep in day :) We went over the Bellagio to pick up our tickets for that evening's show, had a bit of breakfast and then headed up to Circus Circus to spend the afternoon at The Adventure dome. The shows under the big top were fun. The rides... were... intense. They were not the best constructed rides I've ever been on. I didn't really feel unsafe, but there were a few comfort measures most rides have that were lacking. Never the less, we rode them all. The Disk-O was the one that did me in. I haven't been made ill by a ride in a long time, bt after that one, we had to sit for quite some time.

After our Adventure Dome outing, we went back to the hotel and got duded up for "O". Now that, my friends, is a show. There was so much going on that there was no way to catch it all. I would definitely go back again, and probably have a competely different experience. Also, I am not sure how I missed it, but apparently there are multiple Cirque shows. How fun would that be? to trip to Vegas and just go to all the Cirque du Soleil shows? Who's up for it? We also took the opportunity to check out the Bellagio fountains, because, let's face it, they are a LV classic.



Friday was our wander around/shopping day. Again, after a fantastic sleep in morning, we made our way down to the Hard Rock Cafe, M&M store, Coke store, you know, the classic tourist locations. After lunch we dropped off the bags and went over to the Forum Shops. We also took a look at the new City Center as we were going back and forth. It's going to be amazing when they get it all finished.



Our final stop for Friday was the Stratosphere. After the rides the day before, there were definitely some second thoughts. We decided to go with only one instead of all 3. The ride is called Insanity. And hanging out over Las Vegas from 900 feet up...yeah... The view was awesome though :)



This morning we decided that we had to eat at at least one buffet. That is also classic Las Vegas, right? Breakfast was lovely. After spending a litte more time at the gift shop, we caught the shuttle back to the airport. Exhaustion set in on the plane ride home. It's a short flight anyway, but with a nap, it's almost like it didn't happen.

Yay for Vacations where things are noisy and busy, and yay for coming home to a little home where things are quiet and comfortable.

Here's a funny story that might be an excuse to update the blog... So I took my truck into Jiffy Lube last week because it was long overdue and I figured it would be a good thing to have done before I the holiday driving season. When I get there, the customer service guy totally hits on me... for some of you reading this, that might be an every day occurrence. For me, not so much. It kind of tripped me out. So much so that I actually gave him my number when he asked for it. The even more strange part of this story is that he actually asked me out.

Anyway, it was fun. We'll probably go out again. I don't see any real long term potential, but hey, it's nice to get out of the house :)

It's been a pretty good week. I spent it in Dingle, and like always, there was just a lot going on. Monday we took Trayson back to his mom and then my mom and I spent the evening shopping. It's got to be done when ever you get a chance to get out of town :)

Wednesday we went to Tylyn's first basketball game. Soda totally kicked their trash, but apparently when they played Grace later, they did MUCH better. Karlee is a cheer leader this year, so I got to see them both in their debuts :)

Friday night we had a baby shower for Shahna. That is going to be a very well dressed baby. Thanks to everyone who was able to come share some time with us. I'd post pictures, but I got sidetracked, so I don't so much have any.

Saturday was the Turkey Shoot and Scrapbook day, and Victoria's baptism.

Today was Tanner's farewell talk in church. He says he's only excited, not scared. I still think he's lying a little ;) I know we will all miss him for the next 2 years, but we are very much excited to see who he becomes in the mean while. We love you Tanner. Rock Paraguay's world :)

There is absolutely no order to these photos... But here goes


When in Digby, one must eat the scallops and the lobster, so... I did. The waitress even educated me on how to eat the whole lobster... yummy.



Low tide. Digby is also famous for the size of its tide. Looking at how high those docks are, you can get a pretty good idea.





I normally have a weakness for sunsets, however, this trip saw many more sunrises than sunsets (at least from outside of the centers). Both of these are from the hotel in Digby. Sun rise over the Bay of Fundy.




I didn't do the homework necessary to be able to attend a session, but I HAD to get over at least to see the temple. It is small, and of course, beautiful.




These are in the ladies' room at Moxie's. Just incase you need to touch up your make up... They remind me of the Beauty School Drop Out scene in "Grease."




Quietly eating breakfast when this sails past the window.



Theodore the Tugboat :)


The following photos are from the tour we took of Alexander Keith's Brewery. It was super fun, once I got past the cheese level. Apparently Mr Keith is the man who figured out how to make ale that would keep it's flavor even after being shipped to the troops in India. He is most famous for India Pale Ale, but has since branched out (as any man with a head for business would.)


Alexander Keith



Barrel making supplies


The Malt room


The pub. The entertainment was fun, and I hear the beer is good, too. "Those who like it, like it a lot!"





We also visited one of the cemetaries where the Titanic victims are buried. It was really powerful. Not easy to convey in pictures, but... here are a few just for kicks.

I have spent the last few days in the lovely town of Truro. Oddly enough it doesn't feel all that far from home, even though th GPS says it is about 2400 miles. Getting ready to be here has been the most eventful part I think. I managed to forget my passport, lost (and found) my jacket, have my flight delayed, have the shuttle service be running missing a driver, and almost miss the turn for the hotel. However, as you can see - they are all only near misses. The kind you just go... shwew.. and then take a deep breath about.

We got into the centre (I AM in Canada)on Wednesday morning and I remember why it is a blessing and a curse to actually be IN the middle of it. Blessing - Things get fixed faster when all the players can be in the same room. Curse - You have to be able to process your reaction with out letting people see the emotion behind it. People are emotional creatures, and we feed off of each other.

I really enjoyed getting to put some faces with the voices I talk to regularly. I wish I had been able to get out a little more and really just sit down and listen. Maybe I can do a better job of that next week in Digby. We'll cross our fingers.

This weekend was a new experience for me. I got to attend a body building competition that my friend Matt was participating in. I had my reservations, I'm not gonna lie. However, they were quickly overcome and I quite enjoyed myself. It was actually pretty amazing to see what people can do when they work at it. Especially knowing at least part of what Matt had been doing to prepare.

Matt's posing routine was the highlight of my evening. The rest of the routines were ok, but they were all the same. Leave it to Matt to be the entertainer.
The link is on my facebook profile, but I am not technologically smart enough to figure out how to post it here. So, instead you're getting a few pictures.

Catch up...
We came home from Alaska, and I turned around and checked into the hospital. I had my gall bladder out. Apparently it was full of stones, which would explain the misery I had this summer, and the day I really thought I was just going to die over Labour Day weekend. The good news is, it's out, and now I feel GRRRRRRREAT! (Said in my best Tony the Tiger voice) Mom came down and went with me - cuz she's the best mom ever, and then took me to Dingle so I could be watched over. Needless to say, I was well cared for and recovered quickly.

Friday we went with Tanner and Shahna and Jon to the temple. Tanner is preparing for his mission to Paraguay and Shahna and Jon had been preparing to be sealed. It was a fabulous day and place to spend with some of my very favorite people. There were about 40 adult family members who came, plus the kids. Good Times :)

Now I am back in SLC. At least for a few days. My next trip is for work. Yay, for getting to put some more faces with their voices.

Saturday morning we woke up in Seattle. It was a totally relaxed morning. We were in no hurry to get off the ship and had all the time in the world to get to the airport. We had breakfast and then watched the dockworkers unload no fewer than 5 semi loads of food for the next cruise. We spent a bit of time waiting in the Seattle rain waiting for our shuttle. Got to the airport and realized we’d left one of our bags back at the port. Oops. Of course, NCL was on top of it. Before we were even out of the airport, they called us to arrange to get it shipped back to home. The flight home was a little bumpy again, and I still giggled at Rex and Wayne, getting just a little more nervous. The landing even included a good sized bounce. Good fun, I tell you, good fun. They have never been more happy to see SLC than they were that night. Regardless of what they tell you, they had a really good time. They spent a whole week completely outside of their comfort zones, but they still enjoyed it.
I was home and doing laundry by 830, and the Dingle crew made it home at about midnight. Yay for having family you can spend a whole week with and still love at the end! It was such a good time.

Kim, your dad says next time, you can come with and he’ll keep your kids ;) I say we hold him to it!

Friday, in the words of our great Captain Gunnar, the weather was not with us. We were traveling through a front, but one that seemed to be following us. The waves were big enough and the wind rough enough that they actually closed most of the decks. The crew spent most of the day trying to find a place that they could feel the waves the least. I spent my day counting my blessings, including that apparently, I don’t get seasick. I didn’t take a Dramamine, put on a weird little patch, or use the sea bands. I just never got sick. As it turns out, a few of them are still feeling a little dizzy today. Did I mention, I am counting my blessings? Friday night was the farewell show from the dance troupe and the crew of the ship. My hat goes off to the team. They did an absolutely awesome job. 15,000 meals a day, and running an 1,100 room hotel while it moves through the ocean, keeping everyone entertained, fed, buzzed, and safe – what a job!