I just got an interesting phone call from Brian. Apparently he had quite the morning - an experience that only he, because of his luck, would have. He was driving down the road this morning, when he looked in the rear-view mirror and saw a police officer behind him. No big deal, he was going the speed limit. But, since he was being "watched" (I hate that feeling), he was extra cautious as they went through a construction zone.
When he came to a stop light, Brian looked to see if he was still being followed. Yep, still there. The light turned green, Brian crossed the intersection, and that is when the situation took an ugly turn. Suddenly the officer hits the lights and siren. Brian pulled over quite confused.
An officer approached and went through the routine - license and registration please. Then he asked Brian to turn off the car and hand over the keys. Okay, that's new. Meanwhile, another cop car pulls up. After waiting and wondering for several minutes, the officer along with his "back-up" ask Brian to step out of the vehicle. He then was told to put his hands on his head and "spread em". And then, and here's the kicker, he was cuffed!
Brian: Um, can I ask what is going on here?
Officer: You are under arrest for possession of a stolen vehicle.
Now, if you know what Brian drives, then you will now be rolling on the floor laughing like I was. Brian drives "Old Blue", a 1995 dodge neon that I bought after I graduated from high school. I have wanted to get rid of the car for years, but Brian being the responsible one that he is, has insisted that he will drive it till it dies.
Brian: There has got to be some mistake, I have owned this car for 11 years.
Officer: That's what they all say. Why don't you have a seat on the curb.
So Brian sits himself on the curb, wondering how he is going to convince the officer that he is in fact the rightful owner of the car. I mean, if Brian was going to steal a car, you'd think he would have picked out something a little nicer. Ironically, do you know how many times I have wished that the car would be stolen, just so we don't have to wait for it to die?
While Brian is waiting and praying that nobody he knows sees him, two more cop cars show up. That makes four! So at this point, seated on curb with his hands cuffed behind his back, Brian is sure that everyone passing by (this happened right off of State Street) is privately praising the officers for nabbing another sleazy drug dealer.
One of the additional cop cars to arrive on the scene was from another city - the city where the "stolen car" was from. Just as two officers were about to put Brian in the back of the cop car to take him to the police station, the cop from the other city intervened. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that "Old Blue's" plates and the stolen plates were off by one letter. Oops.
So, after being uncuffed and profusely apologized to, Brian was once again a free man.
Officer: You are the first guy that I have ever pulled over for having a stolen vehicle to be genuinely confused.
Well duh.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Take A Deep Breath In...
and exhale. Whoopee!! I am officially on fall break and it couldn't have come at a better time. I usually go to school 6 days a week (my bio lab is on Saturday mornings - ugh!), so knowing that I don't have to go back to school until Monday is absolutely fantastic! I am in desperate need of a little R&R and my kids and hubby could definitely use a little extra TLC, so that is exactly what I plan on doing over the next 5 days.
Here are a few things on my agenda (dates and times not included):
Having pumpkin pancakes on conference weekend kicks off the pumpkin season for me. They are delicious and I invite you to join me. And when I say "join me", I don't actually want you to come to my house, I am just going to give you the recipe so you can make them yourself:
Pumpkin Pancakes
In a bowl, combine the following -
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cloves
In a separate bowl, whisk together -
1 cup milk
6 tbsp canned pumpkin
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
Fold the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Pour 1/4 cup for each pancake onto a medium heat skillet and cook about 3 minutes per side. Serve with butter and syrup. Makes about 10 pancakes. Bon Appetit!
Have a great weekend everyone, I know I will :o)
Here are a few things on my agenda (dates and times not included):
- Take the kids to the library for story time.
- Bake pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with Ashlyn.
- Go on a hot date with Bri - it has been months since we had a kid-free night.
- Take a leisure stroll around the neighborhood.
- Have a crafty girls night with my mom and sisters.
- Take the kids to the zoo.
- Soak in a long, hot bubble bath.
- Drive through the mountains to enjoy the beautiful fall leaves.
Having pumpkin pancakes on conference weekend kicks off the pumpkin season for me. They are delicious and I invite you to join me. And when I say "join me", I don't actually want you to come to my house, I am just going to give you the recipe so you can make them yourself:Pumpkin Pancakes
In a bowl, combine the following -
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cloves
In a separate bowl, whisk together -
1 cup milk
6 tbsp canned pumpkin
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
Fold the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Pour 1/4 cup for each pancake onto a medium heat skillet and cook about 3 minutes per side. Serve with butter and syrup. Makes about 10 pancakes. Bon Appetit!
Have a great weekend everyone, I know I will :o)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Project No. 2, 3, & 4
This post is long overdue. School is making my life just a tad more complicated and I am finding less and less time to blog, even though there have been many things I have wanted to blog about. Oh, and be prepared, this is a long one...
This year, our summer has been full of projects to improve our backyard. Most of these projects were due to my "visions" and they all required quite a bit of manual labor, meaning that Brian was going to be busy! Brian took this all in stride, got to work, and has done an amazing job! I wish I could say that our yard is complete, but believe me, I have more things planned for Brian to do next year!
Our first project was the fire pit patio that I previously posted. Our next three projects were all about making our backyard more kid-friendly.
Me: Hey Brian, I want to put a play area in the backyard for Ashlyn.
Brian: Okay, where?
Me: In the back corner of the yard...you know, where the shed is.
Brian: Where is the shed going to go?
Me: To the side of the house.
Brian: That's not a bad idea, but how am I going to move the shed?
Me: I'm sure you'll figure it out.
Here is what the back corner of the yard looked like before:
I wanted the play area to go here for a couple reasons. First, this is the view right outside our back door and the shed is ugly. Second, since this is the view right outside our back door, I figured it would be a great spot for a play area because I could keep an eye on Ashlyn.
This is where the shed needed to be moved to:
This is by the side of the house and the area is pretty hidden, making it empty and wasted space. We never used the area, it was just a space that collected leaves, snails, and dog poop. So, how was Brian going to move the shed? He came up with a brilliant plan to jack up the shed, put large pipes underneath, and then roll it across the lawn.
Sounds easy, right? That what Brian said, but I didn't think so. I imagined the process taking at least all of one day, maybe two. But I was wrong and Brian was right (that never happens!). With the help of my dad, Aaron, Jake, and Steve, the whole process took less than one hour! I think the hardest part of the big move, was finding the pipes, which we ended up borrowing from my dad's employer. Actually, I guess the hardest part was probably prepping the new shed area. Brian had to clear everything out and haul in some gravel.
Once the area was ready, the rest of the process was a breeze. I can say that because I just had to stand around and take the pictures :)
After the shed was in it's new home, Brian got to work on the new play area. One good thing about the new play area was that it already had a nice boarder in place. The bad thing was that since we planned on putting in a few inches of wood chips, Brian had to dig and haul out a bunch of dirt.
I wish I had taken a picture of the mountain of dirt we had in our driveway. Brian placed an ad for "free dirt" and we had three trucks come and fill up their beds with our dirt, but there is still more in our driveway! So, if you need any dirt, you know where to find it. Then Brian put down a plastic barrier to keep the play area weed-free. We got that brilliant idea from my dad.
Then Brian assembled Ashlyn's new play house and put it in place on top of pavers.
Brian also built Ashlyn a sand box and I found a couple of slides on ksl for killer deals. Here is "Ashlyn's Play Land":
The final project was getting rid of a kidney-shaped flower bed in the middle of the yard. It was too much maintainance, plus Ashlyn liked to play in it and get all muddy, and it really was just right in the middle of the yard and we wanted the kids to have more runnin' around room.
This project was actually Brian's idea and it ended up being more work than he bargained for. There were rocks lining the bed which were embedded into the ground at least 8 inches. We had no idea they were so large!
Brian dug them all out, filled in the holes, leveled the ground, did some transplanting, and laid some sod. Getting rid of the kidney really opened up the back yard - it seems so much bigger now.
Since summer is officially over, I guess that is all for this year. Don't tell Brian, but I have lots of indoor projects to keep him busy this winter!
This year, our summer has been full of projects to improve our backyard. Most of these projects were due to my "visions" and they all required quite a bit of manual labor, meaning that Brian was going to be busy! Brian took this all in stride, got to work, and has done an amazing job! I wish I could say that our yard is complete, but believe me, I have more things planned for Brian to do next year!
Our first project was the fire pit patio that I previously posted. Our next three projects were all about making our backyard more kid-friendly.
Me: Hey Brian, I want to put a play area in the backyard for Ashlyn.
Brian: Okay, where?
Me: In the back corner of the yard...you know, where the shed is.
Brian: Where is the shed going to go?
Me: To the side of the house.
Brian: That's not a bad idea, but how am I going to move the shed?
Me: I'm sure you'll figure it out.
Here is what the back corner of the yard looked like before:
I wanted the play area to go here for a couple reasons. First, this is the view right outside our back door and the shed is ugly. Second, since this is the view right outside our back door, I figured it would be a great spot for a play area because I could keep an eye on Ashlyn.This is where the shed needed to be moved to:
This is by the side of the house and the area is pretty hidden, making it empty and wasted space. We never used the area, it was just a space that collected leaves, snails, and dog poop. So, how was Brian going to move the shed? He came up with a brilliant plan to jack up the shed, put large pipes underneath, and then roll it across the lawn.
Sounds easy, right? That what Brian said, but I didn't think so. I imagined the process taking at least all of one day, maybe two. But I was wrong and Brian was right (that never happens!). With the help of my dad, Aaron, Jake, and Steve, the whole process took less than one hour! I think the hardest part of the big move, was finding the pipes, which we ended up borrowing from my dad's employer. Actually, I guess the hardest part was probably prepping the new shed area. Brian had to clear everything out and haul in some gravel.
Once the area was ready, the rest of the process was a breeze. I can say that because I just had to stand around and take the pictures :)
After the shed was in it's new home, Brian got to work on the new play area. One good thing about the new play area was that it already had a nice boarder in place. The bad thing was that since we planned on putting in a few inches of wood chips, Brian had to dig and haul out a bunch of dirt.
I wish I had taken a picture of the mountain of dirt we had in our driveway. Brian placed an ad for "free dirt" and we had three trucks come and fill up their beds with our dirt, but there is still more in our driveway! So, if you need any dirt, you know where to find it. Then Brian put down a plastic barrier to keep the play area weed-free. We got that brilliant idea from my dad.
Then Brian assembled Ashlyn's new play house and put it in place on top of pavers.
Brian also built Ashlyn a sand box and I found a couple of slides on ksl for killer deals. Here is "Ashlyn's Play Land":
The final project was getting rid of a kidney-shaped flower bed in the middle of the yard. It was too much maintainance, plus Ashlyn liked to play in it and get all muddy, and it really was just right in the middle of the yard and we wanted the kids to have more runnin' around room.
This project was actually Brian's idea and it ended up being more work than he bargained for. There were rocks lining the bed which were embedded into the ground at least 8 inches. We had no idea they were so large!
Brian dug them all out, filled in the holes, leveled the ground, did some transplanting, and laid some sod. Getting rid of the kidney really opened up the back yard - it seems so much bigger now.
Since summer is officially over, I guess that is all for this year. Don't tell Brian, but I have lots of indoor projects to keep him busy this winter!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Can I Get A Woot Woot?!
Okay, so I am only posting this because it may be the ONLY time during my college career that it actually happens to me. In fact, if it happens again, I just might fall over dead. I took my first Biology test on Tuesday and we got the results back today. Before the professor passed out the results, she told us that the high score in the class was a 98%, the low was 56%, and the average was 75%. After I had taken the test I had a good feeling about it, so I was thinking that I most likely had gotten above the average. Well, I was completely blown away to find out that I was the one who got the 98%! I was the class high! Woot Woot!! My hours and hours of studying actually paid off. I really don't mean to brag, I'm just feeling pretty good right now and wanted to spread a little of my joy. What a good day.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Trenters
Sheesh! 10 months! I can't even begin to describe how much I love my little guy. He is such a joy and I have loved watching him grow and learn. Here are some things about Trent at 10 months:1. He loves to clap.
2. He is the best eater. We have started giving him table foods, and he will eat anything we give him. I especially appreciate this because I have a very picky 2-year old.
3. He loves to walk while holding onto daddy's fingers.
4. He has 4 1/2 teeth. His top two and bottom two are in, and we noticed just yesterday that he has another one on top about to break through.
5. He thinks there is nothing better than spending time in his mom's arms - gotta love that while it lasts.6. He is happy (almost) all of the time.
7. When he gets excited, his arms and legs go crazy!
8. When he does get mad, he throws a fit by putting his head down, sticking his bum in the air, and fussing - he doesn't scream and yell...yet.
9. He does a great bobble head imitation, which I still need to get on video.10. He says "Mama" - we are working on more words, but that is the most important one;)
11. He pulls himself up to a standing position.
12. He loves his nightly bath.
13. He gives the best kisses. Seriously, who wouldn't want to kiss these lips? -
14. He has taken his first (and hopefully last!) tumble down the stairs - ouch!15. He loves, loves, loves his big sister. Nobody can make him laugh like she can.
16. He always crosses his ankles; in his high chair, in his car seat, hanging out on the floor, and even while he is asleep. He has been doing this since he was born.
17. He crawls all over, and consequently is into everything!18. Due to all the crawling, his super chunky thighs are just beginning to slim down. :(
19. He loves to open and close drawers, and consequently has smashed his little fingers on multiple occasions - so sad, but he keeps going back for more.
20. He has just learned how to wave.
21. And finally, he is just too cute!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Why I Love My Blog
Happy Anniversary! Exactly one year ago today, I took a big step and entered the blogging world. I know, I know, that sounds pretty corny. But I love my blog, my fellow bloggers, and the blogging community. Here's why...
1. I have always been a horrible journal keeper. I think this goes back to a traumatic experience I had after my mom gave me my very first journal when I was baptized. I was so excited to have my very own journal. It was a beautiful teal book with pressed flowers on the cover and hundreds of blank pages just waiting to be filled with my thoughts. However, after making several entries, I was assaulted with the realization that not everyone honors the unspoken privacy journal code. You see, I was sitting with my family in church when one of my siblings (specifics are being left out so I don't get in too much trouble for sharing this story) leaned over and began whispering in my ear the contents of my journal writings. I was mortified! And my attempts at keeping a personal journal where quickly extinguished. I did try again a few times but I was never consistent. So, the fact that I have indeed been keeping a journal (of sorts) for a year now is amazing to me - even though this time around I am allowing the whole world read, if they so choose. I was going to make a big deal about my 100th post, but I past it up without even realizing. This is my 110th post!! My entire combined lifetime of journal entries probably adds up to 30, give or take a few. I can not believe that I have recorded 110 facts/events/thoughts about my life and my family in one year! WOW.
2. I get to be so much more in touch with my family and friends who live both out of in and out of state. My aunt Merry Lynn said it best when she said it is like we are all living next door to each other rather than miles and miles apart. Even though I still get to see my family and friends on a regular basis, I would not likely know all the great stories and details of their lives that they share on their blogs.
3. I have reconnected with old friends: Ashley, Amber, Melissa, Karissa, Andrea, and Maren. I would not be in touch with these great gals if it wasn't for the wonderful world of blogging. Who knows who else I may reconnect with in the future because of blogs?!
4. The blogging community is a united force. I first heard of the Nielson tragedy through my best friend Jamie. Since she lives in AZ, she heard about the story when it first happened. And since her husband just graduated with his aviation degree, she was especially touched by their story. I then heard even more about the Nielsons through Kaila's blog. She is a long time friend of Stephanie. And then about a week ago, Brian got an email from a sister missionary that he served with to inform him that an elder from their mission had been in a plane crash. Come to find out, Christian was one of Brian's missionary companions. Isn't it amazing how connected we all are? If you have not yet heard of the Nielson's story, you really should check it out. There was a segment about them on the news the other night, stating that through the blogging community, over $100,000 has been raised to help them. So, the blogging community really is a wonderful thing.
5. I am giving my children an incredible gift. This goes back to point #1. When it comes right down to it, I am blogging for them. I want them to know my thoughts about being a mom and how grateful I am to have them. And since they won't remember this time in their lives when they grown up, I want them to be able to look back and read about it. In case you didn't know, you can publish your blog through blurb. I have not yet done it, but I plan to the first of next year.
So, there you have it. Blogging is great. Happy One Year Anniversary!
1. I have always been a horrible journal keeper. I think this goes back to a traumatic experience I had after my mom gave me my very first journal when I was baptized. I was so excited to have my very own journal. It was a beautiful teal book with pressed flowers on the cover and hundreds of blank pages just waiting to be filled with my thoughts. However, after making several entries, I was assaulted with the realization that not everyone honors the unspoken privacy journal code. You see, I was sitting with my family in church when one of my siblings (specifics are being left out so I don't get in too much trouble for sharing this story) leaned over and began whispering in my ear the contents of my journal writings. I was mortified! And my attempts at keeping a personal journal where quickly extinguished. I did try again a few times but I was never consistent. So, the fact that I have indeed been keeping a journal (of sorts) for a year now is amazing to me - even though this time around I am allowing the whole world read, if they so choose. I was going to make a big deal about my 100th post, but I past it up without even realizing. This is my 110th post!! My entire combined lifetime of journal entries probably adds up to 30, give or take a few. I can not believe that I have recorded 110 facts/events/thoughts about my life and my family in one year! WOW.
2. I get to be so much more in touch with my family and friends who live both out of in and out of state. My aunt Merry Lynn said it best when she said it is like we are all living next door to each other rather than miles and miles apart. Even though I still get to see my family and friends on a regular basis, I would not likely know all the great stories and details of their lives that they share on their blogs.
3. I have reconnected with old friends: Ashley, Amber, Melissa, Karissa, Andrea, and Maren. I would not be in touch with these great gals if it wasn't for the wonderful world of blogging. Who knows who else I may reconnect with in the future because of blogs?!
4. The blogging community is a united force. I first heard of the Nielson tragedy through my best friend Jamie. Since she lives in AZ, she heard about the story when it first happened. And since her husband just graduated with his aviation degree, she was especially touched by their story. I then heard even more about the Nielsons through Kaila's blog. She is a long time friend of Stephanie. And then about a week ago, Brian got an email from a sister missionary that he served with to inform him that an elder from their mission had been in a plane crash. Come to find out, Christian was one of Brian's missionary companions. Isn't it amazing how connected we all are? If you have not yet heard of the Nielson's story, you really should check it out. There was a segment about them on the news the other night, stating that through the blogging community, over $100,000 has been raised to help them. So, the blogging community really is a wonderful thing.
5. I am giving my children an incredible gift. This goes back to point #1. When it comes right down to it, I am blogging for them. I want them to know my thoughts about being a mom and how grateful I am to have them. And since they won't remember this time in their lives when they grown up, I want them to be able to look back and read about it. In case you didn't know, you can publish your blog through blurb. I have not yet done it, but I plan to the first of next year.
So, there you have it. Blogging is great. Happy One Year Anniversary!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
My Biggest Loser
Here I go, embarrassing Brian again! But this time it is a good thing and something that he should be really proud of. Since March, Brian has lost 52 pounds!! I have been so impressed with his dedication and willpower. He has been going to the gym at least 3 times a week, eating healthier foods, and concentrating on portion control. He maintains that he is not on a "diet". So, if you see him, do NOT use that word! Instead, he is really focusing on making this a lifestyle change, and I think he looks fantastic. Way to go Bri!Also, several have inquired as to which field I am going into. And the answer is: Nursing. Right now I am leaning towards the ER, but that may change. I have to do my prerequisites first, which consists of five classes, and then I can apply to the program. I don't know how long the waiting list is right now, but I think it is usually a couple years, and then the program is two years. So, I won't actually be a nurse for probably five years, but it will be worth it in the end.
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