What happened this summer?

Ten Random Tidbits from my Summer

1. I went camping with my whole family in Logan Canyon, we played at Tony Grove lake on the canoes, and went on the nature hike with Jill and Brandon.

2. I went to my niece Jill's horse show in Logan.

3. I drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon, over Guardsman Pass, to Park City, and inadvertently ended up in the middle of the Wasatch Back race.

4. I took several weeks off in June, to be home with my grandpa. And it was a nice break for me. I was able to hike Timp Cave with my sister several times, which was great. We do it for exercise. Most people hate that hike - it is hard, but it's a very good workout.

5. I spent the 4th of July in Idaho Falls, for the first time in a long time. My newest niece Capri was blessed that weekend

6. I got set up on a blind date, and have since been out with him several more times this summer

7. My mom spent nearly the whole month of August living with me, taking care of grandpa, but it was fun to have her here for so long

8. I've been running more, and just the other day, I ran for 40 minutes straight. It is a big accomplishment for me. I'm thinking about entering a 5k this fall.

9. I decided to take some classes at the BYU-Salt Lake Center. I am taking one class fall semester, History 400 - Family and Law in American History. I'm a little nervous to be going back to school. I hope I like it. The class starts on Thursday.

10. I am becoming a little more domesticated. In my backyard there is an apricot tree, a peach tree, 2 apple trees, and a pear tree. So far I've made apricot raspberry jam. The peaches just recently started ripening, so I'm trying to figure out what to do with all of them. I also planted a small garden, and found out I am really good at growing zucchini (mainly because it grows no matter what you do to it) so I've had plenty of zucchini. I'm going to attempt to make some zucchini bread here one of these days.

The world says summer is over. School is back in session. But, I'm not ready to let go of it just yet. Maybe on Thursday when I go to class I will feel like it's over.

June 30, 2009

So, where did June go? That's my question. The summer is 1/3 over already. Wow. Last year at this time, I was just getting back from my ward trek at Mosida, and gearing up for girls camp at the end of July. I wish I was doing girls camp again this year. I'm quite bummed I am not going this year. I love girls camp, and both my old ward and new ward went to (or are going to) the Heber Valley Girls Camp, and I really wanted to go up there. But, it was not meant to be this year. I'm ok with that. I know I will get plenty more opportunities to go. (I hope!)

This year, my June consisted of taking off work, a lot of work. I took off almost three weeks. Crazy, I know, but I loved it. It was perfect timing for lots of reasons, but the main reason I did it was to help out my grandpa. On top of that, though, it was just nice to have a break. I was thinking about it, and I have worked a full-time job every day for the last 11 years. (Of course I took vacations and days off, but not an extended, just-stay-home time off sort of deal.) So, I figured a break was warranted. And, the work flow at PDC was pretty darn slow this month, so I was doing my part by not going to work therefore leaving more work for the other people to do.

And what did I do with my time off? I had high hopes of doing all kinds of things. I did not check off every item on my list, but I feel good about what I did accomplish. I took pictures of things I have made, I still need to post them here. I made several books, got back in my creative groove a bit. I read, A LOT. I love the library. I have been a voracious reader lately, reading lots of books, mostly LDS fiction. I am currently reading a book called American Bloomsbury, about Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, among others. It is quite interesting so far. I didn't know they were all contemporaries, living in the same neighborhood in Concord, Massachusetts.

I also hiked to Timp Cave with my sister Rachelle about 5 times. Am I crazy? Probably. But, it is great exercise, and it's beautiful, and cooler than down here in the valley.

I went to the Utah Arts Festival, once again with Rachelle. Only spent money on food, getting in, and parking, but still had a great time. I like to just look at all the amazing things artists can do.

My parents were here for a few days, and we took my Subaru on a drive from Big Cottonwood Canyon up over the top, down into Park City. The drive was beautiful. It was raining, unfortunately, so we didn't get out anywhere. And, as an added bonus, we ran into the Wasatch Back Relay Race, drove along the road with the runners for a few miles. I was very intrigued and amazed that these people sign up, pay money, to run 189 miles with their team. It was quite entertaining.

I have watched my little garden grow, and not grow. My zucchini is doing well, and I will hopefully get some cucumbers and a few beets. But, no beans at all came up. And my pepper plants aren't doing well at all. I think two of them are dead. One might survive, but it is doubtful. So, maybe I'm not meant to be a farmer. Or maybe, it's my first garden and this is a learning experience.

I participated in a singles conference in Orem. Not a lot, but I did go on a hike with them, and went to the fireside on Sunday night.

My cute sister Kaylynn brought three of her girls to spend the night here last weekend. We had a great time at the Lehi Parade, and playing in my craft room. Her girls are so cute. I wish we lived closer so I could see them more.

I got quite used to not working. It was an adjustment for me to go back this week. I liked sleeping in a bit, and exercising for an hour. I liked having a smoothie for lunch. I liked getting my hair cut at 10 am and not having to worry about getting back to work. I just liked being home all day, relaxing.

So, now it's almost July. July will bring a trip to Idaho to see Capri get blessed. And Waite Family Fun Days in Logan at the end of July. My niece Hailey is in a play at the Hale Center Theatre, so I'm going to try to go see her. And hopefully, more exercising, maybe more hiking to the cave, go check out some festivals and boutiques around the valley, go up Little Cottonwood Canyon to see the wildflowers in bloom. I'm also looking forward to the Jon Schmidt concert in September. And, I want to plan a trip with my mom, either to San Francisco in October or to Boston sometime this fall. I also might try to squeeze in a trip to Arizona to see my cute sister Sharon who decided not to move up here after all.

People keep asking if I have any big plans for the summer. I really don't. But, I'm ok with that. I like to just be laid back and relaxed in the summer.

Do you have any big plans?

Oh what do you do in the summertime?

I like to play in the creek with my cute nieces and nephew. I don't like it when one of them falls off the rope swing, though.

I love the warm summer nights.

I love sitting on the porch reading a good book.

I love being able to grab my purse, slip on some flip flops and run out the door.

I love the fresh fruits and veggies of this season.

I love going to the library and finding some great reads. (This isn't really a summer activity, but I just did it today and it was so fun.)

I love seeing my garden growing. I'm likely going to get tons of squash (of course) and maybe a little of the other things i planted.

I don't really like pulling weeds. Not my favorite activity.

I like eating salads for dinner.

I like hiking to Timp Cave with my sister in the morning.

This summer, I've been enjoying my extended time off.

I like it when the sun comes out after the rain. I do like rain, and thunderstorms, but not really for 3 weeks straight.

I like not being tied to the tv, since there isn't much on in the summer.

I love the smell of fresh cut grass.

I love going on drives through the beautiful canyons around here. On Saturday, we went up Big Cottonwood Canyon and ended up in Park City. Pretty cool. I'd never been on that road. We ran into the Wasatch Back Relay up there, which was fascinating to watch the runners and support people.

I love that it stays light outside until 9 o'clock. And it is light early in the morning. Sunshine makes me happy.

I love summer festivals, farmers markets, arts festivals, etc.

I love the 4th of July, and I'm pretty excited to be in Idaho Falls this year.

Random Thoughts for June First

Yes, I know, it's been awhile. Life has been crazy.

• My grandpa, whom I live with, fell down while taking a walk around the block on April 24. He was in ICU at the hospital for a day, and spent another couple of days in the cardiac unit. He has been home for a month now, getting better every day, but still needing lots of attention and care. My mom was here for the few days he was in the hospital, then her sister came for 3 weeks to help out. When she left, my other aunt who lives in Rhode Island came for two weeks. She just went home yesterday, and now it is back to just me and him. We have lots of visitors during the day, which I appreciate. It has been an all-consuming thing, dealing with him, his doctors, etc. We probably have a few more months of craziness with him, then hopefully he can drive again and get back to all he was doing before his fall. Lately he has been telling people that he tried to "erase his face". I think that's a funny visual. He did fall on his face, broke his nose and several other bones in his face, but you wouldn't know it for how he looks now. He has healed amazingly fast for an 87-year-old guy.
• We have had some awesome summer storms the last few days. We had one tonight that kept knocking our power out. (ok, only twice, but that's enough, don't you think?) These are the kind of storms that make me want to go back to Taylorview Lane, get my doll out, and a lawn chair, on the porch so I don't get too wet, and watch the storm. I did go sit outside for a minute tonight. I love the smell. I love how everything looks green and fresh after the rain. I love watching the puddles form. I love watching the rain hit so hard that it is bouncing off the road. I don't love driving in it. My aunt and I went to Sweet Tomatoes on Saturday night, and we had one of these crazy storms on our way home. It was a mite bit scary driving home - couldn't really see anything, felt like I was hydroplaning. So, I like to be home during these crazy summer storms.
• I planted a garden a few weeks ago. I helped my mom in the garden when I was growing up, but this is the first time I have actually planted my own garden. So, I've been watching it every day, getting so excited when the first little sprouts came up. My zucchini plants are doing great, and so are the cucumbers. I planted beets for my grandpa, those might produce a little bit. But my beans are looking kind of sad. I only have a few sprouts coming up. I planted some pepper plants just the other day, I think they will be ok. And my aunt planted a tomato for my grandpa. So, we should have some good veggies in a few months. My grandpa also has some fruit trees in the backyard, so we will hopefully feasting on pears, apples, peaches and apricots, too! Can't wait!
• I went to The Homestead in Midway, UT, last weekend with my cool family, thanks to my very generous sister Jeanette. We had a great time swimming, hanging out, and eating yummy food. It was beautiful up there.
• I became an aunt again on Friday. My little sister Julie had her fourth child, first girl on Friday in Idaho Falls. Capri Jasmine is a cutie! I can't wait to go visit her sometime soon.

I guess that's all the randomness in my head tonight. It is 8:40, and lately that has been when I'm getting tired and going to bed. I must be getting old.

Moab is perfect in April

I went to Moab this past weekend with Rachelle and Nathan (my sis and bro-in-law). We had a fabulous time - it was a perfect weather, not too hot, just a little breeze. It was actually a little cold on Friday.

We went to Arches one day. We hiked to Delicate Arch - a pretty hard hike but so worth the effort. It is an awe inspiring sight. It took us about 3 hours, but really we sat up there by the arch for almost an hour.

My favorite arch that we just discovered is Sand Dune Arch. It is a little, non-descript .2 mile hike, but such a hidden treasure. The hike is in between two giant walls of red rock, and as you go up the canyon, the ground turns to sand, until by the time you get to the arch, you are standing in a giant red sand sandbox of beautiful fine grain red sand. We spent another hour just sitting there, playing in the sand with our bare feet. It was the perfect thing to do after hiking to Delicate Arch - the cool sand felt really good on our tired and sore feet.
Our other activity of the weekend was Letterboxing. I think I've written about it before. I finally got my stamps carved about a week before this trip. I found a letterbox in West Jordan - my very first letterbox. I love it! Moab is saturated with letterboxes. We could have spent the entire time we were there looking for letterboxes. I tried not to be that annoying about it. We ended up finding 10 letterboxes. We searched for 2 others but didn't find them. So, we did spend a good deal of time on this, but the searches took us to some beautiful places. We found Moonflower Canyon up Kane Creek Rd because we were searching for a letterbox.
I think I even got Rachelle and Nathan a little bit intrigued by the activity. They were good sports and went along with my crazy ideas - I wasn't sure if they would like letterboxing or not.
Now I am wanting to go searching for them everywhere I go. There are some in Idaho Falls and Jackson that I want to look for. There are also quite a few in the Salt Lake area, so that will keep me busy for awhile.
This is a self portrait of the two of us at Double Arch. (Not sure that's the right name...)

I love exploring this world of ours. The southern Utah area is one of my favorite places to go. The red rocks are beautiful. We were discussing how it is a different kind of beautiful from the Wasatch Mountains, or the Tetons. But, I love both of them.

I am going to check on my 33 Things list soon. I think I have a few things I can already check off. Yea!

Someone does actually read this blog...

Ok, so I was feeling down about things when I posted the other day. I hate dealing with car problems...that's why I need a husband! But, several prople told me they actually read and care about what I write. So, I will continue. Sometimes I think I should make a schedule for myself, and do a creative post once a month, and a month in review post, and a weight loss post, etc. But, then i remember that I hate schedules. So, it is in the back of my head to do that, but I am not going to even say I will do it on any sort of schedule... whenever I feel like it...that's when things happen around here.

But, honestly, I think there is something weird and therapeutic about writing a blog, putting your thoughts and words out there into the universe for anyone to read. I admit, though, that I have written several posts in the last little while that have not been published. Just a little too personal.

So, I have been doing a lot of thinking, pondering, wondering about my life. I find it interesting how life changes. How my thinking changes. I have gone for many years, enjoying my life, feeling like things were going fairly well, feeling happy for the most part, content with what I was doing. I am not in that place anymore. I don't know why my mood has changed. Well, I could name of several things that I am sure have triggered some of this thinking, but I think it is just time for introspection on my part, to decide if I am on the path I want to be on, to contemplate my next steps, to see if there is anything I should be doing differently.

I hate the topic, but the economy is on my mind a lot. My job security has taken a hit, not that I am going to lose my job soon, but it is a worry. Other people have been let go, and it is being discussed among the managers in production if there needs to be more layoffs. Our work has slowed down considerably, and we are not seeing a huge pickup anytime soon. So, I think about it, wonder what is going to happen, stress myself out thinking about what I would do if it did happen, where I would work.

Of course, I would go work at Archivers. :) I loved working there. It was a very happy place for me. I felt confident and valued as a team member there. We always had a good time at work. I realized I really do like working in a retail store. I love seeing all the fun new products coming in, and I even learned to enjoy helping people figure out what they needed. (That was one thing I wasn't very good at, giving my opinion, offering suggestions to customers...)

I am off on a tangent.

I realized tonight that my confidence level in my job as a graphic designer is not the same as that confidence I felt at Archivers. I do not feel that same confidence at PDC. I know there are many factors involved in that thinking, but it is something I am trying to figure out, wondering how I can find that confidence again. Because, I used to have confidence in myself and my job. I thought I did a pretty darn good job at designing those phone books. And, honestly, I am not sure if it is something other people have said or done to make me feel this way, or if it is just me not feeling confident. Deep thinking, I know.

This is the kind of thing I have on my mind constantly now. My commute is good for this kind of thinking. Or maybe bad, because i have too much time to think. I need to come to some conclusions on some of these things, or at least answer some questions for myself, because i am sort of making myself crazy with all this in my head. I think it is just a time of growth and discovery for me. It is good. I am trying to embrace it and learn what I am supposed to be learning. And, if change is supposed to happen, I want to be ok with it. I stress out about changes when they first happen, but I have come to know and understand that it is usually for the best, and life always calms down again, and you get back into a routine, and it's all good.

I just hope that too much change doesn't happen all at once. I think my head might explode if that happens. One thing at a time, please.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be a perfect writer, so don't judge me for bad grammar or bad sentence structure or things like that. Posts like this one are just me writing stream of conscious style, so it is a little disjointed sometimes. I hope it sort of makes sense. And if not, you are seeing into how my crazy random brain works. :) And, once again, no pictures. I'm still working on that.

Why do I even have a blog?

That is the question I ask myself sometimes. I am horrible at updating it, and frankly, when I do write, I don't have much to write about. I like posts that have pictures, but I haven't downloaded any pics for awhile, so you are going to get a post without any pictures. Sorry about it. It was either this or no post at all...

I got my tire fixed today. So, I am a girl, and I hate pretty much anything to do with taking care of a car. I can put gas in it, and I even get the oil changed when I'm supposed to, but it is definitely not my favorite activity. So, in my new car, there is a light for my tire pressure, and the light has been on for awhile. When it first came on, I checked the tire pressure myself, and put some air in. Light was still on. I looked at the tires, and they looked ok to me. So, I let it go for awhile. Then, I went to ID, so I went to Discount Tire before I drove up there, and they put air in all my tires. The light went off for a day. So, the light has been on for a few weeks again. I look at my tires almost every time I get in the car, they looked ok to me. Last night, my uncle came over to visit my grandpa, and he told me one of my tires looked low. Ok, so it's true. I need to do something about it. Ugh. I gave myself a pep talk, pretended to be Marsha, and went to Discount Tire this morning. I go in and tell the nice worker that I think I have a slow leak in my tire. He was very nice to me, but at that point he kind of gave me the, ok-you-are-a-girl-and-don't-really-know-what-you-are-doing look, and said, "Do you know which tire?" As he's asking, he looks out the window at my car in the parking lot. I said I thought it was the passenger rear tire, and he says, "Yea that one looks low." And, he and I were both right. I had a nail in the tire. They fixed it. Didn't charge me anything. The light went off, and has been off all day. Let's hope it stays off for awhile.

I know, that was a long story for a silly thing. But, as all of this happened, I was just thinking about how boys have a sense about stuff like air in tires. They can look at a tire from a long ways off and know if it is flat or not. So, I emailed my sister this morning and told her that. She wrote back and said that yes, that is true. But, girls have an inate sense, too. She said: But girls just have different senses. Like I can smell that Fred* is burning the rolls (almost everytime he bakes something), but do I tell him to take them out, or let him learn and let them burn? Tough call in life.

*names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Anyway, her response was just funny to me. Very true, but funny. Boys and girls have different talents. Like, my little brother was born with the ability to make every kind of car noise imaginable. I was not born with that ability. But, I'm sure there is something I can do that he can't.

So, that was the excitement of the day.

I have a long commute these days, which really isn't bad. I don't mind driving. Especially in my new car with a brand new nail-free tire. I think a lot on my commute. I listen to good music. (My current cd is Ryan Shupe's newest, "Last Man Standing" I believe is the name of the cd. My favorite song is "10,000 Lakes". So good!) I pray sometimes. Today I was thinking that if there was a way a could dictate blog posts while I was driving, I would probably post every day. I think up some good things to write about on my drive. The problem is remembering them after I get home. I'm still working on that.

A few things I'm looking forward to:
• weigh in tomorrow, I think I'm going to do pretty good this week. hopefully...
• Moab in a week with my sis and her hubby. Love Moab! Love the Moab Diner, been dreaming about going back to that place for years. Love Arches. Love the red rock everywhere.
• spring, warm weather, wearing flip flops and capris - getting rid of my winter wardrobe
• Cafe Rio tomorrow for lunch
• bike ride in Grand Teton National Park with my dad, fulfilling one of the things on my list for this year.
• meeting my newest niece, Capri, when she makes her appearance sometime in late May/early June
• sleeping good tonight. Which means I need to get off the computer and head that way soon.

Birthday fun

So, today was my birthday. It was a great day. Full of good fun. We had Cafe Rio for lunch at work. Ummm, my current favorite. I get two pork enchiladas a la carte. So yummy! Then, later we had Key Lime Bars for treats. Tiffany made them and they were delicious. I ate two, and then regretted that. I should have just stuck with one. Saved the other one for later.

Tonight, I went out to dinner with three of my sisters, two husbands, and 8 kids. Crazy, huh? Well, we went to The Mayan, which helped with the craziness because that place is huge, and the kids had a great time exploring the whole thing. They have divers that do cool dives off rocks into a little pool. The kids loved that. They were a little slow on the food service, but it was good food. I really liked the chips and salsa. So good. I had a Chile Verde Burrito. But, I was so full of chips and salsa that I didn't eat much of it. I'm looking forward to a good lunch tomorrow. My sisters are very generous. I got some books on cd to listen to in the car, and a gift card to Old Navy to buy some new clothes. Yea! I need that for sure. I really need a new skirt. Maybe I'll go look tomorrow. That will be fun. Anyway, on the way out, we took a few group pictures. The two brothers-in-law were the picture takers, so they aren't in there, but this is my sisters and adorable nieces and nephews. Yea for birthdays! Yea for families! Yea for good food and good fun.

33 Things to Do Before My 33rd Birthday

So, I've been working on this list for the last month or so. It is just a list of things I would like to do this year. We'll see how many of them I actually do.

1. Get my passport.
2. Ride my bike in Jackson/Grand Teton National Park in the spring
3. Really run a 5k - the whole thing
4. Make 25 books
5. Visit Olympic Park in Park City
6. Finish 4 mini scrapbooks
7. Go to Guild of Bookworkers Conference in San Francisco in October
8. Reconnect with old roommates - get together
9. Get published in a magazine
10. Order Moo cards
11. Plan and execute a Guerrila Art Adventure
12. Find a Letterboxing box
13. Stay in one of the old lodges at Zion, Grand Canyon or Yellowstone
14. Get rid of old computer
15. Organize art studio
16. Have another nieces (& maybe nephews) sleepover
17. Get to my goal weight and maintain that weight
18. Take a pottery class
19. Learn a new low-fat recipe at least once a month
20. Do as many homemade gifts as possible this year
21. Go to Color Me Mine
22. Visit a fun new shop at least once a month
23. Take classes at Book Arts Program at the U, and go to their exhibits
24. Get on etsy, sell my books
25. Do a book swap
26. Hike Timp
27. Go camping as much as possible this summer, at least twice
28. Attend the temple regularly
29. Read the Book of Mormon
30. Go to Goblin Valley on a full moon night
31. Join Zion Natural History Association
32. Make a cute bag/purse
33. Do something creative every day

And my bonus ones:
34. Go to Boston, visit Bookbinding school there
35. Help Grandpa go through all his family history information
36. Pay off car
37. Ride the tram at Jackson Hole

March is here!

I love March. It means the beginning of spring. Flowers start blooming. The snow is almost over. I can start wearing my flip flips again. (Ok, I have been wearing them the last week, but it really is still too cold for that. I just couldn't wait!)

And, the best part about March is all the birthdays! Mine, of course, and then three nieces & nephews birthdays are later this month. So fun! I love birthdays. One of my goals this year is to remember all the birthdays in my family, and to do handmade gifts, as much as possible. So, we'll see how that goes.

I have been playing with my blog today. I am so an amateur at this...you would think I know what I'm doing, but I really don't. So, it is a work in progress. I am learning, slowly.

Also, I found on Stacy Julian's blog, she linked to Lisa Day's Creativity Project. She is going to do something creative every day in March. I am going to try it, too. You should too. It doesn't have to be big. I think Lisa said that her creative thing for the day was to have breakfast for dinner. So, I'm going to try it. I will try to document it here. I started working in my workroom last night, I have lots of projects floating around in my head. I kept jumping from thing to thing last night. I need to focus on one thing until it is done. But, what's the fun in that? I am working on a mini book, and some birthday projects, and I have made a mess in the basement, going through stuff, getting ready to file it, and organize it. So, I really need to work on that, because I can't really walk anywhere down there. :) But, I get easily distracted by other things.

I have had a fun weekend. Yesterday I went to breakfast with my sister and her husband for my birthday. We went to Kneaders in Highland. I had yummy French Toast. So good! Then, I went shopping! I had a list of local shops, boutiques and such, from Your Heart Out, and I ended up only going to two of them. But, they were both very cute and fun. Some of them I drove right past, because they were in random, crazy places. But, I did stop at one called Hip & Humble, and my favorite was Emilie Jayne's. Just cute fun boutique type shops. Emilie Jayne's was sort of a consignment, very random stuff. Hip & Humble was more just cute, fun stuff. I almost bought a crazy apron there, but i thought I could make my own instead. I got a big platter with cute stripes on it at Emilie Jayne's. I think stripes are my new thing. I bought some paper yesterday, too, and it was stripey, too. I also bought a rug awhile ago that is in my room that is striped. It makes me very happy.

My other project, that I've been working on for awhile, I will post more about it later today or tomorrow. On another blog I was reading (I can't remember who now), she had made a list of 37 things to do before her 37th birthday. So, I've been making a list of 33 things to do before my 33rd birthday. I want to post it here, but I need to tweak it a little more, then I will post it for all the world to see. That is one of the projects I'm working on. I want to make a little book, or something to hang up, so I remember what is on my list. I guess it's a little bit like new year's resolutions, but it's different. Anyway, I'm excited to get that done and post it. I'm trying to get it done before my birthday. (which is tomorrow...)

Pay it Forward

Pay it Forward

Your mission, if you choose to accept...

So a friend of a friend of a friend is doing this pay it forward thing. This is how it works..... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this will receive a hand made gift from me during this year - and you all know how crafty I can be - be excited! When and what will be a surprise. There's a small catch...You knew there would be didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift.

This should be LOTS of fun!

February is almost half over already

Random thoughts from my head

• Sometimes I don't know how time just passes me by. I thought I was being a good blogger, and then all of a sudden, it's been over a month!

• I went to AZ to see my sister and her husband and baby last week. It was such a fun trip. Her little girl is adorable. We had fun shopping, and swimming, and just hanging out. Unfortunately, it wasn't sunny and warm like I had hoped.

• Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Someday I hope for a good Valentine's Day. Tomorrow is looking like a trip to the library, maybe a trip to the gym, perhaps a movie, and some house cleaning. Exciting, I know. I hope everyone else has a great Valentine's Day.

• I honestly don't care that I don't have a boyfriend/husband for Valentines, but I must care on some level because I was being an emotional eater all day today. I ate all the snacks that were in my bag, and I stopped at the store on the way home and had Chili Cheese Fritos and Boston Baked Beans. And now I'm sick from eating them.

• I made a goal many months ago to lose 32 lbs by my 32nd birthday. I've been plugging along, and now with two weeks to go, I am only 3.6 lbs away from meeting that goal. Are you amazed? I am. I am going to get my hair cut and colored when I reach that goal. Should I go blonde? Or red? Short? or shorter? I guess we'll see how adventurous I am feeling that day.

• I have rekindled my passion for knitting. Not real knitting, mind you. I use the fun Knifty Knitter looms. I have made two little bags and a scarf, and I just started on another scarf tonight. I am amazed by my awesome sister-in-law Emily who is a very talented girl and has been teaching herself to knit (the real way). Someday I wish to be like her. Love you Emily!

• Living with my grandpa has proved to be an adventure for sure. We are getting used to each other, and I think we are going to survive this. He is sick with a cold right now, which makes me sad for him. I hate being sick.

• I got to go to the Draper Temple Open House a few weeks ago with my sister. It was so beautiful! I loved all the art, especially the murals in two of the rooms. They were amazing. I could have sat in that room for an hour alone, just looking at those amazing works of art. I wish I was an artist like that.

2009

I had a good Christmas. I was at my sister's house for Christmas morning. Kids are great on Christmas, aren't they? After Christmas, I spent a couple of days in St. George with my parents. We thought we were going to warmer weather, but it wasn't that much warmer. They had snow in areas right around St. George. Zion had lots of snow and was FREEZING!
But, the snow against the red rocks was really pretty. We didn't get out much, because we weren't ready for the freezingness, and because my mom wasn't feeling that great at the moment. But, I got a few good pics.

The greatest discovery of the trip was the Life is Good store in St. George. I was so excited. My mom was laughing at how giddy I was. But, you must understand... I am a Life is Good groupie. I love them. I love their t-shirts. I like their bags. I really wish I could just own everything LIG, but it is pricey, so I try to limit myself. This is me on the fire truck in front of the store.

I had a great New Years Eve. We had a great party at my sister's house. Her kids all stayed up until 12:30 with us, except for her 5 year old. He fell asleep at 11. Lindsey, the 3-year-old, was up til the bitter end. She didn't want to miss the party. But, she was being funny and cute, so it was good. We played Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Zarahemla (a LDS version of Settlers of Catan), and Bingo, and did Karaoke. My new brother-in-law is the new king of karaoke. He was hilarious - totally getting into it.

And, at the end of the night, I ended up reading a story to the kids. My sister took our picture. It's not the greatest shot of me, but I like the picture anyway. This was taken at 12:25 am, and look how awake we all are still. It's quite amazing. I'm usually sound asleep at about 12:10 on New Years.

And now, it is 5 days into the new year. I have thought about a few goals/resolutions/intentions I want to work on this year. I'm still thinking. I don't have any huge resolutions. I do want to continue to lose weight and be healthy. I am thinking about running a 5k with some work friends in April in SLC. I need to start training for it if I'm going to do it. If I make a real list of goals, I will put them on here. For now, my goal is to have a good year. Be happy. Be healthy. Be productive. Be in the moment.

Happy 2009!