what will b | becky glauser

nothing.

2011-01-14T22:55:00.003-07:00

i am done.

graduated from college.
graduated from my 200 hr yoga teacher training.
turned in final group project - investment research challenge.

tonight is one of the first nights in awhile that i have had absolutely nothing that i had to do.

it is great. :)
i did nothing tonight, except catch up on stuff that i have been neglecting for a long time like . . . .

taking down my christmas decorations
blogging
watching tv shows
hanging out at my house all alone

what a great night of nothing.

things to look forward to tomorrow morning: picking up bountiful baskets and hot yoga. :)

1.11.11

2011-01-11T23:06:00.001-07:00

the coolest birthday date ever. had a great 27th birthday. happy day to me! :)

awesome chasm

2010-11-07T22:40:00.003-07:00

favorite hike that i have done in a while. a new route for an old hike. loved it!

sisters

2010-10-23T22:53:00.002-06:00

photo from a spontaneous saturday with my sister. love it. love her.

everyone moved away

2010-10-20T23:04:00.000-06:00

. . . and i hardly got any pictures. brad and kendall and family and aaron and sabrina and family both moved up to seattle, wa. i am pretty bummed about it. but mostly i will miss the kids. :) notice that's who I got the most pictures of.

sabrina and kendall at grandma elaine's a few days before they left.

dominic. i took a million pictures of this kid and he wouldn't look at the camera. he is so cute though.

landon and kailyn, the night we helped them pack the moving truck. not sure why landon is in his power ranger outfit, but i love it. i miss these little bugs.

red rock and beatles love

2010-10-19T22:35:00.000-06:00

visited leah in vegas with cody in september. it was a much needed weekend of hiking at red rocks {just outside of vegas}, going to bikram yoga for the first time {super hard and super HOT, but uh-mazing}, shopping and seeing my first cirque de soleil show: beatles love.

scary descent.

entrance to beatles love. such an amazing show!

loved my mini-vaca with cody and lea lea. :)

zion with the girls

2010-10-17T22:11:00.003-06:00

hiked hidden canyon with mom and sara back in july. :) I finally uploaded a bunch of pictures. this was such a fun day. we hiked hidden canyon {sara was sorta scared of the parts with chains}, went swimming in a fun swimming hole and then had lunch at oscar's in springdale. perfect day with the girls.

road to raw

2010-09-04T08:05:00.010-06:00

about a month ago, on my way up to one of my yoga intensive weekends, as I was eating cooking dough and driving up i-15, my sister called me. she wanted me to do this raw food cleanse with her. . . huge pause on my end of the phone. now, when i think of raw food, i think of a certain thanksgiving where my aunt made almost all raw food and everyone there was like, "what? this is NOT thanksgiving food." The pies were weird, the crackers were bendy. basically, not a good first impression. BUT i decided to do it anyway . . .

. . . fast forward a month later. i’ve lost about 10 lbs, just by changing my diet. i still exercise, but don’t feel that guilty if i don’t every day. when i do work out, it’s usually around half hour, unless i’m doing yoga. i feel so healthy. i eat a lot of fruits and veggies. i did the raw thing for about 3 weeks, which included a juice feast (like a fast, but you drink a lot of juice that you must juice yourself.) i didn’t love the juice feast, but did it for 4 days. now, i would say that I eat about 60% raw and the rest pretty close to vegetarian. i don’t want to say that i am vegetarian because i feel ike that labels and restricts me.

the interesting point i want to emphasize is how my view of food changed drastically. i used to have STRONG sugar cravings and usually NEEDED some type of sugar after each meal. now i really don’t. i do occasionally, but I tend to fill that craving with something more healthy then a handful of chocolate chips. i know i had a least a mild case of candida, most people in America have it and don’t even know it. it was causing me to be addicted to sugar. another thing that i thought was an interesting side effect was the way i felt about meat. i used to love meat and planned my meals around it. now after being more aware of what i am putting into my body, and seeing clips from “food inc,” i am more meat averse, unless it is the good grass fed, true free range stuff.

resources that have helped me along this journey are:

-www.roadtoraw.com: the website that hosted the raw food clease and had amazing videos and support.

-www.therawalicious.com: an amazing blog with so many how to videos and great ideas for total health. i want to be this girl's friend!

-www.greensmoothiegirl.com: loved her site and have used it for yummy, healthy recipes. i have a green smoothie almost every morning now.

-“the kind diet” by Alicia Silverstone: a lot of great recipes

-www.bountifulbaskets.org: amazing food co-op that allows me to get lots of fruits and veggies for great prices. pictured above.

-my sister amy: it was so good to have someone to call anytime i was craving something or wanted to talk about how we both were progressing, or other totally gross things that only sisters share, or when i stepped on the scale and it was lower than i thought it would be and when i fit into my thin jeans.

i didn’t mean to make this post so long, but i haven’t really written about this transformation at all. i have learned so much about my body, the food i eat and so many other amazing nutritional things. a month ago, if i read this, i would have probably thrown up all over this post and told whoever wrote it that there was no way i was going to even try to get healthy this way. so don’t judge too quickly. go to one of those websites, and if you are feeling adventurous, sign up for the roadtoraw.com cleanse. it will change your life. i promise.

also, am considering doing more health related posts that have to do with my discoveries . . . so stay tuned. :)

have an amazing day!

how to be alone

2010-08-17T12:41:00.004-06:00

i know it's been a while. i would imagine posts will be few and far between for a little while at least, but when i do post, it will be about something i really like or that is important to me.

this video fits under both categories:

i liked it.

in other news:

i started my hatha yoga teacher training. :) my 3rd intensive weekend is this weekend. am loving it.

and school starts next week for me. my last semester. and i will have my bachelor's degree in business/finance. excited to get it over with. :) i had to save the classes i don't care about for last.

cable mountain

2010-07-06T20:28:00.006-06:00

hiked cable mountain a few sundays ago with cody and leah. we had never done this hike in zion. the views are breathtaking. and somehow we picked a day where the temperatures were in the sixties! that combined with going to oscar's for the murder burger after . . . made it a perfect day. :)

looking down on angel's landing.

they used to lower timber down the canyon with cables . . . hence the name.

since i've been gone . . .

2010-06-27T22:50:00.004-06:00

it seems i've been a little distant lately . . . i guess until i get into a new routine i let a few things slide. the blog being one of them.

new work is finally feeling normal. :) yea!

school has been out for the summer for at least 2 months now.

no summer classes = me cleaning and organizing my house, and looking for other projects. what's with my obsession with being busy? no clue.

this fall will be my final semester before i officially have my bachelor's degree.

i'm already thinking about the next step. more thoughts to come later. . .

considering 8-month certification in kundalini yoga, but after doing 108 sun salutations for the summer solstice, am rethinking how much more practice i need before i teach.

other than that, here are a few of the pictures i have managed to take over the past month or so . . .

took a quick trip to slc with mom and sisters to see my cute niece and nephew in a play. they were darling and would totally wave at us during the play. we sort of instigated that though. :) they got trophies cause it was their last night.

planted a garden. these are the strawberries. also planted artichoke, tomatoes, raspberries and lots of flowers!

enjoyed my banks' roses blooming. only one month out of the year, but love them!

took the family on a hike for mother's day. mom's request. and cami was in town!

lovely summer days. hope to be back more often.

happy late mothers day!

2010-05-16T17:48:00.003-06:00

saw this on mother's day weekend when driving home from slc. those are cranes! how rad is that?

i pretty much have the best mom ever. and i don't mind that i am becoming more and more like her everyday. amen.

great expectations

2010-04-28T20:28:00.000-06:00

the other day, i was talking to a friend that has great expectations for her life. amazing goals and aspirations. this is one of the many things i love about her. she is extremely ambitious and is a goal setter. i am this way as well, but she started planning a little earlier than me.

my point is, this friend, was talking about how she wasn't where she expected to be in life. she was disappointed and frustrated.

i have been thinking about this and my question is: are we ever where we expect to be?

if you would have told me that i would be doing what i am doing now when i was younger, i probably wouldn't have believed it.

i'm in such a different place than i expected. in some aspects of my life, i would say i'm in a far better place than expected.

but what are these expectations we have of the future? of someday i will be traveling the world or someday i will have the job of my dreams?

do we grow complacent as we grow up? do we just change? or is it more of putting our priorities in order?

some people say that being content is bad. but on this subject that brings up more questions than answers, i would have to say that there is a strange balance in there somewhere. it's not a compromise. it's a creative solution that mixes your expectations and goals with real life.

it's actually pretty amazing how it happens. for me, it's brought me to a place that is a mixture of moments where the fairytale i dreamed of as a child is true and the reality of the world slapping me in the face come together in an odd mixture that makes me happy.

the key is enjoying the fairytale and responding to the slap in the face by being better.

oh i still have my great expectations and they keep me reaching higher. writing to do lists and goal lists. these expectations help us hope and plan for something more.

it's crazy how life can have you high on happiness one day and pulling out your hair the next. makes me grateful for the times of happy contentedness.

so to my friend with her great expectations: know that we all have these. they are our balloons that keep us looking up into the sky and if one of them pops every now and then, it's okay. god has a big helium tank that's there if we want it. it's there so we can fill up another balloon with our dreams.

DIY: wall hanging

2010-04-24T19:45:00.001-06:00

i started making this flowery wall hanging thing back in january and just slowly worked on it as i had time. i finished it a few weeks ago and am just now posting it. :) i spray painted the frame that i found at a garage sale and sort of arranged them together on one of my bedroom walls. not sure if this is the final or if i will actually put something in the frame, but here it is for now.

and you will never guess what it is made out of . . .

. . .toilet paper rolls!

i got the idea here and added a few more petals to it. it was fun and super cheap!

these are a few of the steps and i used paper clips to hold them in place while the glue dried.

the final project one more time. :) i love it on my wall.

how cute are these kids!?!

2010-04-20T23:56:00.003-06:00

found these pics on khulett photography of my cute niece and nephew. love them and had to share. kevin did an amazing job!

are you kidding me? so darling.

camping on carlsbad state beach

2010-04-17T10:27:00.001-06:00

snuck away for the weekend a couple weeks ago with cody, leah and alesha to go camping on the beach. what a perfect weekend. right on the beach. relaxing, roasting hot dogs and falling asleep to the sound of the waves.

pretty impressive photography skills.

i love this pic of leah. man i am good.

we also went to huntington beach and stayed with some new friends really close to the beach in a way sweet house. it was a blast!

DIY: homemade freezer jam

2010-04-13T22:48:00.000-06:00

i grew up with homemade strawberry jam and don't like any other jam. so instead of stealing bottles from my mom's freezer . . . i decided to make some of my own. it's so yummy and so easy. it only took me about an hour and a half. perfect for this strawberry season.

i used the recipe inside the mcp pectin box. according to my mom you have to use mcp pectin. sure jell is the other brand that you don't want to use. mcp pectin is the best. (but it's from the makers of sure jell) and i only found it at harmons.

i just made two batches and it made 6 jars! i didn't expect that much. but i'm excited to enjoy it all!

the first week . . .

2010-04-09T21:47:00.003-06:00

of my new job was like any first week. totally overwhelming. :) but it's a good overwhelming. i like it. best part is monday morning i woke up with the flu. oh, but i denied it. i told myself it was just nerves and halfway through the day had to give in and go home as i shook with the chills and tried not to throw up.

yeah, that totally sucked.

but at least it only lasted 24 hours. the rest of the week went well. :) thank goodness for the weekend. loving just relaxing. :)

have a good one.

where i have been

2010-04-04T08:34:00.008-06:00

well. starting from the beginning, or when i stopped posting . . .

the job i have had for the last three years has been a great job. i have learned a lot about the mortgage industry and was able to go to school while i worked full-time. this job allowed me to do other things during the day, if i was slow - hence the blogging more often before. and the getting more homework done.

a few months ago i was offered another job that, after much debate and taking many issues into consideration, i took. i am definitely a thinker/debater when it comes to major life decisions. and for me, this was. i loved my new job. i was essentially doing the same thing, just more of it. i was busy all day and felt like i was accomplishing a lot. i had to change my schedule a bit and actually do my homework at home. this is why the blogging suffered. now i have gotten to a point where i am feeling like i am in more of a groove with my new life. just in time for the universe to throw another curve ball at me.

a few weeks ago, through connections i had made at school, i was offered another job. {i knew school was good for something.} although, i don't feel like this is just a job. this is more of a career decision. see, i am growing up now. it's not in the mortgage industry. and depending on how i feel once i get more into it, i may tell you more. but for now know that, again, after much debate, i gave my other new job my notice. i loved working there, but fate stepped in and offered something that i had to take a chance on.

i am really excited. scared at first, because i don't have much experience at all in this new field, but so excited because i know i will learn so much. it's not a normal "small town, st. george" job. i feel like it will take me places or at least equip me with skills that i will need for the future.

and one of the best parts is i put it out there that i wanted this job about a year ago. i didn't have the particulars defined, but the universe, the secret, the law of attraction, or whatever unseen source you prefer, knew. i believe that. and i'm so grateful that for it.

so i start my new adventure tomorrow. it may be crazy for awhile, but it will be good.

and i have to say that it is good to be back. blogging is my form of journaling and also connecting to so many of you that i would not otherwise know what is going on in your life. perfect for my busy life. so thanks. hope to be back soon.

i am

2010-03-29T23:39:00.004-06:00

still here.

just not staying cyber-connected as often.

life has been amazing this past month or so.

more has happened than i have expected and it's all going so smoothly.

let's just say that i am a believer in writing down what you desire.

it's fun to watch it unfold.

balance is the word i would use to describe how i feel about my life right now.

i feel so happy. so balanced.

there a little things here and there that i want to tell you about.

projects and trips and such.

and i will.

but for now, i am going to enjoy sitting next to my man, stop typing and start tickling his arm again.

and most importantly, i am here. ready to join blogland again.

4 years

2010-02-05T10:02:00.003-07:00

This is a re-post from my sister cami's tumblr page and because they don't let you comment on tumblr pages, i wanted to tell my sister that she said it perfectly. i miss my dad. it would be so fun to have more conversations with him, more trips with him, more days with him. thanks cami for a great tribute.

it’s been 4 years since my dad has passed, so this post is dedicated to him….

my father is someone that….

makes sure you do what your mother says
holds back your hair when you are sick
lets you eat ice cream for breakfast
walks you down the aisle
gives you nicknames to make you feel extra special
isn’t afraid to acknowledge the elephant in the room
has the voice of a lion
but the heart of an angel
makes up songs about your friends names
gets kicked out of your basketball game because he’s yelling to loud
makes the best mix cd’s
is always up for a good discussions
pops your toes
gets all the cracks out of your back
is the best golfer
is the biggest jokster in the world
gives you money if you rub his feet
farts at the dinner table
is the best bargainer (he always lowered the prices)
cooks the best krepes in the world
scares your date by simply cleaning off his gun
is good at everything he does
rubs his stubbly face on your cheeks
teaches you how to drive stick
makes his presence known
is always up for camping
isn’t afraid to go up and talk to someone
lipsinks
lets you comb his chest hair
plays the guitar
writes songs about your mom
tells the best jokes
doesn’t like wearing ties
falls asleep while watching golf
tickles you until you’re about to pee your pants
scares your friends
obnoxiously squirts you with water
sits and plays with the kids for hours
is not afraid to throw you realllly high in the air
works extra hard
lets you cuddle with him
sings duets with you
makes an impression on everyone he meets
builds the best snowman’s
teases you about everything
master’s the “shoulder boppin” dance move
makes everything he eats look sooo good
gives you advice
makes you dream bigger then the stars
is filled with passion
loves you no matter what
tells you everythings gonna be okay
believes in you
and is always with you.

i love you, dad.

miss you dearly.

valentines gift shop

2010-01-29T11:13:00.004-07:00

kendall and i will have a beckend designs booth at the valentine's gift shop in st. george tomorrow! come stop by and see us! and our cute coasters!

Valentine’s Gift Shop

Need something for that special someone…

or maybe just for yourself…

Come choose from various vendors and

get something for everyone on your

Valentine’s Day list this year!!!

Saturday, January 30^th

^10am-4pm

^{26 W. Tabernacle, St. George}

^(D^{irectly across the street from the Tabernacle and}^{Town Square}⁾

^***^{Remember to come early for the best selection!!!}^***

excuse me . . .

2010-01-28T14:12:00.003-07:00

. . . can you see that i am working, going to school and interning at the moment?!!!

this is so how i feel right now. i am an ambitious girl. i'm pretty sure everyone who knows me, knows that.

i personally put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to be better and better and do it NOW!! even now, as i write this, i am feeling it. 26 years old and what do you have to show for it. why don't you own your own business and why aren't you making 6 figures by now? it's funny, because now that i am getting these thoughts out of my head, i can see how silly they are. when did i make the decision to do all that and when did i get the crazy idea that it would all be done at once?

these crazy thoughts bring me anxiety of the worst kind. the kind that makes me dream dreams that i should never dream and the kind that literally feels like fear gripping me telling me that i cannot face the day. it's horrible.

so my opening line is exactly what i want to say to those thoughts. "CAN YOU SEE THAT I AM BUSY RIGHT NOW!" i hate to put things off. when i get a good idea, i want it to be done now. not later.

which is why i have so much on my plate.

the point of this rant is that this podcast that i found via kate via kera, below just spoke to me. the ENTIRE thing spoke to me. but mostly the story that starts at about minute 13. {in case you want to skip through it, but i recommend the entire thing.} elizabeth gilbert has a way of saying things, and her voice is so calming.

i feel like there are so many ideas that come to me from my "little genius" that elizabeth mentions, that i am just not ready for. and i begin to feel guilty that i am not in that place yet that is ready to develop that idea that would be so amazing if i could give it all of my focus. but i am giving other things my focus right now. i am where i am and i have a hard time accepting that sometimes.

i love the idea of continuing to show up. to be there. to be present and available for things to happen through you. just show up. my mom used to say this too. sometimes, just showing up is enough.

please let me remember this when fear grips me and tells me not to get out of bed. please remember, becky, that showing up can be enough.

this podcast came at the perfect time for me. i hope it shifts your paradigm as much as it did mine.

ole!

beautiful sunday hike.

2010-01-23T14:14:00.006-07:00

love this hike. slots is one of the best. and the fact the leah stayed up all night then drove up from vegas to go on this hike was awesome, especially since she was crazy the whole time. :)

an adventure

2010-01-12T10:54:00.001-07:00

went on an adventure to find the river on sunday with landon, kailyn, grandma, sara, and the two dogs - sophie and kai. :) it was so fun. i made mom try rollerblading. pretty funny!

love these little kids!

011110

2010-01-11T12:58:00.004-07:00

pretty cool date for a birthday this year. :)

celebrated mine and michael's birthday with the fam last night. {his day is tomorrow.}

cutest smile ever.

thanks for the amazing yogurt cake! my favorite!

the recipe - mac and cheese

2010-01-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

this is the recipe that we sort of used. . . thanks to diners, drive-ins and dives. we added some different cheeses though. harmons has an awesome cheese section. :)

good luck :)

christmas and the amazing mac & cheese

2010-01-08T16:09:00.004-07:00

i sort of forgot to post about christmas this year. . . and i sort of forgot to take pictures of much. so here a the few moments that were captured by my camera.

cute little landon and kailyn on christmas morning playing with their toys. {slept at brad and kendall's so we could watch the little kids experience santa. so fun!}

brad with dominic. so cute.

token cheesy christmas tree pic.

christmas day dinner. hello! {this was brad's plate.}

i promised shane i would blog about this because he was so excited.

mac and cheese!

haha! he hated eating traditional holiday dishes and wanted something good. so this is the yummiest, cheesiest and most expensive mac and cheese i have ever had. good job babe.

it's huge!

but oh so yummy. :)

hope you had a good one!

so this is the new year

2010-01-01T15:17:00.003-07:00

first post of the new year. happy new year.

a strange sense of self-love and happiness was with me this morning. even with my resolutions of attaining my ideal weight and eating better. i found this sense of peace about this coming year which left me excited, as if i already know everything is unfolding perfectly. in case some of you are grabbing a bag to puke in right now. i will stop. but i still feel amazing.

i slept in and didn't actually get out of bed until about 2pm. i woke up late and opened a book, that engulfed me for 3-4 hours.

eat. pray. love. by elizabeth gilbert. to be made into a movie with the fabulous julia roberts. so excited.

oh how i love this book. it is an escape for me to a life that i would love to live. at least for a year. i want to travel as she traveled. but my mind and more importantly my heart, knows that it's not quite time yet. but soon. :)

now i am off to visit and play with leah and cody in vegas. lots of shopping and talking is waiting for me. :)

i hope you are having as good of a new year as i am.

loves.

2010

2009-12-30T11:54:00.001-07:00

image via.

6 changes

2009-12-29T11:41:00.006-07:00

‘It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.’
~ Confucius

once again. thinking about resolutions. loved this article from zen habits and plan to do it differently this year. plan on changing my habits.

choosing 6 changes to make every two months in 2010. although they may sound overly simple. i like them and have thought long and hard on which 6 changes i want to make.

overall goal, big picture: love who i am.

1 change: exercise every morning (even if it is just for ten minutes)
2 change: eat 2 fruits and 2 vegetables everyday (seriously people, this is a goal)
3 change: drink 8 glasses of water everday
4 change: floss everyday (i know . . .)
5 change: meditate everyday
6 change: begin writing book (no i will not tell you what it's about, yet.)

will document my journey of these 6 changes here.

here i go. like bob from 'what about bob,' taking baby steps. :)

as far as the normal resolutions go. i love some of the ideas from here. and will implement some of them, even if they are not everyday habits.

how are you going about your resolutions? or am i just a resolutions freak this year?

tracking santa

2009-12-23T10:01:00.003-07:00

just found this fabulous site that is fun for adults and kids. start tracking santa now!

have you guys heard of this site before? so cute! happy christmas!

whew!

2009-12-18T15:59:00.004-07:00

finally done with this semester . . . haven't been doing much else besides projects, cases, reports and tests. so this explains my absence.

i am so excited to have 3 whole weeks to do what i want after work. :) i have already got a list of books i want to read, recipes i want to try and movies i want to see.

not that i am trying skip over christmas, but i have been thinking about new years resolutions and way's to become more productive and happier, basically more balanced. i tend to stretch myself out and need to start incorporating some "me" time into the mix. i liked this site to get me going.

cute. and inspiring. i can find balance with small differences.

what i really like doing is writing a list of things i want and things i want to have happen in 2010. my favorite is looking at it after the year has past and seeing how the year turned out. i got this tradition from my daddy and haven't really kept up on it in the last few years. no better time to start than now! :)

what do you guys do to prep for the resolution writing??? and do you stick to them?

long, lovely weekend

2009-11-30T21:24:00.004-07:00

this thanksgiving weekend was much too short for my taste. i was enjoying my lazy mornings and my productive days and hanging out with my mom, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, niece, nephew, and boyfriend. :) i added the bf because with my crazy schedule we barely see each other, so it was nice to have a moment to hang out.

a random list of items from my grateful list:
blogs
gummy bears
learning
sleeping in
connecting with family again
new laptop {happy christmas to me!}
a clean house
a water heater that works again {never realized how grateful i am for it, til now.}
vol. 25 {totally on my christmas list}
flight of the conchords

**yes, i did go to best buy on black friday. jeff and sara braved the crowds and cold night with me in our tent, on my trusty air mattress {with me on many the adventurous occasion}. we had fun and then crawled into bed until the afternoon.

beckend designs @ tom & lucy's art shoppe

2009-11-18T11:03:00.002-07:00

headed off to northern utah for the weekend for beckend designs first boutique. come visit us! it's going to be a party!

Tom and Lucy's Art Shoppe - This weekend: 3 Day Holiday Boutique - (Nov. 19- Nov. 21) Lehi, UT

beckend designs

2009-11-17T11:16:00.006-07:00

i am excited to announce something my sister-in-law and i have been working on for the past few weeks: beckend designs! we have been working our tails off to get these babies ready for the boutique that we are participating in this weekend. {more to come on that soon}

beckend designs is our design shop and our first creations are coasters. I gave you a little taste in july and now we are really introducing our shop!

here are a few of our designs that are available to choose from:

more to come soon! for more information visit us here. or email us at beckenddesigns(at)gmail(dot)com!

which one is your favorite?

german spritz cookies

2009-11-15T11:37:00.001-07:00

made these lovelies for my final presentation in int'l biz. they were a hit.

it was fun to make them and finally use my cookie press that i have had for so long and never used! i think i will make more for christmas and involve the nieces and nephews in the fun.

sand mountain

2009-11-14T11:19:00.006-07:00

took the family on a fabulous hike a couple weeks ago. it was a gorgeous day in st. george, but when we got to sand mountain it was super cold and windy. michael fixed our mom a "coat" out of a blanket that was in the car and we were set. it warmed up as we hiked, but was still pretty windy. we took my mom's little dog, sophie, and she did awesome! so cute to see her hiking right along with with us.

best part of the hike was running down the sand mountain. here are mike, jeff and sara . . . mom took a little longer and so didn't make it on the video. :)

subtle sexuality

2009-10-30T11:03:00.002-06:00

i probably love the office even more now.

this is it

2009-10-28T13:57:00.004-06:00

saw this movie last night. my brother got a bunch of us to go which made it all the more fun. we were probably the obnoxious ones, but not once the movie started. i didn't think i would love it as much as i did. it was way cool to see how involved michael was in his concert as a production. he was a perfectionist and totally weird. :) but in a good way. you sort of have to be eccentric when you are that famous. it showed his talent in a whole new dimension for me and i loved it.

the dancers were amazing, the guitar chick was amazing and michael was amazing. i am amazed at what he could still do so well - dance and sing! :) it also made me think about how weird death is. it really sucks that he died. he really was all about the love. the talent that came from him was one of a kind and this concert would have been crazy awesome to go to.

our favorite move of the night is at about second 11 of this video.

go see it.

image via.

busy signal

2009-10-23T17:17:00.003-06:00

is there such a thing as a busy-aholic. because i'm pretty sure i am one. i am so busy this week/month, but especially this week.

this is how i feel.

and i'm not really sure which paper to pick up first and start with.

the thing is . . . i do it to myself.

i work a ton, i go to school a ton and then i volunteer to judge my little brothers debate thing this weekend and i sign up to make 50 sets of coasters for a boutique in november.

i am actually really excited about the boutique, i just can't believe that i signed up for it. i mean, come on becky.

so if you were wondering what i am doing and why i don't blog more, this is why. i want to blog more. so maybe i will just add it to my list.

better yet, i will do this on my breaks.

a chance to vent and/or be creative.

look for more posts about the trip i am going to plan when this is all over. i am in need of at least a two-week adventure in some far-off place in this world.

image via.

baking with ar mel's

2009-10-10T17:21:00.007-06:00

here are the pics from my baking extravaganza with my two sista's. amy has an amazingly delicious bakery she started about a year ago and it's getting bigger and bigger. :) she had a huge order to do and asked for my and sara's help. it was a good excuse to go up and hang with my sister and her family even if we didn't get much sleep.

we were so busy baking that we sorta forgot to take pictures. here a few. the gift bags we made included: amazing brownies covered in cream cheese frosting and ganoche, snickerdoodles dipped in chocolate and chocolate chip cookie bars with chocolate and peanut butter topping. yum! 128 gift bags later . . . whew.

later that weekend we did a little day trip to tracy aviary in liberty park and the old spaghetti factory. i had never been there and it was fun!

fun sisters! we missed you cam!

thanks ame! love ya.

michael buble

2009-10-09T13:42:00.003-06:00

why did i not know he was this cute?? love him. and love this song.

michael. i'm right here. you can meet me now. ;)

did you know he was this cute?

thanks cindy!

early morning glee

2009-10-07T14:45:00.004-06:00

i got about 2 hours of sleep thursday night. {due to a huge bakery order that i helped my sister with and will post about soon.} so i fell asleep at about 6:30pm friday night, thinking i would sleep through the night just fine. nope. totally woke up at 2am wide awake and ready to start the day. after an hour of trying to force myself back to sleep, i gave up and did some catching up on the episodes of glee that i have missed.

i love glee. i think it's the inner nerd in me that wishes life were a musical and it's sort of like that on glee. this clip is from one of the three shows i watched that morning and i LOVE it.

i am almost obsessed with the original by beyonce and this one just makes me smile. seriously. are you watching glee?

if not, go to hulu and do it up!

dominic's quilt

2009-10-02T17:05:00.000-06:00

finished this fun quilt for sabrina and aaron's new son dominic! it was so fun to make and fun to remember how to embroider again. now i just need to get a picture of the cute little guy in it.

solo

2009-09-23T10:33:00.003-06:00

i went to see this movie all by myself. i think this is the first time i have ever been to the movies alone.

let me just say that going solo was perfect, especially for this movie. it was sorta freeing walking in there alone. and it was a good thing i was alone because i was crying for an hour straight. tears streaming down my face, for an HOUR! i couldn't believe how much i cried. i don't really cry in movies either, not that i think it's dumb to, i just don't. i had to hold back the sniffles and sorta wished i had rented it and was home on my couch so i could sniff all i wanted. i read the book {thanks to jana!} and loved it and it made the movie that much better.

loved the movie and loved that i was alone.

does anyone else go to movies alone sometimes? i think i might do it more often.

gold's gym, anyone?

2009-09-02T14:01:00.005-06:00

so my friend, maryann, who used to be my room mate and used to live in utah, is selling her gold's gym contract for CHEAP! she lives in indiana and can't use it there because the one she bought is from a utah franchise.

here are the details:

**price is $300, upfront for 16 months! that works out to be $18.75 per month and you don't have to pay startup costs or the lame bi-annual fee of $15. she already paid for all of it. {i believe new contracts are starting at $27 per month}

i wish i would have known about this before i renewed my contract, but i didn't so it's your gain. let me know if you want to buy it from her. it really is a great deal and then we can be gym buddies! i really need one!

feather headbands

2009-08-31T12:31:00.005-06:00

i saw feather headbands in bella donna {a little boutique in ancestor square} a couple weeks ago and can't stop thinking about them. i am in love with them.

i found more on etsy here.

a nd here.

aren't they so cute!? i think i am going to search for feathers and try to make them myself, but if i can't find the perfect ones then i will cave and buy one of these lovelies. i love the ones with the peacock feathers . . . and maybe a little less big. i've got to work up to it.

kundalini yoga with benja

2009-08-28T01:02:00.000-06:00

over the summer while talking to my aunt steph, the subject of music came up. i'm not sure what exactly we were talking about but she handed me her ipod and pressed play. i loved the song playing. instant connection. :) she says that she listens to this song and it makes everything right in her world. :) i can totally see why.

i thought about the song off and on. mostly when i would go to yoga classes and would contemplate buying it, but i would forget. then i heard it in my first kundalini yoga class taught by benja peterson. {who owns benja thai and i absolutely love the restaurant and love her.}

i love it when things like this happen. hearing something or about something and it keeps showing up in my life. needless to say, i loved the class. it was different than any other yoga class i have taken. and i have recruited family members to come to it every monday at 5:30pm with me. so if you want to come . . . email me and i will let you know where it is!

she ended class with this song. loved it.

so thanks steph, for introducing me to this beautiful music!

back to school

2009-08-27T10:31:00.000-06:00

and a schedule. school started monday. wow. this marks the first semester, since i got my associates degree years ago, that i will be a full-time student. {only this time i will be working full time, as well} one of the reasons for this switch from part to full-time is because if it helps me see the light at the end of the tunnel a little faster. :)

so i've been purchasing books {ugh}, and other school supplies.

whenever fall comes around i think of the scene in you've got mail where they are emailing about "bouquets of sharpened pencils." love the idea of this. and love tom hanks and meg ryan.

i think this would be the perfect first day of school present. so cute. :)

the schedule has been crazy so far and i feel like i have been living out of my car, running from one place to the next, but i hope to have everything organized by next week. i may actually be able to fit passengers in my car then. :)

do you have any first week of school tips to help in organization or even staying sane?? i could use the help!

p.s. i am actually taking 13 credits and the 13th one is my favorite. kundalini yoga. i love it so far and have more to share on that front so stay tuned.

image via flickr.

quilts and such

2009-08-26T09:35:00.003-06:00

finally finished my sweater quilt that i started, no kidding, probably 3 years ago. i made it from bright sweaters that i used to wear in my high school days and then i crocheted the binding. that's why it took me so long. there are more like this one here. :)

kind of bright, but oh so cozy

on another quilting note i thought i had plenty of time to make a baby quilt for sabrina's soon to be born sweetie, but her baby came 5 weeks early! so i had to hurry and get going on it. i'm still not quite done and with school starting it might take me a little longer, but hopefully not too long. here is a peak at the fabric we chose together. :) so far it is really cute!

cute little dominic. he is tiny and so sweet! congrats sabrina and aaron!

handmade for me!

2009-08-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

this pay it forward {handmade} thing was way more fun than i would have expected. i sent out these and got this and now this cute new clutch. it's always fun to get something in the mail and handmade is even better. i am amazed at how talented robyn is! thank you so much!

fun inside material!

cool design on the back. :)

do you coupon?

2009-08-15T00:02:00.000-06:00

it seems to be the fad now to coupon clip. i just started really doing it these last couple weeks. at first it stressed me out, and now i can say that i am just sort of getting the hang of it. i definitely am not hard core because i'm not shopping for a huge family, but tonight when my total for some bananas and 4 boxes of cereal was $0.67 it made me pretty happy!

here are some of the sites i frequent:
it's hip to save
utah deal diva
money saving mom
pinching your pennies
the obsessive shopper {this is the one where i get my shopping list every week}

do you coupon? what are your tips and tricks? teach me!!

meringue and raspberry ice cream cake

2009-08-14T11:58:00.004-06:00

raspberries must be calling my name. i saw this deliciousness over at design sponge today and had to share.

go here to read more. yum!

Meringue and Raspberry Ice Cream Cake

1 2/3 cups whipped cream (400ml)

2/3 cups Greek yogurt (200ml)

1 egg yolk

3 tbl spoons powdered sugar

1 vanilla pod

zest of 1 lemon

1 bag of small ready made meringues

4,5 tbl spoons crushed dark chocolate -

alternatively chocolate sauce

raspberries (I’ve used fresh, but frozen ones are OK too for inside the cake)

Whisk the cream. Mix yogurt, egg yolk, powdered sugar, the content of the vanilla pod and the lemon zest (only the yellow, not the white). Turn the yogurt mix into the whipped cream. Spread 1/3 of the mix in a springform, approximately 10 inches in diameter. Cover with a layer of meringue and sprinkle over raspberries and crushed chocolate. Repeat with another layer of yogurt mix, raspberries and chocolate. End with a layer of yogurt mix. Cover with plastic and freeze for at least 4 hours. Place the cake in room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Decorate with raspberries.

i'm definitely going to try this!

cami's goin' country

2009-08-14T09:55:00.002-06:00

amy and her family got to go visit my talented sister who is performing in virginia. {see more pics on amy's facebook} i went last year and wish i could have gone this year. check out how cute my sister is below {totally sounds like reba}:

cami's bf is the guitar player and the one who sings "friends in low places" in the second half of the video. :)

seeing these make me miss her! love you cam! i'm so glad you are going for it!

raspberries and ice cream

2009-08-13T11:44:00.002-06:00

one of my favorite things about visiting salt lake city in the summer :)

what are your favorite summer treats?

picking up where we left off

2009-08-03T09:04:00.005-06:00

do you have friends that, no matter how long it has been, you just easily pick up where you left off? i got the chance to spend the weekend with two friends that are like sisters to me! it was such a good excuse to make a quick trip up to the salt lake area.

me and rach. friends since we were little. (my dad dated her mom in high school - funny huh!) loved chatting the night away with her. thanks for letting me crash your saturday night and stay at your place. :)

then i had a lovely breakfast at mimi's with maryann. if you ask how me met she may loudly exclaim that it was one wild night in vegas, but it's not as bad as it sounds. :) she was my roommate for awhile after that and we had so much fun together! so we did breakfast and then just chilled at liberty park. i love liberty park. it was so fun to see maryann. she is definitely one of those people that i can be completely myself with. i love talking to her! and little did we know that we have twinner hairdos. haha! funny.

in my quick trip i also got to see my grandparents, Bri and Cath and fam and got to spend sunday afternoon with my sister and her family. we made yummy zucchini bread and chatted. such a great weekend.

quick trip and good directions

2009-08-01T10:05:00.003-06:00

i'm headed off for a quick trip to salt lake city to see a couple of old friends. :) i'm so excited to see them. it's been too long.

just thought i would leave you with this little gem that i forgot was on my camera from the 4th of july. a little karaoke by shane. :)

have a happy weekend!

the time traveler's wife

2009-07-29T09:41:00.003-06:00

i am so excited for this film, as is every other girl who saw rachel mcadams in the notebook. she is an amazing actress and hello eric bana! but before i see it, i want to read it. so herein lies my dilemma. the library doesn't have it in (obviously) and i don't want to buy it, so . . .

do any of you bloggers that live in southern utah want to borrow it to me? i am a fast reader! pretty please!

meanwhile, enjoy the trailer. :)

and who wants to plan a girls night out to see the movie??!!

perfect way to start a monday

2009-07-27T11:54:00.002-06:00

i won a giveaway! yea! i enter these all the time and this is my first win! i chose this cute clock from decoylab shop.

the giveaway was hosted by m.writes. i lalalalove her blog. if you haven't been there yet, go check it out!

stella & dot

2009-07-23T13:45:00.001-06:00

i will take this necklace please! love their jewelry!

national parks fee free weekends!

2009-07-16T12:59:00.005-06:00

this weekend is the second weekend of three this summer that you can get into most national parks for free!!! so make sure to plan a trip with you family, your bf/gf, or your friends.

go early!

happy hiking!

image via

beckend coasters

2009-07-08T10:24:00.003-06:00

so kendall and i have been making coasters. we made a bunch for mother's day and then i made more for my pay it forward post. {those three lucky ladies already have some!} this has been a fun summer project to learn how to do and we are seriously considering the idea of opening up an etsy shop. but for now i am showing them off on my blog because i think they are so darling.

these are the cute, mismatched ones that i made for my house.

some of the other cute options

so if you want a cute homemade gift to give or some cute coasters for your own coffee table. let me know. we are accepting orders. :)

new look :)

2009-07-06T00:31:00.006-06:00

i finally made the time to re-vamp my blog! come check it out and let me know what you think!

floating down the virgin river

2009-07-05T00:10:00.002-06:00

so i started my day off on friday at 5:30am! i was going to go hiking with corinne and mary in zion and they are way on time people so i woke up earlier than needed to make sure i was ready. :) we hiked watchmen's and then weeping rock and then had a fabulous breakfast at oscar's, which is still my favorite restaurant ever. {mary still needs to email the pics from our little adventure . . . yes mary - email them :) }

then i met up with my fab fam to float down the virgin river. we rented tubes from zion adventure company. they were awesome. they give you huge tubes, you float for like 2 hours down the river and then they pick you up at the bottom. and if you want to go again, it only costs five bucks.

heading down to get in the river.

the stick they are holding onto totally helped out because then the other person could pull you if you got stuck. the water wasn't that deep.

but it was so much fun! cold water. hot day. totally fun and relaxing.

there was even a rope swing!

my mom's first time ever going on a rope swing. can you believe it!? she said she was always holding babies and watching us go. she was funny to watch. :)

the perfect tarzan pose by michael!

jeff climbing the rope.

finished off the day with a little picnic!

totally fun! the river really was awesome. just remember to keep your bum up.

totally awesome trick me and michael discovered. :) love my family!

what is love?

2009-07-02T17:07:00.002-06:00

happy 4th of july weekend!

this video is dedicated to my brotha brad who called me and we watched this video together by phone. and laughed. hard. :)

3 cheese chicken pasta bake

2009-07-02T13:42:00.001-06:00

i don't cook very often, except to bake treats, so when i do i like to make it good. :) this was a recipe i read on cookbook junkies the other day. i made it a couple nights ago. sooo yummy!! it doesn't take very long and it's super easy!

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked (use whatever pasta you have)

1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained

2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, cubed

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.

COOK and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in cream cheese.

DRAIN pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.

BAKE 20 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min.

enjoy!

swimming lessons

2009-07-01T13:24:00.003-06:00

yes. i am taking swimming lessons.

not normal swimming lessons, but learn the technique swimming lessons. i know how to swim, but this is teaching me each of the strokes and how to do them correctly. my first one was last night and wow! it was awesome. :) i have a lot to learn and a lot to train my muscles and my breathing on, but i am pretty excited about it. jen is an amazing instructor! thanks jen! i am hoping to prepare for a triathlon in the fall or something. yea!

new waterfalls at havasupai

2009-06-29T15:00:00.003-06:00

i am a big havasupai fan, been there 6 or 7 times, but i haven't been there in a couple years. last year there was a huge flood that re-routed the river and changed the landscape, in my opinion, dramatically.

one of the falls, navajo, isn't even there anymore and there are two new waterfalls. i was searching for pics on the internet of these new waterfalls and came across this blog. if you have ever been there you have to look at it. and don't forget page 2. it's so weird to me that havasupai is changed forever.

but i am sure there still will be good memories made there. :)

it's britney!

2009-06-24T15:58:00.004-06:00

i was lucky enough to go to britney spears with sabrina a couple months ago and finally took these pics from her blog cause i didn't have my camera. it was awesome. pussy cat dolls opened up for her. i love the pussy cat dolls. they are just as sexy in real life . . . from like a million miles away. haha. and britney was good. it was quite the show and quite the circus! but i guess i expected her to at least actually sing her slow songs. oh well. she's britney, so she gets to do whatever she wants. thanks sabrina!

this is us in the vip lounge. awesome! totally got a free chair massage too!

pussy cat

britney bitch!

away we go.

2009-06-12T09:50:00.002-06:00

this movie looks so good. it's already out, but unfortunately because i live in a town that doesn't like good movies . . . i have to wait. the actors in this are amazing and it looks like such a good story. below is the youtube preview, but i loved this one from apple, because it has interviews throughout from the main characters. :)

weekend adventure: kanarraville falls

2009-06-09T13:51:00.006-06:00

me and my fam had a blast on sunday at kanarraville falls! i first discovered it last year. if you are looking for a fun hike with the family in southern utah - this one is beautiful and okay for kids if your a willing to carry them through a few of the water parts! just get off I-15 at kanarraville, just south of cedar city, and turn east on 100 north. park at the bottom of the hill and start hiking up the dirt road. it will turn into a river with somewhat of a trail. just follow the river up to waterfalls and beautiful slot canyons!

here are a few of the sights along the way!
landon - he wanted to be on the motorcycle we saw.

jocelyn, sara and kailyn

cool cave hole! {that's what landon called it}

beautiful! mom and jeff

silly landon and brad

in the slot canyon - almost to the waterfall!

kanarraville falls!

cutie kailyn being carried out. . .

we stopped in silver reef on the way home to look at the historic sites . . . can't believe i've never really looked at all of it. i have been out there, but never noticed how much was left of the old town and its silver mines. :) here we are crawling out over this 15o+foot deep silver mine hole. we actually found a geocache hanging from the rebarr. pretty cool.

judd's

2009-05-29T17:25:00.002-06:00

this is the 2nd week in a row we have met for lunch at judd's for soup, breadsticks and good conversation. love my fam!

i can read

2009-05-28T07:55:00.001-06:00

my final i posted yesterday reminds me of this website, i can read. i was introduced to it by amy a week or so ago and have been loving it so far. read up.

let go

2009-05-27T11:39:00.001-06:00

this was my final in my design class . . . i was so stressed by all my finals that i literally let go on this one . . . funny. :)

paranoia

2009-05-06T09:34:00.006-06:00

k. so i don't even watch tv or pay any attention to the whole swine flu craziness that is happening, but last night i woke up with the worst headache . . . so bad that it made me nauseous. so as i am laying there waiting for the ibuprofen to take effect my half awake self is freaking out thinking that i honestly have the swine flu - feeling aches and pains that are definitely flu-like symptoms. my dreams turned into me laying on a hospital bed telling my mom to get a lawyer cause i haven't ever written a will! totally thought i was going to die until, thank goodness, the painkillers took over and i finally fell into a sleep that didn't permit those kind of crazy dreams. i laughed at myself this morning, thinking how silly my sleepy self was . . .

is anyone else having swine flu paranoia?

on fire

2009-05-05T08:34:00.000-06:00

this was one of the many cactus flowers we saw while hiking in red cliffs. the center looks like it is on fire. a sparkler. love it.

red cliffs

2009-05-04T12:08:00.002-06:00

such a beautiful sunday! perfect day for an adventurous hike with the fam. :)

it was definitely a more advanced hike and it was cute to see mike and jeff help mom through it! she was so brave through all the parts that involved ropes. it was fun to have my family love it and feel adventurous. :)

we had so much fun!

strawberries freezing trick :)

2009-05-02T14:10:00.000-06:00

i bought a ton of strawberries a few weeks ago from my fabulous neighbor who hooks me up with great deals from her store. she taught me a great trick for freezing strawberries to use in smoothies later so i thought i would pass it on!

i didn't do a great job with my documenting photos so i will just explain: all you do is cut the tops off the strawberries, wash them, and stick them upside down, individually on a cookie sheet and stick that in your freezer for a couple of hours, then take them off the cookie sheet and put them in a ziplock freezer bag. this way each strawberry is frozen individually! it's super easy and makes it even easier to get out of the bag when you are making those smoothies!

hope this was helpful! anyone have any good recipes that use frozen strawberries?

hardcore phone

2009-05-01T14:04:00.004-06:00

i lost my phone last winter at this christmas party . . . needless to say i was way bummed and went back to my old phone, hoping that my cute little pink phone would soon be found.

well, my hope paid off because i got a call from the finder of my phone the other day! i was so excited! they found it outside the cabin that the party was at. it had spent the entire winter covered in snow and still works like a charm! i am amazed and convinced that lg makes the most hardcore phones ever! way to go little phone for lasting the winter!

let's go fly a kite!

2009-04-29T15:47:00.006-06:00

yea! i have been mia due to finals. . . but i am done with the spring semester and just checked my final grades. i'm pretty happy! so now time to catch up.

as part of my management class i volunteered at the kite festival. sara and my mom helped me out. we actually had a lot of fun, especially when our friends and family showed up!

the best was brad's amazing fishing pole kite flying contraption! it makes flying a kite so much easier! check out landon's glasses! he always wears these around even though they are missing one of the lenses. :) so classic!

we had a little hula hoop contest during the down times and i got pretty good by the end of the day!

riding the train with landon and sara! he loved this train!

landon and brad

there were a ton of cool kites there and it was so fun to see all the kites in the sky.

before and after

2009-04-06T20:36:00.004-06:00

so i participated in the holt family biggest loser and got second by like a half a percent {damn those cookies that tempted me}. but overall i am happy about what i have lost and am trying to focus on the continuation of the healthy lifestyle afterward. but i will tell you that the before and after pictures are totally noticeable! {if you are my true friend i will show you them :)} if you are trying to lose weight and really go hard at if for a while i highly recommend doing before and afters . . . it kind of makes me sick when i look at the before pics, but totally happy that i can actually see a difference in the afters. i wasn't fat but i could definitely use the toning that i feel like my body got from this little contest so thanks marie! even though you beat me. :) hopefully i can continue and have those washboard abs that i totally want by the end of summer! here's to hoping . . . that someone will hit my hand really hard when i reach for that bowl of ice cream. who's volunteering?

Karen Holt added you as a friend on Facebook...

2009-04-01T18:01:00.003-06:00

i love that my grandma just added me as a friend on facebook! she gets this technology thing better than my mom. :) thanks for the add grandma!

pay it forward - handmade

2009-04-01T10:02:00.000-06:00

my cutie cousin, meriel, did this pay it forward thing. I was a lucky recipient to it, but didn't follow through with posting it on my blog . . . so if you want something as cute as i got that is handmade, then leave me a comment. i will send something to the first three commenters. but you do have to promise to pay it forward, even if it's not handmade. {but handmade is more fun}

look how cute the label on these were!

abc's fabric covered magnets! these were waiting for me when i got back from disneyland and i have been loving seeing them on my fridge! {i think she sells things like this on her blog so check her out!}

thanks meriel! you are so creative and they are so cute!

the next american idol contestant?

2009-03-30T10:44:00.000-06:00

one of the nights in disneyland our family was dancing in the audience of one of the entertainers in tommorrowland and scott pushed michael up to the front when she asked for a solo singer volunteer. we loved it. he loved it. and he did pretty good!

love you michael!

disneyland: part deux

2009-03-27T10:45:00.004-06:00

disneyland with the whole family! we had so much fun!

love this sign!

amy and scott surprised us the night before with matching shirts! we did the matching shirt thing in disneyworld, a few years ago, as a joke and i guess the tradition is carrying on. so funny and fun!

notice cami's sweet fannie pack that she was sportin' all three days! and my new hair cut! sue and jared came for a day with their boys and aaron and sabrina were there all weekend too. it was a party!

trying on some hats. me, cami, sara, and amy ended up getting matching minnie hats!

we took landon on big thunder mountain railroad! he was barely tall enough and i don't think he knew what he was getting himself into. cami took all these pictures while the rollercoaster was going. he was so cute to watch! click on it and look at those facial expressions up close! priceless. :)

thanks mom and fam for a fabulous trip!

astro blaster

2009-03-25T13:39:00.002-06:00

went to the magical land of disney this past weekend. it's been pretty busy and i haven't had time to post pics but i just saw this in my email and laughed. you get to email this to yourself after the ride! and don't mind the score . . . even though i look like i am way focused i totally sucked at this game. obviously.

happy spring

2009-03-17T22:56:00.002-06:00

my first daffodil bloomed today! so pretty! hopefully there will be lots more to come. i planted a ton of bulbs in december. :)

sand mountain

2009-03-12T22:55:00.007-06:00

went hiking on sunday to sand mountain with cody and another chick he works with at fitness ridge. it is just past leeds and so beautiful! it was the perfect day for hiking. i was hiking my butt off to keep up with these two professional hiking guides, but it was so fun! the end of the hike is this huge sand mountain that you get to jump down. check out these sweet action shots i got of cody!

funny pic . . . that's the sand mountain behind us!

cody running down it! {sorry it's sideways}

in other news . . . click here to see how festive me, cody and leah are thanks to cody's sister! haha! i love it! happy easter soon!

my mom moved.

2009-03-08T12:01:00.004-06:00

so weird.

the house i grew up in is no longer where memories will be made.

i thought that i would take my kids there and have christmas and thanksgivings . . . and after the initial sadness of walking around it's empty rooms, i am okay with it. my mom and the few kids still at home have moved into a gorgeous new home that is perfect for them! she had a HUGE garage sale yesterday and you can only imagine how much was there after 15 years and 8 kids! it was really good for all of us to do some cleaning out and letting go. i have noticed that sometimes we let our stuff define who we are, and by letting a little bit or a lot of it go, it can simplify our lives more than we imagined. so it has worked out perfectly for my mom and the kids . . . a good moving on experience.

validation

2009-03-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

love the message of this video! i incorporated it into my management presentation yesterday. it's long, but at least watch the first 4 minutes of it.

hopefully it will inspire you to give out a few compliments today!

slumdog millionaire

2009-03-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

i loved this movie. it was all-around amazing! best of all, it made me so grateful for my life.

i'm back!

2009-03-04T10:55:00.003-07:00

busy or not . . . i need to stop neglecting my blog! :) because i miss it and really like it.

regular posting to resume . . .

as for today i am:

1. happy with how the bachelor turned out {even if it was somewhat of a roller coaster ride}

2. excited that jillian is the new bachelorette because i lalalalove her! {am also cursing abc for sucking me into yet another season of the bachelor/bachelorette}

3.practicing for my presentation tomorrow . . . yikes!

4. still trying my best to eat healthy and get to the gym everyday! {holt biggest loser contest ends march 31st! aaahhh!}

5. suggesting that anyone who wants helpful hints to living a healthy lifestyle join sparkpeople.com {annoying at first to get used to, but now i really like it}

been a little busy

2009-02-13T11:59:00.004-07:00

but i am still here. i haven't been outdoors much because the weather, even for st. g, has sucked. i am ready for the sunshine, then I plan on playing hard this spring and summer! school has been super busy and to top it off i have been eating healthy {takes more time and planning than i realized} and exercising! i just finished the 10 day challenge! hooray! but the funny thing about it, is the i thought i would be grabbing for the sweets by the time it was over but i totally am not. {which by the way is way awesome} i am still eating healthy and it is technically day 12, and i plan on sticking with it because the results have been AMAZING! i am pretty sure that i have lost at least a pant size, which i am way happy about. i have also been getting complements because people have noticed. yea! here i come swimsuit season!

also, i am in a visual tech/design class this semester. we had to design a logo and i decided to do a new one for the blog, so once i get it just the way i want it, i will do a little blog makeover! fun!

just wanted to let you know how it was going . . . :)

11:11

2009-02-04T15:21:00.004-07:00

lately i have been seeing 1's on clocks and making wishes.

i love this postcard from postsecret.

i think i like it so much because it's a different way to let someone know that you wished for them. and it happened in real life. :)

the new january

2009-02-03T14:29:00.004-07:00

so i have heard that february is the new january and i've decided that i am going to go with it. i started the dreaded 10 day challenge yesterday. dun dun dun. here i come skinny jeans! it is supposed to make you 1 pant size smaller . . . we will see. i signed up for this and am hoping to at least make some progress instead of totally ditching out on my healthy goals like last year. so far so good! the foods that you eat on this are really good and healthy. i feel better just knowing that i am eating healthier. amy's site will even help you out on what to do after the 10 day challenge to maintain a healthy lifestyle - so check it out!

in other news . . . is anyone else watching the bachelor and loving it? who do you want to win? so far my favorites are jillian and molly. i still blame maryann for my obsession. :)

i love you but . . .

2009-01-26T16:33:00.003-07:00

this site is pretty funny. and will most likely entertain you for at least a little while. just click on each face for the good stuff. thanks.

rainbow cake

2009-01-26T13:12:00.002-07:00

found this idea when browsing on say yes! to hoboken but it originally came from omnomicon. i love this and would love to make it with nieces and nephews!

get easy instructions here!

ticket to ride

2009-01-26T10:23:00.002-07:00

i played this game a couple weekends ago and then again with my family last night. it is super fun! i was skeptical at first because it looked like the game risk. i am not a fan of risk - mostly because i haven't given it a chance and also because it takes forever to play. But this game is much less complicated and it's a fun change up from regular card games.

pretty voice

2009-01-21T10:09:00.002-07:00

so i just bought the sex and the city soundtrack. it's pretty good, but only has a few songs that i really loved. this song is one of them. "how deep is your love" by the bird and the bee. {a beegees remake} i love her voice. I also had a hard time finding a "not live" recording. so although this recording is a little cheesy, the point is how pretty her voice and the words are.