melissa's mumbo jumbo

Volleyball Begins

2010-10-20T10:46:00.007-06:00

Another season has begun...Crazy how quickly time flies.

I love the girls on the team this year and that makes a season in which we are struggling very, very bearable. They make me smile every single day.

Class Reunion

2010-07-31T17:30:00.000-06:00

Wow. Has it really been 15 years?

Uinta Mountains

2010-07-08T12:17:00.000-06:00

I'd never been to the Uinta's before.

I had read and about them in one of my favorite books, Return to Red Castle.
I always wanted to go...
And now I'm definitely going back.What a view...

KD Bar Ranch

2010-06-29T11:24:00.001-06:00

My parents and I took a trip to visit Jake at the ranch he has been working at this past weekend. He has been busy loping horses all day, every day. He has his own little bunk house and Rowdy has been keeping him company. It was great to be able to spend some time with him and in his element...

Jake's House

Rowdy

The Big House

The Barn--which happens to be bigger & worth 5x as much as my house in Ogden.

Ragnar Relay--Wasatch Back

2010-06-20T12:09:00.002-06:00

Just when I thought I was finished running...

The Wasatch Back

But our team, Project Runway Far, was so much fun.
And I might be biased (of course I am), but Van 1 rocked. And rolled. And laughed. And ate.
But never, ever slept.

Van 1 at the Starting Line

My last leg

Our van is finished!

Project Runway Far is complete.

Bring on 2011.

Half Marathon

2010-05-20T10:46:00.001-06:00

So I did it!! And I loved it!

After training all spring (somewhat consistently), I finished my very first half marathon. And I am so glad that I did...I NEVER in my life would've thought that this girl would actually run 13 miles willingly. When I reached the final 5k, I actually got tears in my eyes because it was such a huge accomplishment for me.
Congratulations to Brock on his first (and I'm pretty sure FINAL) marathon as well...he finished the last part of the race with Kaden on his shoulders!

55...and still alive

2010-05-13T13:03:00.006-06:00

Happy birthday Dad!

It's all this yard work that is keeping you alive
at the ripe old age of 55.
It's also keeping mom from "driving right on by".
Love you!

heartbreak

2010-05-10T23:51:00.001-06:00

Why? Why? Why?

Why must you do this to me every year?

mother's day weekend

2010-05-10T07:32:00.005-06:00

Love, love, love going home.
Especially for Mother's Day weekend.

I love me some beautiful scenery that only Preston can provide.

I love me some Lola bubble baths. Even if she doesn't.

I love me some nieces.

I love me some nephews.

And I love me some spa treatments and girl talk.

But mostly, I love me some Mommy.

lola update

2010-05-05T13:15:00.001-06:00

It's official.
Love her.

And just to ensure it stays that way...
Lola and I are going to obedience school.
Once per week for 8 weeks.
Starting tonight!

Huntington Beach

2010-04-26T12:38:00.006-06:00

I flew the Ogden coop last weekend so that I could take a girl's trip to Huntington Beach for some sun and sand. We flew in on Thursday night and checked into our hotel in Costa Mesa and then hit In n Out for dinner--well, Erica and I did at least.

Friday morning Cassie, Erica, and I did a run down Newport Beach. It was gorgeous and there's something to be said of running at sea level--not just for the scenery but for my oxygen consumption! Alisha and Megan picked us up and we went shopping at Trader Joe's for some breakfast and lunch food. Then we went to eat breakfast at Panera and got ourselves ready for some beach time.
We went to Huntington Beach and spent a good three hours basking in the sun and wind. The wind wasn't as noticeable if you were laying down, so that's what I did. And I fell asleep. And I got burnt. On one side of my face. But it was fun! After our maximum sun exposure limits were satisfied, we hit up the shops on the beach and picked up a few souvenirs.

That night, we hit up the conference and went to check in and go to a 80's band concert. While we were there, we met Scott. He quickly became my number one fan. Too bad the feeling wasn't reciprocated. He lost his chance as soon as he started telling about his run in with the Russian mob the night before in Las Vegas. He got my number and wouldn't leave me alone the rest of the weekend. Now why did I give it to him you ask?? Because 39 year old single physcos are tricky. He had me put my number into his phone and on the spot dialed it so that I'd "have his information too." Imagine if I had given him a fake number. That would've been more awkward than trying to avoid him for the next 3 days...After the concert, we hit up Erica's favorite Yogurtland. It was delicious. And we went back every single day after that.

Saturday morning we went to breakfast at the Sugar Shack and then went back to the hotel to get our stuff together for more time on the beach. We went to a Mexican buffet that was sponsored by the conference and then went to a dance after--which consisted of me hiding from Scott...and then more Yogurtland.

Sunday we slept in and got ourselves ready to check out. We went to church at the HB Single's ward and had a sweet Polynesian catered lunch after that. Cassie and I stayed and went to the Alex Boye fireside while the other girls hit up a mall for some last minute shopping and then we took off to the airport. Our flight was delayed and we didn't get back to SLC til an hour after it was supposed to. The people on the shuttle bus thought we were the most annoying people ever. But it was because we were all to the point of delirious exhaustion.

But it was worth it! Thanks for the fun girls...

prayers

2010-04-19T15:09:00.002-06:00

My grandma was recently diagnosed with cancer. She is undergoing surgery on Thursday and, depending on how far it has spread, may have to do chemo treatments as well. Please keep her in your prayers...

family history

2010-04-18T19:41:00.000-06:00

Recently my mom has been doing a bunch of family history and was able to get my Grandpa Jack's real mother's name ready for the temple (as well as some of his other relatives). So we decided that as a family we would set a date to go and get all of the work done. Yesterday I was able to do the baptisms with my dad. Then my parents and sisters & brother-in-laws did the intiatories and sealings. It was a great day! We really missed Jake, who is still in Texas, but it was such a neat experience to have with my family...

We also spent some time watching Kennedy play soccer, cuddling with Lola, playing at the park--the Litter Box according to Kelsey, and eating lots of pizza. Tyra sang in my parents' ward today, so I stayed in Preston with her and the kids. After church was over, I decided to get my long run of the week in by running into town (while my mom rode her bike along side me) so that we could go pick up Lola from my Grandpa's house--who babysat her during church. She is spoiled...and I got a ton of flack for it all weekend!! But look below to see who else spoils her...someone with the initials BDW!!!!

more lola diamond

2010-04-12T12:39:00.004-06:00

Yesterday evening, we loaded up Tyra's minivan with her three kids and took a trip up north to pick up my baby. I had already decided on the name Lola, but Karlee insisted that she be called Diamond. So we compromised...so let me introduce Lola Diamond:

happy birthday bestie!

2010-04-11T14:48:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to wish a special Happy Birthday to Miss Willer...aka Mrs. Woods! Love this girl.

spring ball

2010-04-10T19:46:00.000-06:00

Our spring vb season came to a close today at Utah Valley's tournament. We ended the day with a win, so that's a good way to wind things up. The mini-vans from the school were all sold out, so we had to take a short bus instead. And guess who had to drive???? Moi'!!

Lola

2010-04-05T14:02:00.003-06:00

Introducing my new baby...TA DA!

I pick her up next weekend.
She's a Maltese and only weighs 1lb 11oz. right now.

april fools

2010-04-01T10:36:00.003-06:00

Is this someone's idea of a sick joke?
Snow??? Really????

blast from the past

2010-03-31T22:24:00.000-06:00

My team just won the Layton City Women's League
rec vb championship after an undefeated season!

L to R: Caity, Nicole, Me, Jess, Leah, and SK.
Missing from the photo is Britt because she bailed on us for a stupid Jazz game. :)
And Amy--who subbed for us a few times too.

We rocked. Despite my setting...
And I was once again reminded of why I love Nicole so much.

i heart homemade

2010-03-29T12:37:00.005-06:00

Anyone know how I can get his number?

good times

2010-03-28T12:16:00.008-06:00

Friday=

plus
plus

Saturday=
plus
plus

What fun!!!

don't rise and shout

2010-03-25T19:00:00.000-06:00

The Cougars really are out. No BYU job for me. I found out tonight.

sing to me

2010-03-19T23:51:00.001-06:00

I went to the Jason Aldean concert tonight...you know how all country music critics say that they just don't like listening to someone sing about their broken heart and their dog dying? Well...I happen to love it.

Especially when it's from this guy.

After a very satisfying smorgasbord at PF Changs with some fantastic company, I got to sit through some of my favorite songs ever--like "The Truth", "On My Highway", and "Heaven".

Good old Luke Bryan was good for my soul too. Or at the very least, his jeans were.

spring break

2010-03-19T13:43:00.000-06:00

2010 Spring Break = Me + a few of my favorite peeps

really? it's been a WHOLE year?

2010-03-17T14:00:00.002-06:00

One year.
One year harder.
One year better.

my new toy

2010-03-11T10:38:00.003-07:00

Now I have:

Nikon D-3000 Digital SLR camera
SanDisk memory card
Western Digital hard drive

Now I need:

Things or people to take pictures of
Lessons on how to use all this stuff

he's growin up

2010-03-10T15:16:00.004-07:00

Disclaimer: Please ignore my obesity....

My little brother is off to Texas today.
I love him.
I will miss him.
But it's time for him to spread his wings...

the devil

2010-03-08T13:43:00.001-07:00

aagh...please grant me the gift of self control!

a few things to look forward to

2010-03-05T09:44:00.006-07:00

Lunch with old friends
Mason's birthday cake
Snowboarding
An interview with a General Authority
An interview with BYU's AD
An interview with BYU's VP
A Jason Aldean concert
A trip to NYC with the gals

Mmm...I love Spring!

when one door closes...

2010-02-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

BYU comes calling.

ah ha! now I get it...

2010-02-22T12:17:00.006-07:00

"You were not created to be the same as men. Your natural attributes, affections, and personalities are entirely different from these of a man. They consist of faithfulness, benevolence, kindness, and charity. They also balance the more aggressive and competitive nature of man. The business world is competitive and sometimes ruthless. We do not doubt that women have both the brain power and the skills to compete with men. But by competing they must of necessity, become aggressive and competitive. Thus their godly attributes are diminished and they acquire a quality of sameness with man. The conventional wisdom of the day would have you be equal with men. We say, we would not have you descend to that level."

-President Ezra Taft Benson
(Stolen from Mormon in Manhattan)

See?!? The aggressive and competitive traits that I possess are qualities that I have developed out of necessity...I am that way because I've had to rely on myself for financial support. In my adult life, I have not had someone else provide for me. So I have gotten competitive. It's what had to be done to help me make it. So don't tell me that I'm too competitive...it's called survival.

But don't doubt for a second that I don't recognize that I need to develop better faithfulness, benevolence, kindness, and charity. I'm just still on the journey, trying to figure out how best to balance my life...

cozy cuddly

2010-02-18T11:27:00.003-07:00

Check this out: Cozy Cuddly

Now buy one.

Although I may be a little biased because I
happen to know the seamstress, I think they are adorable!

project life

2010-02-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

I must first confess that I stole this whole idea from simply satisfied, as she is superior minded in the creativity department. And although I had to copy-cat her, I'm excited to say that I am actually looking forward to Project Life for a variety of reasons:

I was recently encouraged to really spend some time thinking about what makes me happy in life!
I never take pictures. In fact, the only camera I have is actually one that I bought as a gift for someone else...but I'm always wishing I did.
I am not as gifted and talented as my mother and sisters in the scrapbooking department, so this gives me an easy way out.
I think it'll be fun to see what my year has been like when all is said and done.

Now the only question is kit or digital??? Advice? Please leave your suggestions...

better days to come

2010-02-05T13:49:00.005-07:00

I have had such a good week.

It all started last Friday night...

Newness
Excitement
Laughing
Singing
Dancing
Talking
Relishing
Beginning
Hoping
Loving it!

Evolution of Dance

2010-02-04T23:34:00.004-07:00

Storms--Fleetwood Mac

2010-02-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

I love this song:
Every night that goes between
I feel a little less
As you slowly go away from me
This is only another test

Every night you do not come
Your softness fades away
Did I ever really care that much
Is there anything left to say

Every hour of fear I spend
My body tries to cry
Living through each empty night
A deadly calm inside

I haven't felt this way I feel
Since many a year ago
But in those years and the lifetimes past
I did not deal with the road

And I did not deal with you I know
Tho the love has always been
So I search to find an answer there
So I can truly win

Every hour of fear I spend
My body tries to cry
Living through each empty night
A deadly calm inside

So I try to say
Goodbye my friend
I'd like to leave you with something warm
But never have I been a blue calm sea
I have always been a storm
always been a storm
ooh always been a storm
I have always been a storm

We were frail

She said,
"Every night he will break your heart"
I should have known from the first
I'd be the broken-hearted

I loved you from the start
Save us...
And not all the prayers in the world -- could save us

perfect...

2010-01-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Edith Hamilton observed: "When love meets no return the result is suffering, and the greater the love the greater the suffering. There can be no greater suffering than to love purely and perfectly one who is bent upon evil and self-destruction. That was what God endured at the hands of men."

my only resolution

2010-01-07T16:24:00.001-07:00

Can anybody spot me the cash for these beauties? Pretty please?

i need a storm

2010-01-05T11:50:00.006-07:00

I had someone tell me once that they were waiting for that bolt of lightning to strike them so that they knew what to do in their life--when it came to me being a part of their life in particular. I've had countless conversations with friends who knew of people in their lives that were waiting for that bolt of lightning to hit them so they would know which direction their life should go.

I thought it was ridiculous that someone actually believed that they would have a moment like this happen to them that would help them make decisions. After a conversation this morning with a friend whose life is about to be affected by a bolt that struck her boyfriend, I realized that:

I
am
one
of
those
people.

I have been waiting for a bolt of lightning to strike me. To shake up my life. To rescue me from the mundane. To tell me what to do. To shape me into what I am destined to become.

And shortly after being struck with that thought, I was struck by another:

That's
not
how
life
works.

All I'm doing is waiting. And I'm going to miss out on everything I desire most.

p90x

2010-01-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Yeah yeah yeah. I hate resolutions. So working out is NOT my resolution. But I thought it would be fun to try the P90x workout. So I got myself a copy of the DVD's. And I got myself a pull-up bar. And I got myself a workout buddy. And guess what else?

I got myself sore. Really, really sore.

baby it's cold outside!

2009-12-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

Just when I was starting to get used to the idea of my car trade...
it had to go and snow!

I traded my Highlander to my Grandpa Jack for his Camry:So far, I'm not regretting my decision...
My old car was a 2002 and had 101k miles on it.
This one is a 2003 and has only 40k miles on it.
But...it sure doesn't give me the invincible feeling that I used to have in the snow!!

fam pics 2009

2009-11-26T15:45:00.006-07:00

all because two people fell in love

the original four:

oldest and youngest:
look what they started:

it's over!

2009-11-23T12:14:00.002-07:00

Ugh...it's finally over. We finished up our season this past weekend with a win over Montana State on Senior Night. This year has been my most challenging year yet...With that said, I'm happy for it to be over. I'm looking forward to an emotional break but I'm still sad that we didn't make the tournament this year. I will also really Really REALLY miss our Senior class. I have felt closer to them than any other group of girls that have come through our program. They are tremendous women with so many talents and qualities that I admire in each of them. They have definitely left a lasting impression on me and my life and I am pretty sure WSU VB won't be the same without them. I know I won't...

just one more reason

2009-11-10T13:56:00.001-07:00

Isn't this gorgeous?

another reason I love fall

2009-11-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

What is it about country boys?
Disclaimer: I'm not in love. So don't start jumping to conclusions.
I'm just saying...they are the best. This picture is a good example of why.
And no, I'm not telling you his name.

fall is flyin

2009-10-26T13:22:00.006-06:00

Fall is going so fast this year.
I hate it.

This is one of my favorite seasons but I never seem to get a chance to enjoy it.
Every minute I have is spent in a gym. Or hotel. Or airplane.

I want to be here:
Or here:
Or here:
Or here:
Or especially here:

I was actually very lucky last week to make it home in time for one final mowing.

And dog poop shoveling.
I'm going to kill my neighbors.

I have resorted to dumping their dog droppings into their flower bed so that it doesn't have to sit in my garbage can and smell up my garage all week.

Hawaii Trip

2009-09-15T10:46:00.014-06:00

We just got back from a tournament in Hawaii. The competition was rough (#6 Hawaii and #10 Stanford) but the hospitality was amazing. Thanks Alvin and Stanley for all the keychains, calendars, macadamia chocolates, fruit, and guava juice we could handle. They were so gracious and so were all the fans who were there cheering for us!

When we first got in, we took the girls to the Polynesian Cultural Center and attended a luau and their new show "Ha Breath of Life". It was awesome. Everyone was super tired from the trip but loved their experience there.

SK and I got up and went for a quick run on Wednesday morning and after practice, we hit up Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling and fun in the sun. Our "group permit" only allowed us to stay there for 2 hours but it was still a good time. We got hit on by a USMC lifeguard, got our pictures taken--not so candidly--by a bunch of old foreign men, and used our $1.59 mats to their full capacity. Wednesday night we hit up Duke's (a restaruant on the beach) for dinner and then had some free time to do some shopping at the International Market and the Quicksilver and
Roxy store.

Thursday we went to Pearl Harbor after Steph and I took our crew of Briana, Elli, and Shanae for a run. That was my 2nd trip to the USS Arizona Memorial and was just as memorable as the first. It's so emotional and spiritual there. It's sad to think of all the people who lost their lives on that day and was especially neat that we got to go the day before the 8th anniversary of 9.11. Jenna had me crying before we even sat down to watch the film because of her brother that just joined the Navy. And whenever I think about the Navy I think about my Grandpa Dee. I miss him...

Thursday night, we played the Rainbow Wahini in front of 5080 fans. There were the cutest old ladies who sat in the corner that had made each of us a ribbon lei. We lost in 3 and didn't play as well as we could, but right now, we are struggling to find some consistency (from all ends).

Friday morning we went running again and didn't have time for any sightseeing because we played the early match against Stanford. So after practice, we ate at L&L and then took off for the gym. We lost to Stanford in 3 as well, but played much better. We hit up Denny's after the match and then back to the hotel for curfew. Too bad that didn't last. The fire alarm went off at 4am! We had to escape down the stairwell and it was jam packed--which also made me think of 9.11. When we got to the 1st floor, I saw my parents and my mom and I were both relieved to see each other. Turns out, as usual, that it was a false alarm so we went back up to the room and tried to sleep for another hour and a half.

Steph took Bri and Elli running at six thirty and Al, Nancy, and I hit the surf. We rented boards for $15 and chose to forgo the lessons and just try to make do on our own. I paddled out and tried to practice getting up while I waited for some waves to come in. I got wise though in a hurry and started hanging out with these two guys who had an instructor. Every time he would tell them to paddle, I would and I ended up getting up really easy. What a blast! It was so addicting. But I had a serious rash on my upper abs from rubbing against the board and my shoulders felt like they were frozen! No wonder surfers have nice bodies. It is hard work!

After breakfast, we went back to the gym for our final practice and then to Denny's for pregame. Our match against UTSA was disappointing. We had some critical errors that ended up costing us the match in four games. But I think that the girls learned from this experience and will be better prepared for conference. Right after the game, I met up with my parents so that my dad could give Emily a blessing. She hadn't been feeling well and wasn't able to play in the match. What a blessing it was to have my parents on this trip! It was so much fun to see them in that environment and they definitely deserved the vacation after all the work they've put in when it comes to my sisters, my brother, and I. I hope they had a blast. I know I did...

Except for the long flight home that night!

august rush

2009-09-01T12:55:00.000-06:00

August always comes and goes in a flash. It's always the month that I dread the most because it means that my summer is officially over and so is my life--for about three months. Volleyball double days start and that means no more trips to the lake, family vacations, pool time, or anything else for that matter. But this year, August flew by for some reason. Double days came and went and seemed shorter than they ever have before!

This month was also filled with challenges. The ex factor seems to always be a factor when we get back in the same vicinity. I've got to learn to be strong and I guess that will take time as usual. If history says anything, being around each other just opens up doors that shouldn't be re-opened. And that's not fair to any new people in our lives. The good news for me is that I'm not the one in a new "committed" relationship. I'm just dating other people and enjoying it.

I was happy to finish a few projects around my house. I put up some tile back splash in my bathrooms and also framed my mirrors. It looks so good and thank heavens for my HGTV personal team of Brock and Tyra who teach me how to do all of these things! I'll post some pictures of the finished look later on. I was also super excited to buy a trimmer and a blower for my yard work. Funny how I never imagined that would be something I'd be happy about spending my money on...Guess I'm growing up after all.

boating and baseball

2009-07-26T17:13:00.001-06:00

Those of you who know me know that I have made it my personal mission in life to die of skin cancer. I must be Vitamin D deficient because I can never get enough sun. So when JC asked me if I wanted to take a trip on the Moomba this summer, I could not refuse. And when Mark McFarland invited me to go boating this weekend, I could not say no.

So we spent all day long at Pineview yesterday on the water and I learned how to surf behind the boat. That is a blast and I can see how much fun it would be with a boat that spits out a big enough wake that you wouldn't have to use a rope. The boys took their turns jumping off the biggest rope swing I have ever seen. And despite their coaxing, I chose to remain in the boat and not try my hand at paralyzing myself by going off of that thing. Cuz I may die of skin cancer, but I am not stupid enough to die by breaking my neck because of some dumb swing!

When we finally got off the lake at 7pm that night, we got changed and headed to a Raptor's game. I love the Raptor's games. They are so relaxing and nothing beats a hot summer day on the water like a cool summer evening at a baseball game. Especially one with a backdrop like the one at Lindquist Field. Although it was a pretty exciting game because of our errors, we ended up with the W at the end. And Mark ended up with 2 Ramirez bobble heads that value near $50 each on Ebay. Lucky him.

san diego

2009-07-24T16:57:00.006-06:00

Melissa's wedding was on Thursday, so I bought a plane ticket to fly to San Diego on Wednesday and Bonnie picked me up at the airport. We drove up the coast from the airport to La Jolla where the wedding was going to be held and stopped and looked at some shops while we waited for Melissa to check into our room so that we could get a parking pass. The hotel was located right on the beach, so it was hard to find a spot to park on the street, but it guaranteed us some spectacular views.

Once we got checked in, I took a quick nap while the wedding party was at the rehearsal and then we all got ready to go to dinner. We ate at a little Mexican restaurant right up the street from the hotel. It was fun to mingle with Ed's family and get to meet his relatives. They are all so much fun.

After dinner, Bonnie and I ran a few to Walmart to find some fish and sand for Melissa's centerpieces. No luck with the sand, but we managed to buy some fish. I don't know how they made it safely to the hotel with Bonnie's crazy driving (you know I love you, but it's true)...they lost most of the water in their containers going around one corner! We were exhausted when we got back so we immediately went to bed.

Thursday morning we woke up and headed back to find a Home Depot for sand and a Target for serving bowls and spoons. (While we were running these errands, I got a text from Will. He went and did what I thought he was going to do. But like I said, I completely understand and I have no bad feelings towards him. It just makes me think a lot about what I'd do in his shoes...) We also stopped back at the airport to pick up Misty--one of our old roommates who flew in to surprise Melissa. Once we all got back, we put the centerpieces together and helped set up the reception area. I seriously put my dress on at 2:52 and the ceremony started at 3pm. Crazy.

The wedding was beautiful and so was she. She and Ed are perfect for each other--and although I had my initial doubts, he has earned my approval. It's good to see her so happy. The reception was a blast too and afterward, we all went out to the pool to hang out. It was so much fun to be around my roommates from 9 years ago. I can't believe how quickly time goes...The trip was so much fun, but way too short--I flew back to Ogden this morning.

they say it's your birthday

2009-07-23T12:00:00.002-06:00

Na na na na na na....
Here's wishing my littlest sis a Happy 28th! Hope you have a great one Kelsey!

pioneer days rodeo

2009-07-21T23:30:00.006-06:00

I scored some sweet tickets to this year's Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo. Right above the bucking chutes. Included with these tickets were VIP passes to a cabin right there at the rodeo grounds where Ruby River was catering dinner. So I invited some of my bestest friends--Shad, Linz, Dan, Kayli, and Orie--to accompany me to this fine American western tradition.

While we were eating dinner, everyone convinced me to go sit on this stack of hay bales with a saddle on it and Shad got some photographer to come and take pictures of me. I actually had to sign a "model release form" so they could use these pictures if they wanted to. For what? I have no idea...

Billy Etbauer

This is why I love cowboys.

Isn't this spectacular?

melina's and meltdowns

2009-07-20T23:58:00.003-06:00

I got invited to go to Melina's with the Hancock clan tonight to celebrate Jill's birthday. She was joking with me earlier today about how she never feels like a princess on her birthday because she's usually the one planning the parties, so I stopped at Zurcher's to buy her a crown and a pink feather boa. Turns out that Mitch's kids liked it more than she did. Go figure. I think we all ate our fair share of feathers though!

After dinner we went bowling in Brigham City. Wow. That brought back a flood of memories from when my aunt used to live there. Suddenly I was remembering things that happened when I was a little girl--like picking up Michelle from gymnastics and leaving Kari & Brad's house in my pajamas after a family Christmas party. Bowling was a blast though--especially because I somehow convinced Karlie to give me a massage while I waited for my turn.

Also tonight was what I will call a minor meltdown with Will--although it wasn't really a meltdown at all. But it was the only time in the last two months that we've been even remotely upset with each other. We tried to talk about what's going on. He is frustrated with me because he thinks I don't understand what he's feeling right now. And I'm frustrated with him because I know EXACTLY what he's feeling right now. But I guess that's how it goes and there's nothing I can do about it. It's always so much easier to see things when you're on the outside looking in than when you are the one who feels conflicted. The funny thing is, I really do understand and I actually don't blame him at all.

what a weekend

2009-07-20T16:21:00.004-06:00

Kelsey brought her kids down here Saturday and so we decided to pack everyone up and head to the drive-in. We brought snacks, sleeping bags, pillows, and set up shop for Ice Age 3. The kids had a blast and although the movie wasn't the best ever, I think that the five adults had just as much fun as the kids.

The Weber State Fireworks were yesterday and as usual, it was a good time. Shad & I met up in the morning and set out a bunch of blankets for everyone. Linz and I took off around 7pm to make sure that no one moved them and so we could hold down the fort until everyone else arrived. Mark and Lisa McFarland got there first, so we sat and talked with them for awhile until eventually everyone showed. Tyra and Kelsey bailed at the last minute because the kids were throwing a fit and they were worried about getting rained on. But it only sprinkled on us and the fireworks were awesome as usual.

gorgeous george

2009-07-17T23:59:00.006-06:00

Oh boy...I've been looking forward to this concert for a very long time. Jamie and I bought tickets to go see George Strait back in March when the they first went on sale. This has been one thing that I've really looked forward to this summer.

We met in Clearfield and took off for the Usana Amphitheatre. We stopped in West Valley and ate at Chili's and then we were off to spend a beautiful summer evening under the stars, while being swooned by George's Texas twang.

The concert was awesome! Julianne Hough opened up and then Blake Shelton played as well. He even did the moonwalk in honor of the late--yet great--Michael Jackson. We had a couple of irritating moments while he was playing where the sound system went out, but he made the best of it and kept cracking jokes about it.

And then...
HE came out. In his Wranglers, button up, and cowboy hat. I can see now why my mom loves him. He is quite the looker boy--and a dying breed too. There were no fireworks or smoke or bells and whistles. Just George and his guitar. And his old-timer band. And I would've sat there for another 4 hours listening to him.

I just don't know that the lady in front of us wanted to sit and listen to Jamie & I sing every single word for another 4 hours. Although she did compliment us on our lyrical knowledge when the show was over.

lake time

2009-07-15T16:03:00.006-06:00

I went back to Preston this week because I promised Kennedy and Mason that I'd take them swimming at the lake last weekend and we ran out of time. When I told Tyra of my plan, she decided that she wanted to take her kids up as well to surprise Kelsey's kids. We parked her car in Logan and then she jumped in with me. When we got to the house, the kids were so excited to see each other. We loaded up the cars and took off for Lamont.

Kelsey had recently purchased some life jackets for her kids but that didn't help ease their fears. Tyra's kids on the other hand...my oh my. They had some dollar store arm floaties that did not work, but that didn't stop them! They have no fear. Kade and Karlee just took off running into the water, tripped, and swallowed a gallon but they kept going back for more. It's funny how different they all are.

I taught Kennedy & Mason how to float on their backs even though they were quick to make sure that I never let go of them. Kade and Karlee took turns jumping off the dock and the babies just sat in their chairs. Trying to wrangle all those kids is quite different than what I'm used to, but it still was a great time!

l o n g week=short weekend

2009-07-12T15:57:00.004-06:00

Ugh. What a long week. Steph and I put on a volleyball camp in Rupert, Idaho, at Minico High School this week. We stayed with Lindsay and Steve--what a fun couple--at their new house. We got to take a tour of her mom's new salon in Burley and spent a good few hours parked on her couch watching chick flicks! The camp was pretty fun this year though because there were lots of girls there that came last year as well. I did miss out on my squeaky cheese this year though...

We also had a camp in Arimo at Marsh Valley High School. Steph to the rescue!! I had a family thing come up, so she stepped in and took over the final 2 days. I had Jenna come in my place. Steph is a trooper--I'd had plenty with just one day there! And if I never see another Subway again, I'll be ok. I ate there 4 times this week. There's only so much turkey a person can eat without getting sick of it.

I did manage to make it to Melissa's bachelorette party for a little bit on Friday night. It was hilarious--they had made a fake cake for her out of whitey tighties and had a list of things she had to do before the night was over--like kiss the first guy she sees, ride a motorcycle, and get someone to give her their boxers. It was hilarious. What a fun friend she has been!

I also made it to a few of Will's softball games but I can tell things are starting to slow down...Old feelings will do that to you, so I understand...

island park family vacation

2009-07-06T14:32:00.012-06:00

For the 4th of July this year, the Leonard's did something unheard of. We actually went somewhere for a change. And that somewhere happened to be Island Park for a good old fashioned family vacation. My mom found us a sweet little cabin between Ashton and Island Park for us to rent for the weekend. So after an extended drive--due to my dad's frequent stops for Size 13 crocs and donuts, we finally made it up there.

When we got there, we unloaded all of our food and settled in. We walked around the cabin and down to the river and just explored. My mom ran into a cow moose and her calf right next to the cabin, so we all piled into the cars and grabbed our cameras to try to catch a glimpse. After dinner, we built a fire and cooked S'mores. Mmm...What is it about blasted camping that brings out the pop drinking in me? Yuck...I always feel disgusting after, but I can't stop myself. Good thing I pretty much stick to Country Time Strawberry Lemonade and Peach Fresca--no caffeine for me at least!!

Friday morning I got up EARLY to cook breakfast for the boys before they took the drift boat out for a fishing trip. While they were gone, we stuck around the cabin and cooked hot dogs and played with the kids. Tyra and I tried to convince my mom and Kelsey to play a game with us that we made up, but that all ended with my mom's impersonation of an Indian gas station attendant ("Ya ta hay ya ta hay, I want to fill your car today"). When they got home, the girls got showered up and headed into West Yellowstone for the play "Guys and Dolls"--or so we thought...On our way there, we saw a black bear. It was enormous and ran across the road in front of our car. And I mean R A N. I didn't think it was possible for something so big to be so fast! When we got settled into our seats, we noticed that the backdrop for the opening scene said Secret Garden on it. Kelsey and I started laughing thinking that they were messing with us. Nope. Turns out that we weren't going to get to see Guys and Dolls but instead the Secret Garden. I think it caught us all off guard so it took us awhile to get into the whole Garden thing, but we ended up enjoying ourselves.

Saturday we loaded up and took off for a drive to Mesa Falls. It is beautiful there. The picture that I have in an earlier blog of my mom and I was actually taken there so we took another one--30 YEARS LATER. Crazy how time flies...We also drove over to Big Bear--which used to be a ski resort when my parents were teenagers and then stopped along the river so the kids could feed the fish. And by kids I mean Brandon and Brock. Then we headed back to Island Park and over to Henry's Lake. We took the drift boat and took turns going out on the lake. We skipped rocks and ate sunflower seeds and watched Mason fish and Kade throw rocks. Too bad the only thing that anyone caught with their fishing pole was sea weed.

We went back to the cabin to load up on mosquito repellent and decided to hit the fireworks along the river that the local bar owners sponsor. This had to have been the strangest fireworks show ever...First it was a bunch of duds and then all of a sudden there was a huge fireball that blew up on the ground. We were all scared and thought that for sure the ambulance was going to come ripping in there to rescue someone with 3rd degree burns. But no...the show just kept going. The fireworks alternated from dinky to finale style and then back to fireball and just kept repeating that cycle. Over and over and over again. My dad informed us that his RLS was starting to flare up from sitting in the truck because he didn't want to get out and get eaten alive by mosquitoes. His RLS quickly turned into RAS which I believe was actually LAS. After that, we couldn't stop laughing. We kept making jokes about the bar owner's over there lighting off fireworks with their cigarettes hanging from their mouths and how these fireworks were sponsored by Osama bin Laden. Eventually, even the kids were ready to call it quits. They finally said that they liked fireworks, but they were ready to go home because they were tired.

Sunday we woke up and cleaned the cabin from top to bottom. Tyra and Brock had to take off early because he just got put in the Bishopric and had to be home for meetings. Once we got everything loaded we followed Kelsey and Brandon into Rexburg and then back to Preston. I had to go back to Ogden to pick up stuff for my camp at Minico High School so I loaded up my stuff and headed South. It worked out well because I got to dump off all of my dirty clothes and fit in some Will time too...

What a fun weekend with my family though. I love being around them. I love being Missy Mommy to my Kaders and I love being able to be around people who want what is best for me--especially in a place as fun as Island Park. We've got to make this a tradition now!

bear lake

2009-06-30T14:03:00.001-06:00

I took a trip to the ol' McFarland cabin this year. I was lucky to be invited by Jill and Mark's family--courtesy of the fact that my roommate happens to be dating one of their sons. Anyway, we took off on Friday morning and stayed til Monday afternoon.

I went golfing on Friday afternoon with Mark, Mitch, and Jason. Not too shabby of an outing for me on my first 9 at the Bear Lake course. I didn't even lose a ball in the house on Hole 2 or the water on Hole 4 like I usually do. We stayed up and goofed off til late and when we finally hit the hay, I was exhausted.

Saturday morning, we got up and after breakfast, we loaded up the four wheelers and everyone and took off to Randolph for a day full of dirt, sun, guns, and pot guts. We packed our lunches and stopped about mid day to eat and b.s. Jason took his Razor and let me tell you--that thing is a blast. We had the Ipod blasting all day long. Mark and Miranda and her little sister Autumn were there too. And Kelly and his son came up as well--Kelly's brother is the one that Mitch is trying to hook me up with. It was fun and when we got back to the cabin, we changed just in time for another round of golf. We went for a quick ride to see if we could see any deer before dinner and then wound up the night with a mean game of Catch Phrase--which is always entertaining and gives us good a reason to make fun of people later.

Sunday we went to Bloomington and I went off the rope swing after much coaxing. The water was FREEZING still. But I decided to do it so that Mark P. would go in his cargo shorts and t-shirt. We had to re-enact a conversation after he went for Jill to get on a video--she's hilarious and I know we all like to tease her but I absolutely love her to death!! It was beautiful up there as usual. We went for another ride to look for deer that night--which turned out to be a really LONG ride! And I almost lost my life on top of some rocks that over looked Franklin Basin--due to being scared half to death by the idiots I was with...We didn't get back to the cabin til 11pm when Jason decided to pull a fast one on us and pretend that he had to leave right then to ride back to Ogden because he had to work Monday. He started gathering all his stuff together and then Jill started freaking out about him driving home so late. Then all of a sudden, he said he was kidding and that he actually got to stay another day.

Monday morning we went golfing once again. I was happy because I got better with every round I played up there. When we got back, a few of us packed up and went down to the beach for an hour. Everyone got fried. Amateurs. (Just kidding Linz!) I had to say that to get even with her because she took it upon herself to undo my swimsuit top--while I was on top of someone's shoulders and would've been 100% exposed to everyone on the beach. Luckily, I grabbed it just in time! After we got everything cleaned up, we packed up and headed back to Ogden. This time we went over Monte Cristo. What a beautiful canyon. There's something to be said for being in the mountains. It's rejuvenating. Someday I hope I can have a cabin somewhere that I can escape to whenever I get the chance...

Anyway, thanks to the Hancocks for a great weekend!

birthdays, ballers, and bunco brides

2009-06-21T13:31:00.003-06:00

Last week was Will's birthday and we celebrated in style--in secret and by watching a movie. But apparently we aren't as sneaky as we thought because there are a few people who are beginning to get suspicious. He went out of town that weekend and this weekend, but he's still as fun as ever. Lately I've been laughing so hard that I end up crying and my abs hurt the next day. It feels good to be happy again...

We had our Individual Skills Camp this week and it was the best turn out we've had since I've been here. We had 50 girls come this year and it's exciting to see that our camps are growing--largely in part due to our players' involvement in the community. We've had a few girls who have coached club lately and it's fun to see how attached their little girls get to them.

We also had our team camp this week and had 16 teams this year. It went pretty well and I'm thankful that Steph is so reliable and easy to work with. It makes things so much less stressful for me when I know that I can count on her and that she's of the same frame of mind that I am. We gave water bottles and t-shirts to each girl and we barely had enough this year. Our girls that committed to work this camp did a great job this year too--they were on their feet from 9-5 both days and I really appreciate how hard they worked. Hopefully this camp will continue to grow as well...

Tyra and I took our turn to host Bunco night. Since it's June, we decided to make it a wedding theme. We decorated her house with really cheesy crepe paper bells and every other cliche wedding decor we could come up with. I hooked up my Ipod and we played all of the popular reception songs. We served chicken salad sandwiches, mint and nut cups, yogurt covered pretzels, and Tyra made little tiny cakes. We asked everyone to bring their favorite finger food, so we got a lot of eclairs and chocolate covered strawberries.

We gave out the coolest prizes ever--Victoria Secret gift card, picture frames, necklace, Chicago CD, mini chopper (which I am now the proud owner of), fresh flowers, My Best Friend's Wedding and Maid Of Honor DVD's, towel, honeymoon bag full of lotion and candles, and some candle holders, and some sparkling cider and glasses. It was tons of fun--as it always is. My mom & Kelsey got to fill in as subs this time too which made it extra great.

new chapter

2009-06-09T12:15:00.005-06:00

June began a very interesting and complicated chapter in my life. I started hanging out with a new guy of whom I am very fond. I won't mention names here to protect the innocent, so we'll call him Will for my story telling purposes. Anyway, Will and I seem to have a lot in common. We both just went through very similar experiences and so it's a relief to be around someone who understands what I've been going through.

He asked me for directions to a trailhead one day and after that it was all downhill from there. He helped me move a desk to my house that I bought at work and the next day I went home to Preston. I stayed up until 5am texting him that Friday night and then Saturday I drove to Linz's house to eat yummy yummy yummy salmon from the Garland Fire Department's Annual Fish Fry. When I got back to Preston that night, I was up til 4am texting him again. This is like high school all over again people. Except the texting part. Cuz we didn't have cell phones then.

We planned on getting together that Sunday night when I returned to Ogden, but I didn't get home til late so we decided to postpone for one more night. Monday, I made plans to hit up the golf course with the Hancock boys (Mark, Shad, and Jason) and man, was that a treat. Those guys are a bunch of characters. I've never laughed so hard in my life on a golf course. But it was a blast. After that, we went to eat some pizza with the Turkey Banquet guys & I got introduced to a long lost cousin Mr. John Leonard.

And then it was time. Mr. Will came over and it was the best--I was giddy for the first time to be around someone new. I don't know what it is about him that is so intriguing to me. Maybe it's that he could honestly be the most selfless person that I've ever met. Maybe it's because he has no fear and does things in his life that I would NEVER EVER dare do. Maybe it's because we are at a similar place in life--despite our obvious differences. Maybe because he's genuine. Maybe because we talked about things that night that I've not talked about with hardly anyone. Maybe it's because I could see how good he is and what kind of a heart he had from the very first moment I ever met him--which was actually a long time ago.

But whatever it is, I am hooked. Even though I can see how complicated this is gonna be.

catch up

2009-05-31T12:00:00.001-06:00

So I spent the last few weeks of May staying as busy as possible to help keep my mind occupied. I helped with the Gridiron Classic for the Wildcat Club--like I do every year--and then I actually got to do a little golfing for myself those next few weeks. I painted my living room and entry room so that it's two-tone FINALLY! With Tyra's help, I completely rearranged my living room and it looks so much bigger! We bought some valances and a curtain rod to hang up and got rid of a lot of junk--old decor and pictures and tupperware.

I spent Memorial Day in Preston and I also was able to overcome the most difficult day of my life--May 28. I'll just leave it at that, but I made it through and now I'm sure that I can get through anything...

Steph & I did a volleyball camp at Box Elder High School on the 29 and 30th. I participated in the Collins/Slack/Hancock garage sale this year and finally got rid of all the crap that I'd been saving from the one I missed last year. Did I say crap? I meant treasures. Cuz that's what people sell at yard sales. They sell prized possessions for a fraction of the cost that they were originally purchased for...Yeah, right. Junk. That's what it all is. But like they say, "one man's junk is another man's treasure." And that is certainly how it seems with Heather, E'lise, Marti, and Jill. I like to tease them because they spend the majority of their time bartering with each other for items!

Anyway, May flew by like crazy and so here comes June!

Race Day

2009-05-16T16:48:00.001-06:00

Oh my. I'm addicted! The Ogden 5k was today and it was SO MUCH FUN!! E'lise, Jill, and Heather met up at the Pilot off of 12th street and carpooled to the Timbermine. Steph, Jesse, Linz, and I caught a ride from my house to the starting line from Shad. When we got there, we decided to stay huddled in the car as long as possible because the wind was freezing cold. So we all piled out of the car around 6:56am--just in time to take a "before" picture and to hear the gun blast.

The course seemed so much easier to me today than it did during our trial run. And my adrenaline must have been kicking in because I felt awesome! I kept picking people ahead of Linz and I so that we could pass them. I finished in 30 minutes--which isn't great but isn't bad either. And that 30 minutes put me at 21st out of 65 for my age group. Considering that I only ran 5 times from the day that I signed up until the actual race, I can't complain.

The whole gang went to Jeremiah's to celebrate our success with a healthy dosing of calories and company. Mmm...those Sunrise Smoothies are to die for!

I've never been part of anything like this. We all know how much I hate running, but the atmosphere at this event makes it all worthwhile. Witnessing the energy at the Fitness Expo when we went to pick up our packet yesterday and seeing all of those people lined up at the starting line is enough to convince anyone to do it. Even Jesse Birch...

Linz and I on the home stretch

Heading down Grant Avenue

The Troops

The whole crew

happy birthday daddy

2009-05-13T18:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Dad!
Can you believe this hot young thing is now

54??

Can you think of a better way to celebrate than Maddox?

How bout a few hours of intense weeding?

Thanks Mom.

And I love you Dad!

grown-up yard

2009-05-12T11:03:00.007-06:00

Ta-Da!! I have a grown up yard. That's right! This week I spent over $300 to install curbing around my flower beds and here are the results:

The Front Yard

Up Close

The Island Bed

The Back

I refused to take pictures of the two beds on the south side of my house because the lawn is so screwed up there--the grass refuses to grow, but the dirt and dandelions have found a nice little place to set up shop!

Now all I have to do is get some more plants and some trees!

happy mother's day

2009-05-10T16:30:00.001-06:00

Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you!

Where has the time gone?

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-10T09:03:00.000-06:00

Tyra and I packed up our stuff and took off to Preston for a few days to celebrate Mother's Day and my dad's birthday all in one shot.

When we got to my parent's place, we played with the kids and enjoyed every ounce of sunshine we could get. And I might have eaten a handful of rootbeer cookies...but I'm not exactly sure how many are in a handful. Then we had both of my grandmothers over that night for "Spa Night". Tyra decorated the whole basement with tea lights and candles. She set up a foam mattress for the facials--which she was in charge of. I set up a pedicure shop and Kelsey had the hand massage station. We served ice water and milanos for refreshments and we watched an old Rock Hudson movie--Come September--as we got beautified.

It was so much fun to see my grandmas in that environment. These are two ladies who have never stepped foot in a spa and have never paid anyone else a cent to rub their faces with mud. They were both amazed at everything that we did. Sometimes it was hard to tell if they were enjoying themselves or if they were in pain!!

Saturday morning, my sisters and I took off on a 4.18 mile jaunt--we walked half and ran half. And we pushed the bike carriage the whole way so that we could stop at the church and pick up Kennedy and Karlee from the Primary activity. That hill on the way home from the church has never felt so steep in my life--pushing those two squirming kids might be the reason...

Once we got back from our exercise, I spent some time helping my grandpa figure out how to use his new Tom Tom and my parents took off for the temple. While they were gone, we set up my dad's birthday present--a new Ipod--and tried to get all the music transferred onto it before they got back. We were unsuccessful at that--and also unsuccessful at getting my mom's Body Bugg shipped in time to arrive by Saturday. But since my dad can't keep a secret, it really didn't matter. And they both enjoyed their gifts anyway...

After all that commotion was over, Shad, Linz, and Dan came by my house to pick me up so that we could go back to my old stomping grounds--Riverdale Resort--for a good old soak in the natural hot springs. We spent a good couple of hours there and then we headed to Tremonton to drop Linz off at her house & finished the ride back to good old Ogden.

Brock had to speak in church on Sunday and he chastised all the husbands in their ward who belonged to the "good old boy club"--those are the people that Brock thinks believe that husbands should never do any work around the house and expect their wives to do everything. He did a great job and I sure hope that someday I will find someone who shares that same attitude!

Sunday night I took some rootbeer cookies to the Hancock clan. They are so much fun! Jill and I spent some considerable time feeding our anxiety about our upcoming 5k. And I spent the rest of the time getting crap from Braden, Jason, and Shad. I don't know how Jill does it...But what a fun family and a great weekend!

trial run

2009-05-07T22:00:00.001-06:00

Linz and I went for a trial run of our 5k route tonight. I'm proud to say that we made it out alive. We even got a few whistles from the homeless, the Cholo gangsters, and the old man with the fishing boat. We thought we wouldn't make it, but when all was said and done, it wasn't that bad. I think we'll be fine next Saturday. Of course it didn't help that we stopped at Farr's Ice Cream on the way home...

Geen Ivuh

2009-04-30T11:42:00.000-06:00

Otherwise known as the Green River. Unless you are Karlee. And then it's just the plain old Geen Ivuh...

Anyway, I had the pleasure of watching my sister's kids this week while they were on a fishing trip with Brock's family. That is hard work. So mothers, don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. I knew it would be crazy, but I didn't know how crazy.

Here are a few examples:
Sunday--the belch known around the world. I took the kids to my single's ward. Oh my. Tommy and Brett sure got a kick out of Karlee and Kade. Until Kade spit marshmallows out on Tommy's lap and started yelling for milk prior to the Sacrament service. And it only got better when he let out a serious belch right after the prayer. Those kinds of things aren't heard very often in that place.

Monday--Despite my waking up every hour on the hour, the kids slept til 8:20. So I thought this was going to be a great day. Until after breakfast when Kaden started screaming bloody murder from upstairs. I thought he had stubbed his toe or something because of the way he was standing. Nope. Worse. I got a whiff of something terrible and so I tried to change his diaper and it wasn't pretty. The poor kid couldn't get anything to come out. Now I realize that this is graphic, but not as graphic as what good ol' Kelsey advised me to do...the unmentionable. Fortunately, with a little back rub and some apple juice, I didn't have to "help him".

Tuesday--The weather was awful so we were trapped inside all day long. I never in my life have craved adult conversation like I did on this day. Countless hours of Boomerang can do that to you. Popeye, the Pink Panther, Scooby Doo, Smurfs, and everything else that was on. When Kade went down for his nap, Karlee informed me that she was tired. When I asked her if she wanted to go take a nap, she told me no. She didn't want a nap. Just a yest (rest). So she cuddled up next to me on the couch and then got a little choked up and told me that she missed her mommy and wanted her to come home from the Geen Ivuh. It was so cute.

We had pizza for dinner that night and Tyra and Brock came home much earlier than they'd planned on. The kids were so surprised to see their mom sneak up on them and probably relieved, more than anything, that they didn't have to deal with Missy anymore...

It was fun though. Thank goodness those kids are around to help keep me occupied and entertained. I love them...but I guess it just goes to show that there is no way to prepare for motherhood!

Jazz Game

2009-04-27T11:19:00.003-06:00

Saturday night I scored some tickets to the Jazz game so Shad, Linz, and I drove to Salt Lake to meet up with my friend at PF Changs for dinner. Last time I ate there was before heading into Energy Solutions arena as well--for the Faith Hill & Tim McGraw concert. And yum. I remembered why I love their lettuce wraps. This time, I ventured out of my usual fried rice and honey chicken and we had some steak, Chang's chicken, orange chicken, and the Lo-Mein Noodles. My mouth is watering just thinking about it...

After dinner, we met Tyra and Brock at will call to pick up our tickets. They couldn't come to dinner because they had to drop off their kids at Ya Ya's house (Brock's mom). So they were starving when we got to the game and they grabbed the usual snack bar food--hot dogs I think.

As another similarity with the concert, our tickets were on the VERY top row. Tyra said that the bright side was that no one would be able to spill their beer down our backs. The bad thing was that it left her light headed and sick to her stomach--or maybe that was the hot dog.

The first quarter was great. But after that it was a wreck. So during the second quarter, Linz and I went out to get T.D. a yogurt from the Red Mango. What is that you ask? Well let me tell you...it is the best thing since sliced bread. It is delectable, tasty, and good for you! I got a big one for T and I to share with mango and raspberries on it. Oh yum. Maybe it was the combination of the sweetness of the yogurt to compliment the dinner I'd just eaten, but it was the best part of the Jazz game that night. Perhaps because the Jazz were like 1-27 in the 3rd quarter alone and Kobe Bryant was 26-27. Yuck. But regardless, it was a great time. Maybe it was Brock yelling "Come on ref! What? Did Kobe buy you a pink diamond too?"--among other things while being high-fived by our fellow fans in the nosebleeds--or if it was just nice to get out and get my mind off things...

Anyway, there's always next year. Right Jazz fans?!

Our View

The Gang

The 3 Amigos

2009-04-25T11:02:00.004-06:00

It has been a rough week--especially considering Wednesday morning and all of it's glory. So I took off to Preston and spent some much-needed time with my family. Tyra was up there with her kids for a play date with Kelsey and her rugrats, so they convinced me to come join them. We spent a lot of time goofing off and some time learning about Kelsey's Body Bugg--the coolest thing ever--which has now shot straight to the top of my wishlist.

While my mom was busy that night decorating for the Gold and Green Ball, my brother, dad, and I occupied ourselves with a Jazz win and an Office episode. My dad also was able to give me a blessing and thank heavens for that...

We spent Friday lounging around and then we started talking about the big stake dance that night. My mom got asked to help out with this activity and her committee decided that the Gold and Green Ball theme was going to be like a red carpet. If you came dressed as a character from a movie, you wouldn't have to dress in nice clothes. Tyra and Kelsey decided it would be fun for the three of us to go, but I only brought sweats and flip flops so my options were very limited. We started brainstorming and decided that we should be the 3 Amigos. A classic film.

So off we went to figure out where we could come up with the sombreros and costumes. Tyra, in all of her creativity, went and bought some red silky material to make us some sashes and ties out of. We all wore black pants with a duct tape stripe down the sides. It was hilarious. Until we got to the church and realized that the Spanish branch was also going to be there. Hopefully, we didn't offend anyone--it would be hard not to get our joke if you saw us all together, but when we were walking around individually, it could have been questionable...

Anyway, what a great time. We danced the night away and the kids loved it!! Kennedy went as Cinderella, Karlee as The Little Mermaid, Mason as Indiana Jones, and Kade as a cowboy. My mom is so talented--her decorations and refreshments were awesome. I hope everyone appreciated how much work went into that! I know we did. And just remember, wherever there is suffering, you will find us. Whenever there is injustice, we'll be there. We will not die like dogs, we will fight like lions!! For we are...the three amigos!

a little bit of everything

2009-04-16T11:01:00.002-06:00

Where to begin? Let's see...

How bout with March 17th? It's been a rough climb ever since that night, but I'm trying to make it to the next hill as my Dad has advised. That conference talk I mentioned earlier has helped, but every day brings different emotions. Sometimes I'm hurt, sometimes I'm angry, and sometimes I'm so confused. But I've been through this before and despite all of the tears, I know I can get through it again.

Spring ball began with our first tournament on March 28th. We weren't particularly impressive but followed that up with a tournament win at UVU on April 11th. We've made some changes to our defense and they seem to be paying off. We wrap up the spring with a match against Western Wyoming tomorrow night at 6pm.

I am playing in an Ogden City women's rec league right now. My team rocks. Jody, Jaynee, Kaycee, Laura, Jen, and I. Only Jaynee hasn't been playing because she had a serious ankle sprain right before the league started. So guess what had to happen to me? Yep. An ankle sprain. It was athleticism at its finest. So that has put a damper on the 5K training program to say the least.

I also joined a Bunco group. We had our inaugural meeting last week and it was a blast. It's fun to get together for a girl's night out every now and then. We've tried to start doing this with all the former volleyball players from WSU also. Unfortunately, that hasn't quite turned out as good as we'd like. I sent out 31 invitations for the get-together we're having tonight and 3 people are actually coming. Disappointing.

Easter was a great time this year. I missed out on my family's celebration at Tyra and Brock's on the 11th, but I did make it back in time that evening for ham and funeral potatoes. Sunday afternoon, I went over to the 4th Annual Mimnaugh Adult Easter Egg Hunt. I scored a $10 bill and a Home Depot gift card. And lots of candy. It was fun as usual!!

The volleyball class that I'm teaching is winding up and I will be eternally grateful when the semester is over. I'm a little burnt out on the teaching side of things for some reason this year and am welcoming the summer break with open arms!

We are moving our volleyball offices from the Dee Event Center to the Stadium in two weeks. I'm not looking forward to packing up everything that has been collecting in my office the past 5 years...Yuck. It makes me sick to think about it. I will miss the Dee for several reasons: it's private and away from all the gossip. My office is much bigger currently than it will be in a few weeks. And I will be giving up this haven for what we consider gossip central. Not to mention that I'll have to see some people that it would be best to avoid at this point...

I had to pay the IRS a mere $3600 bucks this year due to what we shall refer to as a minor hangup on my W-4 this year. But I learned my lesson and that shall NEVER EVER EVER happen again. Yuck.

Anyway, that's pretty much the last few weeks in a nutshell. The weather stinks and I'm sick of the rain and snow and ready for the sun!!!

Ogden 5K

2009-04-06T11:07:00.002-06:00

Today I made one small step for mankind but one giant step for Melissa Leonard. I signed up--with the support of a few good women--for the Ogden Marathon's 5K. I've never run a race before, so I'm definitely not trying to win or anything. And I realize it is only 3.1 miles--which I have run before, but never with any sort of enthusiasm. I'm hoping this race does the trick and really gets me over the hump of despising running and over to the "I love running" side of the hill. We'll see...

And thanks to E'lise, Heather, Linz, and Steph for trudging along with me for the ride! We'll all see you on May 16th at the finish line!

"Choose to live by faith, not fear."

2009-04-05T22:00:00.000-06:00

I was unable to listen to Saturday morning's conference session because I was in Salt Lake recruiting, but, this year, I watched all of the other 3 sessions. My favorite talk, by far, was given by Kevin W. Pearson of the Quorum of the Seventy. He spoke on Saturday afternoon about faith.

I really believe this talk was meant for me. Even though I'm not always the most faithful member of the church, I had no doubt on Saturday afternoon that Heavenly Father has not forgotten me & that he is aware of my personal trials and struggles and wants me to succeed.

layton city champs

2009-03-24T10:13:00.003-06:00

So last night was the final night of my reverse coed league. And as Queen so amazingly put it...We are the champions, my friend. And we'll keep on fighting til the end. We are the champions. We are the champions. No time for losers cuz we are the champions of the Layton City...

It was a long night. We had a game at 6:30 against one of the top 3 teams in the league and beat them in 3. Then we played another team at 7:30 who is loaded with good players--really probably the best team in the league who actually beat us last week in the first round of the playoffs. We beat them in 3 as well, but because it was a double elimination tournament, we had to turn around and play them again at 8:30. We ended up winning in 5 and probably played the best team ball we'd played all season. Slightly reminiscent of the 1994-1995 Preston High School Indians and their State Championship against St. Mary's...

Oh wow. I'm old. And I'm maintaining my identity from the good ol' days through recreational volleyball. I never thought I'd get to this point. Forget I even posted and boasted about this...

you know you want one

2009-03-21T11:21:00.003-06:00

Are you serious? A Bump It?? Only in Utah...

so what's it gonna be?

2009-03-18T11:10:00.002-06:00

I wish I could have a bird's eye view of where these paths would take me...

spring break part: St. George, Utah

2009-03-16T10:00:00.000-06:00

After I got back from Preston on Monday night, I had a co-ed playoff game. Once the game was over and we had a victory under our belts, I headed home for my least favorite task: packing.

Tuesday morning, I finished up the packing and ran some errands with just enough time to spare for a quick visit to see Karlee, Kaden, and Adric before Colton and I went to the Mindful Women Day Spa for a massage. I love, Love, LOVE these massages. They are so relaxing and Mindful Women is the absolute best place to get one. Anyway, as usual it was fantastic and a great way to kick off the rest of my week's vacation.

After the massage, I ran home to load my stuff up in Colton's car and then we went to the Big Sky Conference basketball tournament games at the Dee Event Center. We played Montana State and ended up losing...boo hoo. It was awful and the old know-it-all-man sitting behind us almost made me jump out of my seat to joke him. I can't stand fans who question coaches all the time (gee, I wonder why...it wouldn't have anything to do with my profession would it?) and think that they would do so much better. Especially fans like this one who readily admit that this was the one and only game he'd seen all year. "This isn't the team I've been reading about in the paper all year." Whatever. I could have killed him. Jerk.

With our spirits down after the game, we decided that we might as well take off for St. George. So with the truck all loaded and wheels on the road, I looked at the clock and saw it was 10:20pm. That meant we weren't scheduled for arrival until 3:30am. Yuck. But with dill pickle seeds and a spit cup in hand, we were unstoppable road warriors. The ride actually went much faster than I expected it to and we took turns manning the Ipod & I read a few Mitch Rapp chapters with my trusted headlamp. Sure enough--we pulled into the condo at 3:35am. And I was in bed with my eyes closed by 3:45.
Wednesday we woke up around noon and got our little selves ready for a bike ride. We took advantage of the paved bike paths all through town after a small detour to find an air compressor. We rode everywhere we possibly could have and it ended up being a 22 mile ride--which my still-sore-from-Jillian Michaels-butt can proudly attest too. Thank heavens I'd been to some spinning classes before this trip because my sits bones were barking!! But it was worth it. The weather was gorgeous and I desperately needed the sunshine. We went out to celebrate our exercise filled day with a fat meal from Texas Roadhouse and then we spent the rest of the night watching "The Devil Wears Prada" at the condo--Colton's new favorite.

Thursday morning Colton & I went on a 4 wheeler ride--first we went to a place north of Washington which was awful...there was nothing really to look at and it was super bumpy. So we reloaded and decided to go check out the Bloomington Cave. It was a beautiful 12 mile ride to the caves and when we got there, we were making fun of the "Caution Cavers" sign that warned us that we needed to have a minimum of 3 light sources each, gloves, and kneepads, and that we should call and tell someone what time we planned on returning from our trip. But once we got in the cave, we could see why they'd warn us about it. It was pitch black in there and at one point we were doing the army crawl on our bellies to get around. That's where the kneepads would've come in handy. Then we found these markers that people had left showing us how to get to the very bottom. There were two places where we had to lay on our bellies, grab a rope, and sort of repel down into a deep, dark hole to get to the next marker. Gloves. They would have been nice. But it was really awesome especially considering that I am terrified of cramped, dark places. When we got back from our trip, we made a big batch of spaghetti and a pan of brownies--of which I quickly polished off half. Yum.

Friday we swam in the pool and spent the afternoon shopping. Then Duffy called and invited Colton to go golf 9 with him, so I took the truck and washed and cleaned it for a good 3 hours until it was time to pick him up. Then we all went to look at some of the houses that the realtor showed Marlene. There were some pretty cool houses for unreal prices thanks to the market and all the foreclosures that are going on. Then we took a trip to Iggy's for dinner and back to the house for some March Madness and a movie.

John got in on Saturday morning at 2am, so when he woke up, we decided to go look at some more houses. That afternoon, John & Marti went to a relative's wedding reception and Colton & I stayed at the condo to take a nap. Then the guys went golfing and we hit the stores again. We took Marti & John to In-n-Out Burger for dinner and then off to the condo for our final night.

Sunday we woke up and packed up the truck for our drive home, but decided to head to Hurricane to look at some more houses first. After a quick bite to eat, we were off and back on our way home. Colton was begging me to read to him, but for awhile, I kept falling asleep and so I would slur my words and he'd ask, "what did you just say?" I don't know what it is, but reading for me is a recipe for sleep. Anyway, I finally got over that & so I read the whole way back from Nephi.

It's funny that you can feel so exhausted when you come back from vacation, but I was dead tired and ready for bed the minute we pulled into the driveway. But, it was so much fun and definitely some much needed time away from the normal routine. I'm already looking forward to next year's Spring Break!!

Mason Brandon Muir

2009-03-11T12:53:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Mason! Wow. The big 3 huh?!

spring break part one: Preston, Idaho

2009-03-09T11:12:00.003-06:00

This week has been Spring Break for the good ol' Wildcats. What a break it was! I started out by heading to Preston for a little R&R with my parents, Jake, Kelsey, Kennedy, Mason, and Adalyn. We made a great weekend by playing lots of Rummikub, Uno, Slap Jack, and War--and even got my Dad & Grandma LaRae to commit to a game. We watched our fam favorite movie, John Wayne's McClintock and all fell asleep on in our designated spots as usual.

I listened to Kennedy while she read her Ramona Quimby book to me and, as a result, had several flashbacks of staying in Audrey West's grandma's house when I was a little kid and trying to read as many of those books as we possibly could in two days while shoving our faces full of Reese's Pieces and watching the dog wander in the backyard after he'd been shot with an arrow...

I held the baby as much as I possibly could, remembering that it wasn't too long ago that I was doing the same thing with Kennedy. I can't believe how time flies--now I have 6 nieces and nephews. Speaking of time flying, Mason is going to be 3 on March 11, so we spent a fair amount of time in the disorganization that is Kings in Preston and also in the new Alco, searching for the perfect presents for Mason. I ate my fill of Cadbury mini-eggs and was rethinking that decision while Jillian Michaels and Kelsey Muir were kicking my butt in a workout that morning! I am still sore from that deal.

On Monday, I had the chance to watch Kennedy get up and get on the school bus and was there to receive the phone call from the Pioneer Elementary secretary to tell Kelsey that she was sick and needed to come home. It's funny how different my life is than my sisters'...they have so much more on their plate to worry about--keeping up with the laundry, trying to fix meals that the kids will actually eat, teaching their kids right from wrong, disciplining while allowing the kids to keep their dignity and independence, and trying to find time for themselves to workout, shower, put on makeup or even comb their hair. I don't know how they do it, but they do it so well. And I have a tremendous amount of respect for each of them. If I ever have the opportunity to be a mommy, I want to be just like them!

The weekend was so much fun & I never tire of being home. It's so peaceful at my parent's house and it is filled with so many good memories. Just driving into Cache Valley makes me breathe easier and for some reason, it seems like no matter what is going on my life, going home makes it better.

I love my family. We might not have a bunch of fancy toys or vacation destinations, but we have so much fun together. I can honestly say that my family members are my best friends.

I loved this poem, so I thought I'd post it so I could remember it:

Home is the place your heart resides
Home is the place that you decide
Home is the womb that holds the soul
Home is the place where one is whole

Home is the glow you hold in your eye
Home is the emotion that makes you cry
Home is safe and a place of peace
Home is where all strivings cease

Home is protective against the others
Home is full of sisters and brothers
Home is where you find your rest
Home is where you feel your best

Home is a memory that follows your being
Home is a dream for those agreeing
Home is the place where reserves fall
Home is the place you yearn to call

Home is where the family meets
Home is a place of restful retreats
Home is the place you know you’ll be heard
Home is the pace where nothing blurs

Home is all these wonderful things
Home is the place you develop wings
Home is the place that you’ll find one day
Home is the place where your heart will stay
Lisa Emry

Jake Dalton

2009-03-01T12:11:00.009-07:00

Happy Birthday baby brother! I can't believe that you are 21!! I never thought you'd grow out of your diapers and cowboy boots and into pickup trucks and equine dentistry...I want you to know how much I love you and that I'm proud of you. No matter what life brings you, you have a way of attacking it with a positive attitude. You can accomplish anything you want to and I hope that you realize that Heavenly Father is there for you to lean on when you need him. I hope that all your birthday wishes come true...

one of those days

2009-02-27T10:35:00.002-07:00

retro night

2009-02-25T11:13:00.003-07:00

My co-ed rec team captain (Blake) thought it would be an excellent idea if we dressed up in some old jerseys for our last regular season game this past Monday night. Little did he know what I had in mind...

I had had HAD to bring out the UNI. And by "uni", I am not talking "uniform". I'm talking UNI-SUIT. As in one piece. Spandex. Arms up = Butt cheeks out. I know it's not something that a 32 year old woman should be volunteering to wear by any means. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to show other people what I had to endure for an entire season back in 1996. Oh, the flood of memories...

I'm sorry that those of you who were there this week had to witness first-hand the disgustingness that is the Uni-suit. But I did wear shorts over the top of this sexy little number during the actual match so that we wouldn't all have to be subjected to the full effect...
Next week I just might pull out the old-school Mountain West 18's Club Era bum huggers (which is really just a granny panty swimsuit bottom)!! So watch out and have your eye protection readily available!

pay it forward

2009-02-24T14:38:00.002-07:00

I'm not sure how lucky the three who do this will be because I'm not as talented as lots of other people I know, but here goes...

This is how it works: The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. BUT, in order for you to leave a comment on my blog, you have to post this on your blog first. (That means that sometime during this year you will send a gift to 3 people as well.) Get it? So, the first 3 people to comment on this post will be the lucky ones! Good Luck! Start commenting people!

bonnie nani

2009-02-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

Today is Bon Bon's big 30!!

Bonnie and I have been friends since she moved in with me back in 2000. I've lived with her in 3 different housing locations, watched her survive two car totaling accidents, multiple surgeries and broken bones. I've watched her get in fights with bossy girls, nice girls, bossy boys, nice boys. But she always comes out victorious. I've seen the best and the worst of her for sure.

But I'm pretty sure that there's always been more best than worst.

I wish her a very Happy Birthday and although I wasn't able to spend the day with her, I was thinking about her lots. I hope she has a great year and gets everything she wished for when she blew out those candles today!!

Here's to being 30 Bonnie!! I love you!

Valentine's and President's

2009-02-18T12:26:00.012-07:00

This weekend to celebrate the long holiday weekend, Colton and I took a trip to Bear Lake to the McFarland family cabin. As usual, it was a blast! And as usual, it was entertaining, fun, fulfilling (lots of good food), and tiring (lots of little kids).

We packed up the truck on Friday afternoon and headed north. After a quick stop at the Logan Albertson's to grab the food we needed for our meal (Saturday's breakfast), we hit the road again. Colton & I love to read Vince Flynn books together, so I wore his headlamp in the dark and read his latest one the entire way to The Bear where we met up with Marti, the Collins' Clan, and the Slack's, who were just finishing up their pizza and shakes.

After everything was unloaded and unpacked, we sat ourselves down to play doctor on Colton's foot. That guy has the softest feet I've ever seen & they were in one heck of a mess after a week of "noon ball" games. The DD pulled out his finest--a first aid kit that would put all of us Mormons to shame! This thing had everything you could have possibly imagined in it. And Vinchenzo gave us quite the demonstration on just how, exactly, he would utilize the objects that he had stored in that dynamite little backpack. The foot treatment was followed by some passionate rounds of Uno Attack.

Since Saturday was Valentine's Day, we did a quick gift exchange in the morning--Colton gave me some sl triceps, and a bunch of core work, their dogs were barking and their tummies were rumbling. After breakfast, John got to the cabin and everyone loaded up for a sleigh ride behind the 4-wheelers. The "older" girls stayed behind to watch Cooper and Sadie, talk, and mix up some hot chocolate for the freezing bunch that came strolling in an hour or so later. That afternoon, the crew sat around the warm living room and watchedippers that I'd had my eye on since July and I gave him some cologne and a Scentsy burner for his office. Colton & I whipped up our assigned breakfast burritos--actually, I whipped them up while Drill Sergeant William C. Swan (aka Jillian) whipped Heather and E'lise into shape. He took his calling as the workout coordinator quite seriously and his sisters' legs are living proof. After 100 squats, wall sits, Swing Vote.
Saturday night was filled with a trip to the Sweetwater hot tub and more games--a few good rounds of girls vs. boys Catch Phrase where Morgan got quite the education...thanks Colton for your turn describing Moby Dick...That was the most Morgie talked all weekend!!

Sunday, after another workout for Heather and E'lise, the Slack's, Nana, and I went to church at the Garden City ward and when we came home, we watched Season 1 and part of Season 2 of the Office. We lounged around all afternoon following a highly competitive round of Scum and later, after a walk, somehow convinced the little girls to give us back massages, foot massages, and head massages. Mine was all fair and square, but Colton lied to the girls and told them he'd take them to the hot tub if they rubbed his back. Once they were finished, he told Maddie that he'd go fill up the tub with hot water for her...needless to say, she wasn't too happy with him.

We watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers that night and had everyone (mostly Colton) marching around the cabin, singing "Bless your beautiful hide". We played Catch Phrase again too and Heather had her pick of some choice words--ones that she knew but didn't want to describe OUT LOUD (how bout just plain old sexual peak Heb?). Who knew this game could be so educational?!? We had to call it quits when DD started humming and passed the game to his wife when his team guessed "humming" when the word was actually "mummy".

And as usual, John came up with some doozies this weekend that I must document for the viewing pleasure of my readers:
1. "You are complaining more than a Democrat at an NRA convention."
2. "I'm fuller than a tick."
3. And last but not least, "Snidely Whiplash used to tie these onto the railroad tracks."

Monday morning is always a bummer because that means that it's time to pack up and go home. We dined on french toast and sausage and the sledding crew went out for one last ride while Marti & John and Colton & I took a ride to the laundromat and Skeeter Flats. Marti spotted a bunch of elk bedded down in a field and once we got back to the cabin, it was time to clean up and load up. That's always the worst part... but it was so much fun and was a great way to spend the long weekend. Thanks everyone for the
fun!!

bod pod

2009-02-06T10:46:00.009-07:00

It seems there is some confusion about my latest post, so let me clear a few things up. The egg shaped space shuttle in the first picture is more appropriately known as a Bodpod. It happens to be the latest and greatest (not to mention the most accurate) way to determine a person's percent body fat.

Here's how it works:
http://www.bodpod.com/products/overviewBodpod

who knew?!?

2009-02-05T12:16:00.003-07:00

Apparently, this is not my friend:

And neither are these:

In fact, they seem to be related. Who knew?

the best letter

2009-01-28T13:29:00.003-07:00

Every girl wants to get a letter like this one: Isn't that the sweetest thing ever?

toot toot

2009-01-20T14:09:00.002-07:00

Now ordinarily, I'm not one to toot my own horn. But today something that's a pretty big deal happened to me...I got promoted. To what you ask? Well, read on.
Perhaps some of you feel the irony in this--I am promoted to a position with somewhat more authority (Who am I kidding? I still have the same amount of authority...) on the exact same day that President Obama is inaugurated? Wow.

Hopefully, those of you who are shocked speechless right now will approach it the same way I approach the Obama Era--now that he's got the job even though he wasn't my first choice, I am going to throw all of my support and prayers behind him in hopes that he will do a fantastic job.

So for now, toot toot! And you'd better start praying...

Adalyn Chase Muir

2009-01-09T23:00:00.003-07:00

I guess Kelsey was really feeling the pressure after Tyra let me watch her give birth to Adric...because she called me this week and invited me to come to Rexburg today to watch her give birth to Adalyn Chase Muir--a beautiful 7lb. 6oz. 19 3/4 in. baby girl.

But, Kelsey insisted that there were rules that I had to follow. I was not allowed to watch her get the epidural and I must stand by her head the entire time. I--not very willingly--followed her rules, and it still was another awesome experience!

Kelsey got an epidural around 2pm after they'd broken her water and then they started her on her Pit around 2:30pm. My parents brought Kennedy and Mason up around 4pm and then the wait was on. We all left the room so she could get checked one last time and then when her Dr. arrived, my mom and I were allowed back in.

Kelsey was smooth sailing and made an epidural look VERY enticing...she only pushed twice and didn't even break a sweat to get the baby to arrive at 6:07pm. As with all of the babies in our family, she had a full head of dark hair--she was struggling to breath at first and they actually had to cut the umbilical chord before she was all the way out because it was wrapped so tightly around her neck. But she got her color back pretty quick and didn't cry AT ALL. She was ready to eat though! I think she came out looking for food....Anyway, here she is:

jazz game

2009-01-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

Colton has one of the greatest extended families that exist. His family is huge on both sides and they are very close to each other--especially on the Swan side. Because of this, we got spoiled this week when one of his dad's cousins took us to the Jazz game when they played the Hornets tonight.

We left this afternoon and took a small detour through Park City so that Colton could meet with one of the FB recruits and his mom. I sat in the parking lot at the school and worked on my first Sunday School lesson for the year and read...and took a nap. After a few hours, he finally emerged and we took off for Salt Lake so that we could meet up with Marggie and Paul for dinner.

We ate dinner at one of the restaraunts in the Little America hotel (a Leonard family favorite vacation destination) and I got stuffed eating halibut, mashed potatoes, rolls, salad, and ice cream. Over dinner, we talked about Marggie and Paul's lifelong relationship. They have the cutest story ever--they were actually childhood sweethearts who fell in love when they were 14 years old. But due to some major miscommunication, they each ended up marrying other people and then got reacquainted after several years--even though they always kept up on each other's lives through the grapevine. 7 kids later and divorces later, they married each other in 1999. And it is incredibly obvious that they are still in love today. Obviously, this was my favorite part of the night, but I think Colton was more interested in talking to Paul about his businesses and investments.

They gave us a ride to the game and we parked and got inside just in time for the game to start. Our seats were awesome--lower bowl about 10 rows back across from the team benches. Things weren't looking promising for the Jazz until the end of the 1st quarter when they finally started to play hard. D Will was sick and didn't even play that much. CP3 was awesome as expected for the Hornets, but it was Millsap that pulled it out for the Jazz. It was so much fun. I would love to have enough cash to be a season ticket holder someday, but what makes it fun is the people that you go with, so I'm content to keep going with Paul and Marggie for the rest of my life!

new year's rockin eve

2009-01-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

Colton and I decided to ring in the new year the best way we knew how--eating and rocking. So we met up with my family in Logan at the Golden Corral to put to use some gift certificates that we got for Christmas from my Grandpa & Grandma Leonard. After stuffing our faces at the buffet, we decided that we needed to burn off the excess calories by doing our new favorite activity--playing Rock Band.

My brother borrowed the game from his friend, and being the highly mature adults that we are, we played the game until 3am--not bothering to watch the ball drop in New York City or even to stop to put the kids to bed. Somehow along the way, the drumsticks got lost and so we had to use the next best thing--wooden spoons. It affected the timing slightly, but we didn't let that deter us. Things really got going when Colton decided to take a water break and came back downstairs sporting a fauxhawk--that even got my Dad excited. And when I say excited, I mean that he actually opened his eyes and stopped snoring for a minute. But only a minute.

The next morning, everyone got started again and the best part was my Dad playing the Bass guitar--boy, I was having flashbacks to my childhood when he would come home from work and play "Dust in the Wind" from the piano bench. So that means that 4 of us have played the guitar, 5 of us have played the piano, and all of us can sing--or at least we think we can...Tyra is the only one who has done a solo in public since the age of 10...but what a musical family I have!!

My mom videotaped several of the songs and as soon as I can get her to post them on Youtube, I will add them for your viewing pleasure.
So--other than improving my drumming skills in 2009, I would also like to do the following:
1. Pay my tithing
2. Continue to exercise
3. Save $$ and pay off my debt

Swan Family Party

2008-12-29T14:46:00.008-07:00

On Christmas Day, I packed up my belongings and a bunch of Christmas presents and took off for the Magic Valley. What normally should be a measly 2.5 hour drive immediately turned into a 5 hour drive because of the crazy snow storm we got that day. I-84 was closed so I had to take the 15 to Pocatello and then cut over through American Falls, Raft River and then on to Jerome. It took me 2 hours to drive the first 71 miles. It was awful. The wind was terrible and the snow was coming down so hard that you couldn't see anything in front of you.

This was my view near Tremonton and that was when the going was still easy and it was daylight!
Colton kept calling me every half hour to check on me and so did my parents--mainly to beg me to turn around. But I kept trudging along and finally made it to the Swan house around 10:15pm Christmas night. After helping Marti wrap some gifts, we went to bed while we waited for everyone else to get in the next day. Heather and Jason took the scenic route--through Malta and the only thing they actually saw was some guy's tractor barricading the road. Even Jason--with his superhero driving skills--thought it was against his better judgement to go around and they ended up turning around and taking a different route. They left about 3 hours before the Collins' Clan, but E'lise and Co. managed to beat them.

Once everyone got there, we had a great dinner and then settled downstairs to open presents. I've never seen so many presents in my life in one room. I think that Libby thought we were all crazy, but we stayed in that room until everything was opened--sometime around 11:30pm.

The Swans open gifts in order from youngest to oldest, so it took FORever for my turn to come. But it was well worth it. I got spoiled this year. Vinnie aka DD got me a crock pot and some socks, Marti and John got me a digital picture frame, heart craft, and popcorn. Colton got me a wallet, a Foodsaver, and a Garmin Nuvi 760 (with bluetooth). He definitely hooked me up this year! We made a scavenger hunt for Vinnie and his new shotgun that Chollo Clause brought him.

I got Colton a sawbuck, some pants, some boots, and some shoes (originally for his birthday). His parents got him some panyards to go with the saddle and a new jumpdrive.

We spent the next few days hanging out, feeding cows, watching Biff try to maneuver the front loader with a cornstalk bale on board, eating, eating, and eating. Thanks Curt!

Buckaroo Biff at his finest:

Colton and John doing what they do best:

Biff in his element with the girls:

My baby with the baby:
Vinnie rigged up a bedliner and turned it into a sleigh that he pulled us behind on the 4 wheeler. And it was a blast!

This was definitely a memorable Christmas.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-25T14:38:00.003-07:00

This year I decided to spend Christmas Eve with my family. This year was supposed to be my parents' turn to have Christmas Eve at their house, but because Brandon is working in Seattle and Kelsey is living with my parents, the Muir family opted to spend Christmas in Rexburg to make things easier. So my parents and Jake decided to come down to Farr West and spend Christmas and Tyra and Brock's house. Since Colton and I aren't married yet, I thought it would be best to take advantage of the chance to spend the night with my family too.

Everyone rolled into town around 4pm and after a last minute run to Lee's Marketplace, I arrived at Tyra's house to find French dip sandwiches, green salad, lime jello salad, Peppermint Trifle (yum yum yum), and lots of pistachios, m&m's, and pumpkin bread. After binging on all the delicious food, we bundled everyone up and took off around the neighborhood to carol to the neighbors while Karlee rang each doorbell and delivered some pumpkin bread to them and play dough to her "friends". The carolling was fun although it wasn't exactly what Brock had been hoping for. He had been planning this particular event all month long and was really disappointed when my dad decided not to bring down the trailer that Brock had been planning on lighting up and having us all sit on as we drove around singing. Brock even bought a special Santa Clause hat with a Philadelphia Eagles emblem embroidered on it. Not to mention the hours and hours that Brock, Ty, and myself spent rehearsing the previous night on the XBOX--we didn't go to bed until 2am because we spent all night watching Tyra make the mousse for the trifle while we took turns singing to songs on their Karaoke game. Brock was so insistent and exciting for this carolling expedition that Tyra bought him a Music Maker harp with a bunch of music to take with us. Too bad the music that came with it didn't fit the harp!!

After we got back from our singing gala, we read Luke 2 to the kids and acted out the story for them with their Little People nativity set. Grandma read the Night Before Christmas to the kids and we even saw an elf outside the kitchen window, which actually ended up terrifying both Karlee and Kade! Then we sang some songs around the piano and put the kiddies to bed. After making sure that the presents we'd brought for each other were wrapped and put in the right spot, everyone all went to bed while Jake and I watched The Christmas Story.

Karlee and Kade finally (I say finally because a 6am start on Christmas morning when I was little was actually a very late start!) woke up around 8am and then the chaos began. The kids were more interested in the fruit snacks that Santa left in their stockings than they were in any presents! But the houses that Tyra painted for the kids were a huge hit and so was the cell phone that I gave to Kade.

We had a yummy breakfast and then tried to get things organized and loaded up so that we could all go home. It was storming again and it was snowing and blowing hard, so everyone was anxious about the roads. And my age is really starting to show because I've found that I get worried about shoveling my driveway before the snow gets packed down or it gets icy. Ridiculous. I never thought I'd turn into one of those people. Needless to say, the Williamsons did a fabulous job of hosting on Christmas Eve 2008. And as we all drove out of site, Brock was busy building a 14 foot snowman!! Wonder what next year will be like???

Polar Express

2008-12-20T14:37:00.007-07:00

This year for Christmas, my parents decided it would be a blast if we could get everyone together for a weekend and take the kids on the Polar Express (aka the Heeber Creeper). They bought the tickets for everyone to go and arranged for us to stay at Temple Square at Bishop Beckstead's apartment afterward.

It was rough getting up there because we got snow dumped on us all morning long. The original plan was to be up in Heber at a local burger joint by 3pm--there is an electric chain at this restaurant that travels around the ceiling and we figured it would help get the kids in the mood. In addition to that, my mom bought all the kids pajamas, beanies, and mittens to wear on the train. But the snow made the trip slow and I had to wait for Colton to finish up with the recruits that they had in town. We made it to Heber at 4:15pm (thanks to a grey Dodge and 4 wheel drive), just in time to shove down a burger, fries, and a shake & then we boarded the train.Once we were aboard, we spent the first 40 minutes of the ride rearranging kids on our laps, dropping straws on the floor, spilling hot chocolate on our pants, listening to Kaden cry and Karlee talk about Crocodile Lake.But it was all worth it when those kids saw Santa standing outside at the North Pole. They passed out Polar Express books and everyone followed along as they read it out loud.Santa got on board the train on the way back and passed out a bell to everyone and Mrs. Clause got on long enough to make Kade scream. Kennedy entertained us with her singing and jokes (brown chicken, brown cow) while Kelsey sat wondering where her child got her antics from. Mason spent his time on Colton's and Jake's lap. Brock dedicated the first two verses of The Grinch to Bishop Leonard, resigning to the fact that he should not continue the song, and Grandpa Jeff & Grandma Jenni took hundreds of photos. After the train ride was over, Jake took off to Provo to pick up his lady friend while the rest of us made the trek through Parley's down into Salt Lake. We had planned on hitting the lights at Temple Square, but the kids were all tired and would rather stay at the apartment and take turns riding Red Rose (an electric horse that Kennedy proudly named). Colton & I took Brock and Tyra with us to pick up some pizza and spin cookies on the crowded and snowy SLC streets. We all were pretty tired, so we went to bed and my dad took us to breakfast at JB's the next morning. The kids were fascinated by the buffet and Karlee proudly announced that she had gone both pee pee and poo poo to us and the other JB's patrons when she exited the bathroom proudly.

It was such a fun weekend. I love spending time with my family--especially when everyone is there. Brandon was in Seattle working and we sure missed him, but I love being around my parents, sisters, brother-in-laws, brother, and nieces & nephews. I love you guys! What a fun way to kick off the Christmas season...

adric's blessing

2008-12-08T17:34:00.005-07:00

Yesterday was Adric's baby blessing, so after I taught my last Sunday School lesson of 2008, Colton and I rushed out to Farr West so we could go to Ty and Brock's ward. Brock did such a good job and blessed him with the confidence that he will be able to accomplish great things and over come some very small imperfections.

Afterward, we ate honey baked ham, homemade rolls, salad, and watched the NFR--which is a recipe for this:

showdown in missoula

2008-12-08T15:10:00.002-07:00

Like I mentioned earlier, I lucked out and got a chance to travel with Colton and the rest of the team on Friday to Montana for the WSU-UM football game on Saturday. We left Friday morning for the airport at 8:15 and our flight took off around 11. When we landed in Missoula, it was COLD! But we boarded the bus and took off for the hotel so that the boys could get ready for practice.

While the guys were all standing outside in the freezing temperatures at practice, the girls all boarded up on the hotel shuttle and took off for the mall. Sheena, Shauna, Beth, Lindsay, and I went to the Mustard Seed for lunch and then off we went to scour the stores for some warm gloves, hand warmers, jeans, and boots. Kelly and Suzie also went with us and when we got back to the hotel, we spent the rest of the evening relaxing.

Colton was busy in meetings all night and I didn't want to mess up his pre-game routine, so I left him to do his own thing and I settled in for the night and started watching the 2nd round of the NFR til I fell asleep. Until midnight when the fire alarm rang! It never fails...every time we play in Montana, some weird stuff like that happens. In the past, we've had people knocking on our hotel room doors, 4am phone calls, and stuff like that. Hmmm...coincidence? I think not.

Saturday morning was a rush. I went to breakfast with John and Marti at Finnigan's and then we packed up all of our warm gear and hiked over to the stadium. The Montana fans were all decked out in their maroon and they were everywhere--you couldn't see a single person who wasn't decked out in Grizzlies gear. The stadium there is incredible. It it loud and it feels like the fans are virtually on top of the players and the field. We settled into our seats and the game got started. We looked pretty shaky in the first half and it seemed like we were a little nervous. But we played hard and had opportunities, but just couldn't finish. The final score was 24-13.

After that, several of the kids had to undergo random drug testing, and because they were so hydrated from the game, it took FOREVER for them to be able to finish the tests. We had to wait on the airplane on the tarmac for them. Colton's parents even ended up staying the night because they gave some of the trainers a ride to the airport, so it threw off their plans to travel back to Jerome that night.

Once we landed in SLC, our bus wasn't there so we had to wait for it. When we finally got in our bus, it got hit by one of those sliding security gates and scraped along the side of the bus for about 10 feet. We had to wait while the airport security came and took pictures and exchanged info with our driver. Then when we hit South Weber, there was an accident that had caused the road up the hill to close down so we had to get back on the freeway and go all the way around to Riverdale and then back up to the Dee Event Center. Then we had to wait about 20 minutes at the stadium for our bags to arrive.

It wasn't a good day for the Wildcats.

But it was a fun trip and a historical year for WSU Football--one that will be remembered for years to come.

girls' night out

2008-12-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

To celebrate my mom's birthday this year, the girls in my family got together last night and we went to Logan to Pickleville Playhouse's production of "Santa Claus's Party". We had dinner catered by the Coppermill at the Eccles Conference Center on Utah State's campus and then we went down into the auditorium for the production.

The show was great and it's always a great time when I get to hang out with my sisters, mom, and grandma. We laughed our heads off at the creepy elf, my crying, and the whistling boys as we walked across the Quad on our way back to the cars. We definitely need to do this more often!

being single still has its perks

2008-12-03T22:00:00.001-07:00

I've been trying to decide all week long how I'm going to get to Montana this weekend for the quarterfinal FCS game in Missoula. I thought I'd drive up to Jerome on Friday afternoon and hop in with Marti and John. Our plan was to drive to Salmon Friday night and then finish the trip to Missoula Saturday morning. After the game, we'd drive all the way back to Jerome and then I could make it back early Sunday morning for Adric's blessing.

Well that would've worked fine, but I knew it meant lots of hours in a car. And I've sort of grown accustomed to flying everywhere. In other words, I'm spoiled.

So Colton came home tonight claiming that he had some exciting news. He finally told me that the coach's wives were all going to be able to fly on the chartered flight for free. I didn't get how that was exciting news for me since I'm not a wife. But then he informed me that I am the ONLY girlfriend that gets to go...Yee haw! What a great surprise.

So I guess you don't have to be married to catch all the breaks...