New Desktops

As you can see, I've updated my blog a bit.  I'm not very happy with it yet, but as I don't want to get too frustrated, I've decided to let it sit for a couple of days.  I have a couple of new desktops on my computer.  I've needed a change from the red and green of Christmas and these two are just the change that I need.  We'll see how long it lasts once the dreary January days wane and I need something else to liven it up.  Here is what I've got:

The top desktop is from Shabby Princess and the bottom from Shabby Miss Jenn.  Kind of fun!

I have to get started on my "project".  I've been laying the groundwork for quite some time and have jotted many thoughts and ideas down.  I can't put it off any longer.  We'll have to see how it goes in the coming weeks.  My lesson from Relief Society has given me another boost to achieve the goals that I have set out for myself.  I hope that it will work out.  Wow.

Have a good one!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas!  We had a terrific day and really enjoyed spending time with family.  Here are a few pictures from the day:

Abbie and Nigel in their Christmas Eve Jammies

Abbie with her American Girl Doll and her first deodorant...Oh no!  She is too young for this isn't she?  I guess she is growing up.

Nigel with his "Robot" he calls Red Clawson

On Friday we finally made it to see the lights downtown at Temple Square.  It was frigid!!!  Only about 17 degrees.  The kids were troopers for a while, but when they started to whine, we knew it was time to head home.  

Abbie and Nigel in front of one of the Nativity displays on Temple Square

I am teaching Relief Society tomorrow, and am so exited.  I made a little hand out to give the sisters.  The stake hasn't been all the good at getting us the lessons from the conference talks.  I didn't want too have a really short amount of time to prepare, so I asked if I could do something on my own.  I really wanted to focus on setting goals for the new year and thought that a lesson on goals would be good for me as well as everyone else too.  I hope it goes like I have imagined it in my mind.

This is the handout I made and had printed up at the photo place.  I am using the SMART goal acronym with a twist.  Like I said, I hope it goes well.  

Shopping, Yummy Food, and Christmas is Coming

I haven't been very good at getting everything done for Christmas in a timely manner.  Most of my shopping has been put off until now.  Of course, I've done a bit here and there, but the bulk of what needed to be done got done yesterday.  I still have Daniel to buy for, and since we talked about that yesterday, I am okay in saying that I don't have anything for him yet!

We went shopping at the outlet stores in Park City, mostly for the killer deals at the Old Navy outlet for the kids.  Most things were 60% off, so I was really happy with what we got for them.  KB Toys was going out of business and we stopped in there for a minute to see if there was anything worth getting.  We did find some things for Nigel, "CARS" paraphernalia of course.  It was a game box, filled with dominos, cards, checkers, etc.  All "CARS" themed.  He'll love it.  Especially since he has learned to play checkers and chess.  He is too smart for his own good!

After the frigid cold of Park City, and being childless for the day, (Thanks Mom and Dad!) Daniel and I made our way home through downtown SLC and stopped at my new favorite place to eat.  Charlie Chow's Dragon Grill!  Yummy!  I absolutely loved it.  I have never mastered the art of chopsticks, but yesterday, was able to eat my entire dinner with them! So divine.  I had vegetarian fare, and loaded up with lots of fresh tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, celery, broccoli, etc. They grill it up for you with whatever sauce you like, and bring it out.  Daniel had beef and chicken to whatever he put in with his noodles, but I wasn't in the mood for meat.  I love Chinese food, but it seems like I can never get it exactly the way I want it.  Either they use too much of something or not enough of something else.  This way I could make it the way I wanted!  Yummy!  Sorry for the extreme long rant over this place, but it was really good!  Click on the picture to see their page and menu!

Just a few more days until Christmas!  Yippee!  My kids are bouncing off the walls with excitement.  Hope they can last!

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Check this out!  So cool!  I just want one!

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"My Brain is Shrinking"

So, my five year old can be considered a drama king.  He can be the cutest thing in the world one minute and the next can be crying and telling me that his brain is shrinking because he hasn't exercised yet today.  It all started because his dad asked him to pick up 5 things in his room before breakfast....then it all began.  He couldn't do it, he had a headache, his hands ached, and it went on and on until it culminated in the wail that his brain was shrinking.  All to avoid picking up 5 toys or items of clothing.  I just don't know where he gets it!  Of course he is the cutest thing ever as he talked about tornados and blowing snow this morning.  Ten minutes later he is crying and now, ten minutes after that he is singing Christmas carols and picking up the clothes he was asked to in first place.  This could easily drive a sane mother crazy!  What about a less than sane one like me?  Oh, I'm already there!

Vote for my layout!

I actually entered a digi-scrap contest.  I don't even hope to win, but would love it if you went and voted for me!

Flying Reindeer

So, my job is now to referee the fight between an eight and five year old about the merits of having a reindeer on their Christmas stocking and who is better.  It seems like at the moment, the reindeer is beating the carolers because he can fly.  Seriously...

Pensive

I am a bit pensive and reticent today. I am sitting in my office, looking at the blue sky and barren branches of the tree out my window and can't help but wonder about it all. The well is deep and unsubstantial, but nevertheless, there I go. I try not to dwell on the unknown and darker side of things because it is a path that while tempting can trap the very soul of those that dare walk down its twisiting lanes. I can't resist today...perhaps I am getting sick, or run down and the lure of the wallowing can't be fought off.

This time of year should be one of happiness and joy, and it truly is my favorite time of the year. For some reason, today I just can't grasp the feeble strains of the Christmas Spirit. Have I don't any service? That usually helps, but I can't even get up the energy to look for something to do. I don't look forward to Christmas shopping. Hmm, I need to re-evaluate and re-establish some boundaries for the next couple of weeks. It won't do to feel maudlin when there are two children that are wrapped up in the excitement of the season.

I had the news on this morning as I was getting ready for work. I don't usually watch the news, due to the negative and depressing nature of all that is going on around us. I don't need constant reminders of the nature of the economy or political climate. I only need to look at my own bank statement for me to be aware of that. Today the stories that stuck out most in my mind were those of the ever increasing need of charitable donations. Usually a very uplifting and beneficial topic, it was forelorn and depressing today. The laments of not enough donations and more need almost seemed to whine from the box. How am I supposed to feel that my small donation will even make a difference? I can't stretch what little I have to cover something for all. I know that I have to make a choice of what to do, but there are so many deserving and needful entities out there. I just hate the thought that I can't do more. Perhaps this is why I am feeling a little down today. I almost feel torn between getting something for my children and helping those in need. My children aren't getting an X-Box, so why should I feel like some other child should?

Perhaps I am reticent because I am nearing the milestone of entering a new year of life. Yes, my birthday is coming soon, but I'm not sure about it all. Will it even matter if the day is marked?

So, today, while listening to Christmas carols, doing my work, and looking out the window from time to time, I have had much to think about. Perhaps too much because of the path my thoughts have taken. Hopefully my children will help me pull out of it when I get home. Their excitement should be contagious.

'Tis the Season for Christmas!

It is now legal in our house to decorate for the Christmas season.  On Friday we started putting up the outside lights and put up a few decorations around the house.  We finished up the tree decorating and have just a few odds and ends to finish.  I realized that I don't have a whole lot of decorations for the holidays, but I'm okay with that.  I also took some time to update the blog header as well as my computer desktop.  We are so in the Holiday Spirit!  I've even started with the Christmas music on my iPod.  Love, love, love it!

My only complaint is that we as a nation/world forget the true meaning of Christmas.  I am going to put an extra effort in making it a Christ centered holiday this year.  I know that my kids have everyone asking what they want from Santa.  I hope to turn that expectation into what they are giving to others.

In other topics of consideration...have you ever played Apples to Apples?

We played this game with my family at Thanksgiving dinner.  It was the funniest game I have ever played!  In fact, I was laughing so hard I cried!  My two younger brothers both had tears streaming down their faces as well.  I think everyone's sides hurt from so much laughing.  This is one game we are going to invest in!  I really made the evening so much fun for all of us.

Love to all!!!

Thankful Thanksgiving Thursday

I am thankful for so many things and this time of year always brings to mind how blessed I am.

1. I am thankful for my family...both immediate and extended.  I have a husband who loves and supports me, children who are wonderful and loving, parents and siblings that love me unconditionally.  My life would never have turned out this way without their influence on me.
2. The Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation is something that I am eternally grateful for.  I don't know where I would be in this crazy life without the knowledge and steadfastness of my testimony of Jesus Christ.  I am grateful that I have the opportunity to learn from my mistakes and become a stronger person.
3. I take for granted that I have a home, a job, and food on a daily basis.  I can't miss the opportunity to say how blessed I am to have these necessities in my life.
4. Books.  Need I say more?  To be able to read and immerse myself in a story and stretch my imagination has been a boon to my sanity in times of trial, depressions, and just plain tiredness.
5. To say that I am grateful for technology seems a bit trite, but I must say that without it, I would not have kept in touch with friends across great distances, preserved memories, or have the job I do today without it.  It has also been a bit of a commonality with Daniel, and as I learn more, we have a greater understanding of each other's interests.
   
6. My dear friends are another treasure that I hold dear.  Although we don't spend as much time as I'd like together, they can always kick me in gear when I am down and need a boost.  They have watched out for me from a distance and close by and stepped in when Daniel couldn't help me.  For that I am ever so grateful.

This is just a few of the things that I have pondered today, on this national day of thanks.  The list could continue on, or I could get extremely sappy and start to tear up at the thoughts of all my blessings.  I hope all have had a wonderful day, ate lots of turkey, even with the effects of tryptophan in your system, and gorged on pumpkin pie.  I also hope that you reflected on what you are thankful for, and had a moment of silent communion to Him who provides for us all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm a bad blogger!

So, yesterday Daniel asks me why I haven't posted for a week now....and all I could say is that I didn't have anything to blog about.  At least he comes here!  I was giving him a hard time that he never looks at what I post, so I could post anything I wanted about him...guess I better behave!

Yesterday I got to be the honorary football coach for the Weber State vs Eastern Washington game.  I wasn't too impressed to begin with, partly because I am not that into sports.  I don't mind a game every now and then, but I don't sit down and watch anything on TV.  It was actually quite a bit of fun.  I took my dad, and we got there about 10:15 am, which the handout stated we were to be there.  We had VIP parking and parked in the first row of the stadium lot, just a few steps from the entrance.  We ended up waiting for over an hour for the girl who was supposed to escort us around showed up.  She was an hour behind and so we didn't get to spend a lot of time eating in the suites before I had to get down to the field.  Here is a picture my dad got of me being introduced as an honorary coach (I'm the one on the right!):

I also got to participate in the coin toss, or other words, I watched them do the coin toss:

We ended up watching the first half from the sidelines and got to walk back and forth across the edge of the field to keep up with the players.  Yes, while very cool, it is not easy to watch the game from there.  They did pretty pathetically the first half, probablly a bit too confident being ranked number 8 in their division nationally.  The second half was much better, and I screamed until my voice hurt.  Unfortunately, Weber lost 26 to 33, and they almost had it tied up by the end of the game until they lost the ball.  Oh well.  It was so much fun to hang out with my dad.  Here he is watching the game from the sidelines.  It was a beautiful day for football game!

Thanks for going with me Dad!  I sure had a good time!

I still haven't heard about the job at the Davis Campus.  I guess that I just need to be patient.  I did get a great compliment from the Vice Provost who responded to a thank you e-mail I sent.  He told me that I conducted myself with poise and aplomb.  I was greatly appreciative of that.  Hopefully I will hear something soon.

Lots of love to all!!!

GNO, interview, and a lot of confusion

Yesterday was the day of my interview for the job at the Davis campus.  It was really short, only about 15-20 minutes, but it seemed like it went alright.  Some people were smiling and nodding, but a couple just looked at me with blank stares.  Kind of weird.  I am not sure how I feel about it, because it was really hard to read.  The Vice Provost who is working on hiring, had heard quite a bit about me and seemed impressed.  I will have to wait and see if I'm offered the job to see what happens then.

Last night I went out with two friends for a Girls Night Out.  We just sat at Training Table for about 3 1/2 hours just talking.  It was so nice to have some grown up time with the girls.  Daniel though we were crazy because we didn't do anything else.  I guess we just need a little chatting time occasionally.

Hopefully I will have answers to the job questions soon and I can start to concentrate on some of my pursuits outside of that area.

Working on the blog

I thought it was time for a new look for my blog.  I found that by changing the width, I have a lot more room for my posts and it just doesn't look as cluttered.  Whoo hoo!  We'll see how it goes.

I have scrapped my photos from Halloween and thought that I would share.  I am so proud of Daniel's prowess in the sewing field.  The kid's looked fantastic and loved their costumes.  What little darlings!

A dreary day

Do your moods match the weather at times?  Today has been really rainy and dreary.  Don't get me wrong, there are days that I adore the rain.  Especially when I can stay home with a good book, curled up on the couch in a fuzzy blanket!  Well, today was not one of those days.  I haven't felt really good the past couple of days...a little dizzy, off center.  I think that I may need to have my ears checked to see if something is up there.  Today the weather just compounded the issue and I've felt a little down and out.  Gray.  That is the best word for it.  Not blue, but gray.

I seemed to suck up everyone else's emotions around me as well.  I talked to someone who was having a hard day at work, and suddenly, my day was just that much harder.  I spoke with someone who was a bit angry, and then, for some reason I was angry too.  I consciously try to avoid doing that, but today was different.  It was as if I could see myself drawn to the dark side of life and wallowed there.

Would today been different had the sun been shining?  I don't know.  I can only hope that tomorrow I will be able to force a better attitude and not let those around me influence how I feel.

Enough waxing poetic, or at least my attempt to.  On Saturday, we went to the African Children's choir at Kingsbury Hall.  Let me just say, it was fantastic and the kids really enjoyed themselves.  We had great seats and I just absolutely loved going to a cultural event and exposing my kids to how they should dress and act.  With Daniel able to get tickets to these events for free on occasion, we definitely will be taking advantage of it.  We had talked about how we both work for universities where cultural events are very reasonably priced and we need to do it more often.  It would be a shame not to take advantage of it.

When a door closes

the Lord opens a window.  Was it just a day or two ago when I was lamenting about the loss of a coveted job?  I think that it was...and yes, I'm still disappointed.  Luckily though, I very quickly got out of my funk last night when I received a call from the director of the Davis Campus of Weber State.  I have an interview next Friday for the campus coordinator position.  After talking with someone from that campus, I can happily say that it doesn't look like budget cuts are going to strike on this one.  I'm not crossing my fingers, but I'm overjoyed that there are other opportunities.

Here is the "rub".  I feel somewhat guilty for looking out for my self and wants/desires.  I would leave my current office in a huge bind, because they too, will not have the ability to hire anyone to replace me.  Not that I'm irreplaceable, but at least right now, I would be.  So, do I look out for something closer to home, (although, not that big of a deal) and more money, more responsibility, or do I take into account what I would be putting others through if I leave where I'm at.   I'm putting the cart before the horse to use a phrase, but I constantly think of things like this.

Well, I'm not going to worry about it tonight.  Or this weekend for that matter.  I am going to enjoy my kids, clean my house, and go to the African Children's Choir at Kingsbury Hall tomorrow night.  We are taking the kids, making them dress up, and enjoying a cultural event.  They have to learn sometime!

A difficult day

Today has been extremely difficult.  After a couple of weeks of waiting, I found out today that the job in the Registrar's office is not going to be filled due to budget cuts.  While I was the top candidate, and would have the job if they could offer it, I am without it because of budgetary reasons.  It has been hard to take, because I was really wanted the opportunity to move up.

I have reflected a lot today about the state of my mind and of the exterior world.  Internally, I am experiencing chaos and uncertainty.  I was so excited to know that I was wanted and that they were thrilled with what I had to offer....but there is a part of me that aches that I won't be able to do it now.

I'm sure that other opportunities will arise and that I will be able to do it.  Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise and that it will allow me to pursue my other interests, gnawing at my soul.  I don't know that there is a certain answer, but this ride has been very interesting so far.  Perhaps I will have something later.

Daniel has been wonderful.  He borrowed a projector and we are watching Ironman on the wall of the family room.  We may need to get something like this for all the time!  It certainly gives it the big screen feeling, while lying on the couch in my jammies.  I don't think that I can express how good it feels to have someone looking out for me and taking care of the emotional needs that seem to be flowing out of me.

While the future is as uncertain as it can be, the ride will be interesting.

New desktops, new blog look

A new month, a new look.  I had to update my desktop as well, so my laptop is sporting these new looks for the month of November.  The first is from Shabby Princess and the other is from the Golden Girls.  I put my Halloween pictures on them, so we have the most current pics of my kids.

I also updated the wallpaper on my iPhone.  I love this creative business!  At least on the computer I feel a bit like I'm in my element. (Blogger won't let me upload right now, so I'll have to try later!)

We had a great Halloween; it was very laid back and so nice weather-wise.  I took the kids out for trick-or-treating and we didn't even need jackets!  It was quiet and a mellow Halloween all the way around in our neighborhood.  We didn't have a ton of kids come to our house either.  We gave out pencils, which just goes to show how geeky we are at our house.  We actually had a number of parents tell us how happy they were to get something other than candy!  The best though, was the little kids, who were so excited to have their very own pencil.  That made it worth it right there.

Today is is stormy, and feels very autumnal.  I think I need the change for my sanity.  I just could do without snow on the roads.

Unchanged

My feelings are unchanged as I look back on the week.  I'm still in as much emotional/cognizant turmoil as I was earlier.  My only progress is that I have actually taken a small step and it feels fantastic.  Tears are close to the surface as I think what this may entail.  There is still too much to do, so far to go, but the all important first step, has been taken.  I worry that the fire will need to be stoked often if I am to complete what I've set out to do.  There is so much work, so much time and energy, that will be invested in my dream.  I can't let the outside distractions sway my determination.  Hmmm, what will this journey bring?

Have you ever wondered....

if that drive you feel inside will actually launch you to the next step?  I am wondering daily as my thought and ideas fuel the fire inside of me, just how much grit and determination it will take for the momentum to actually get me to the next phase in the process.  My ideas and thoughts are a jumble of scenes and impressions and I just can't seem to make the connections that in my heart I know are there.

I know that one can only do something if he or she actually starts it.  Am I frightened that if I take that committed step, everything will change.  As humans, change is a part of our lives, but we resist it with all our might.  Is that truly the reason I hesitate?  Or is it that I know the once started, I will not be able to stop, or that I'm not good enough to finish it through?

While the ideas are there, the self-doubt and anxiousness of my personality awaken when I dream of taking it to the next step.  Do I have it in me to do this?  Do I really want to start this long, arduous process that will leave my soul vulnerable to the scrutiny of loved ones, not to mention the outside world?

So, I ask again, have you ever wondered and if that mere action has inspired or frightened you?  Perhaps it is the act of wonder that will give me the grit and determination to propel myself to the next phase, not just merely allowing the momentum to carry me wherever it stops.  I can't settle for that.  I have a goal, a dream far beyond that point.  It resides where only the wisps of my imagination can take me.  I look forward to the adventure, the ride, the destination, and fulfillment of a desire.

Pandora discover

I've heard about Pandora from a few people lately, but I was talking to Daniel this morning and he recommended getting an account and checking it out.  I was really pleased with it!  I usually just grab my iPod and plug it into my speakers at work because I can usually just use my playlists.  The nice thing about this is that I get to experience some artists that I don't have and I can see if I like them before purchasing the song/album.  Of course I had to get the iPhone application as well.

I think that it is a great option for listening to music while at work.  I had a Yahoo music account a few years ago, before I had my iPod, and it was not as nice.  We used Mozilla as a browser and it wasn't supported.  I ended up not using my second year's subscription due to that fact.

Give it a try.  I've linked it up, but it will open in this window.  I really need to find that HTML code that I used a while back.  Hmmm, perhaps I need a class?

A good day, a stressful day

Today was a cacophony of emotions, attitudes, sounds.  I had a terrific job interview this morning for a department I would love to work for.  It went well.  There was laughter, joking, serious answers, and I walked away feeling rather good.  Even if I don't get this job, I feel as though it was a good move to apply.  I couldn't have done any better.  I was in need of some comfort last night, so my dear dad gave me a father's blessing.  I haven't had that wonderful opportunity for a long time with them being gone.  Daniel wasn't in a good mood and asked if I wouldn't mind either waiting for one or go to my dad.  I am glad I did.  I was calm and really felt like it helped me answer things the way I needed to.

While that was great, I've also been feeling irritated, stressed, and just downright angry as well.  I work with some very interesting people, who just are so passive aggressive, I just want to spit.  I was so drained by their actions over the past couple of days, that I just about cried.  To go from such a high to such emotional baggage was just too much today.  

Last night I went to Barnes and Nobel; now that is a stress reliever for me.  I could spend hours there.  I picked up some Moleskine notebooks so I can make notes whenever I need to.  

I was pretty excited about having something small that I can be able to carry with me and jot down ideas and inspiration.  If you want to read about them, you can go to the website and check them out.  I made the name a link as you can see.  It will not take you to a separate window like my other links, because I can't remember how to do it in the HTML code.

Enough of my ranting, although when I look back, I didn't write very much.  It has taken me over an hour to get this far with all the interruptions with dinner, baths, and Daniel making Halloween costumes.  I put my Facebook status as Moleskine notebook and a little quiet, but I think that is just wishful thinking today.  Let's hope tomorrow will be just as good, and better than today.

Itchy Witchy, Witches Galore!

So, I took Friday off because the Abbie and Nigel were home for UEA.  We got a lot accomplished and had a great day.  We first cleaned in the house (although to look at it now, you wouldn't know it!), took Nigel for a haircut, and spent an amazing amount of time at the new D.I.  Now, it was grand opening weekend for their new location and I can't believe how insanely crazy it was.  They were giving away free t-shirts, balloons, and even had a clown making balloon animals.  The kids were in heaven.  We ran into three women from our ward and had so much fun going through the books, clothes, etc.  Poor Nigel is growing so fast that he has outgrown all of his pants length-wise that he had a the beginning of the summer.  So, I had to go up another size, but they are huge around his waist.  I picked up a couple of pair at the D.I. that were in good condition so I'm not spending so much on pants he will outgrow in two months.  Yikes!  As for Abbie, we got her a couple of new, brand-name pants that were in mint condition!  Yeah!!  She loved it too, and I'm glad she isn't quite at the stage where anything from D.I. is taboo!  Of course it all started because I needed to run to the distribution center that is now in the same new building, just next door.  Crazy!  The kids had fun though.

After that fun adventure we rode Frontrunner to Salt Lake, then hopped on TRAX and met Daniel at his office at the U.  This was the first time for Nigel to ride the Frontrunner and he was pretty excited.  Here we are at the station waiting for the train:

After we picked up Daniel, we went to Garnder Village to take some photos.  It was packed, probably because of all the activities they had going on for UEA, but it was so cool.  The entire village was decorated for Fall/Halloween and the kids had a ton of fun looking at all the witches.  Here are pics from our adventure:

Too Cute to Spook

Bicycle riding witch

Abbie and Nigel and the Baseball Playing Witches!

Okay, they are so done with pictures!

Last night we went out with some friends to MacCool's for dinner.  Yummy!  Then back to their house to play cards.  Thanks for dogging us Shelly!!!  We still love you though!

Today was stake conference, so that has ended the weekend nicely.  I took a nap, something that usually doesn't happen!  We are on the late schedule at church, so I took full advantage of being done by noon!

I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Love to all!

I am lucky!

I just have to say that I am very lucky in having Daniel for my husband, friend, partner, lover, supporter, inspiration, and the list could go on and on.  I've had a lot on my mind lately, and he has been patient and supportive of my ideas and decisions.  Thank you my love, for not laughing, but showing me how great you are, and reminding me all the reasons I fell in love with you in the first place.  You just made me fall in love with you all over again!

Oh my goodness!!

So, until I saw this on another blog, I wasn't too sure if I wanted to see the movie.  I have always had a hard time seeing a movie after I've read the book, it just never seems to live up to my own imagination.  I think I will enjoy this one as much as the books:

Now, if I can get Shelly and Mary Ann to go with our husbands, we can make a night of it, if not, it is going to be a girl's night out!!!

I'm not much of a movie person.  I would much rather read, but occasionally I will find a movie that I love.  I love Pride and Prejudice from A&E, or even the Kiera Knightly version.  But then, I'm a sucker for all things Jane Austin.  I also love the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  I didn't read the books until after I saw the movies, so that was kind of difficult not to imagine Aragorn as someone other than Viggo Mortenson.  I don't know that I'll be able to picture Robert Pattenson as Edward, because I have my own picture in my mind.  Oh well....that is the issue with movies from books.

We've had our first snowstorm of the year.  It was pretty cold and rainy yesterday, so it wasn't surprising to wake up to a blanket of white.  Nigel was so excited!  He could hardly contain himself when he saw it.  He wanted to go right out and play.  Being that it is Sunday, we had to tell him that we needed to go to church, and that playing outside wasn't an option.  Besides, I need to figure out where the snow suit is!

Well, that is it for now.  If anyone has any other good books that they recommend, I'm on the lookout for something as engrossing as Twilight.  I'm not in the mood for anything heavy.  I get enough of that from the news!

Love to all!

My cute family....

On Wednesday, we went to the ward Scout Court of Honor.  It was fantastic because it was held outside next to a campfire.  It was only at the church bowery, but still very nice.  Since Daniel was in charge, our little family banded together and got everything set up.  I was able to document us all working as a family should!We moved chairs from the Primary room to the bowery.  Even Nigel helped, one chair at a time.

Daniel has always been in scouting since he was young.  Here he is conducting and handing out badges in his scout uniform:

It was a great night, although I was beat by the time we got home. We were pretty busy that night!  The kids had fun, and I enjoyed the patriotic feeling of scouting.  

More later!  Love to all!

October Desktop

Now, for many of you, you know that I love to change up everything about my computer.  Now if only I could get on the ball with my house.  It gets so overwhelming.  The computer is easy, two or three clicks and you are there.  Here is what I'm sporting on my desktop this month:

All of the pictures are from last year. We haven't done the pumpkin patch yet, mostly because I don't want them to spoil.  It is still a bit too warm for that.  I wish this silly, crazy weather would decide what it's doing!  

Tonight we are going to a scout court of honor.  Dan is in charge, so we are going to help him out with everything.  I'm the unofficial photographer.  There is an Eagle rank advancement as well, so it will be a nice night.

So, spruce up your desktop!  Have a great day!  Love to all!

Filling my bucket....

Every six months I need my bucket filled.  General Conference does that every time.  I am still misty eyed.  The talks were wonderful and I feel that there were many that spoke directly to me.  I love conference and can't wait until all the talks are posted online.  I always download them to my iPod and listen to them, especially when I have a lesson to do.  It is nice to have them whenever I want/need them.

Here are the newest layouts that I've made:

I sure do love my kids!  They are so cute!  Abbie did string art through most of conference, and she was so excited to have it completed.  She really wants to take it to school tomorrow and show it off.  I'm proud of how much she learned while doing it!

I hope everyone has a great week.  Love to all!!!!

Yeah for General Conference!!

I so loved General Conference today!  Every 6 months I feel like I need a shot in the arm, and that is certainly what I got today!  Since I teach the Relief Society lesson on the conference talks each month, I always try to pick out what talks I'll be getting.  I'm sure that Elder Oaks talk on the Sacrament will be one that we get to do!

Daniel is at Priesthood Meeting right now, so I took a little time to do some pages of the autumn colors we saw a couple of weeks ago.  Abbie making string art and Nigel is snuggled up in a blanket because of the rainy weather.  It is a hot chocolate evening and curling up with a good book!!  I wasn't prepared in getting a new book at Barnes and Nobel yesterday while we were there, so I suppose I will do some more scrapping.

I normally don't post too many layouts with credits because I usually only have family and friend traffic on my blog, but I really liked this kit by Andrea Dickenson.  Here it is:

The picture is from September, but the quote seemed appropriate.  It is from Elegant Word Art.  The next layout, I don't know where the kit came from, see how bad I am at credits!  That is why I never post to galleries!  I am the worst!

On family news, Daniel is doing great at the new job.  I think that he is just so happy to be out of where he was, that he would be happy almost anywhere.  Now, that is totally exaggerating, but he is happier.

Abbie is doing great in school still.  I am really proud of her because she is focusing more on her reading.  She did great on her spelling test this week and still manages to amaze everyone with her math skills.  My mom told her that she needed to read as much a she does math because she may need to do both at the same time someday.  That may have helped!  She is doing great!

Nigel is still loving school too.  He sings constantly.  I may have to post a video of it sometime.  He is hilarious!!  This little body, growing up so fast!  He loves going to his friend's house every morning for babysitting.  This change has been phenomenal, an answer to prayers!

I should get going.  I need to run to the store before bed tonight.  Hopefully Daniel will be home soon and we can go together.  Have a great night!  Love to all!

Two Posts..two days!

Just a quick post to share a couple of scrapbook pages that I've been working on tonight.  Dan is at class and the kids are doing baths before bed.  I had little scrapbook time for me!

This is a layout of our day at the park on Saturday.  I think that it was something that we all needed, to get the blood flowing and laugh a lot.  It is said that laughter is the best medicine.  I truly agree.  Dan and I weren't fighting per se, but we were miffed with each other for no apparent reason...but after this, all was good with the world!

Okay, I in no way profess to be a cowgirl cutie, but after my mom saw this picture from my iPhone, she told me that it was cute and I needed to do a scrapbook page with it; so I made a page!  It was me trying to take a picture of us, but it was so much fun at the fair this year.  We all got hats, and mine is a little more fashion forward than everyone else's.  In fact I'm sure that I've seen a hat like this on my sister-in-law Cheyla, and she is very fashionable!  This is my sore attempt of looking chic!

I hope that everyone has had a good start to the week.  Take it easy and love to all!!!

Wasn't Women's Conference fantastic???

Last night I went with my Mom and my aunt to Women's Conference.  It was so good!!!  Last year I went with my friend Mary Ann to the conference center because our stake was lucky enough to get tickets.  This year we went to Farr West and had a salad dinner at my Aunt Narlene's stake center.  It was so nice!!  I love the talks and felt that President Uchdorf's talk was so wonderful and it spoke to me to become more creative in ways that aren't traditional.

Yesterday we spent some time at the city park, just enjoying the nice weather and playing with the kids.  Abbie and Nigel love going to the park with Grandpa and Grandma Tureson and they love going on the merry go round.  Here are some pics of our outing:

Cute Daniel playing with the kids!  He was so good at taking time and making the merry go round go so fast.

On Friday, I spent the day at the "Major's Meetings" at Salt Lake Community College.  It was such an interesting venture.  I went to a couple of meetings for Elementary Education and Developmental Math.  It was interesting to see how higher education works at times.  I was glad to be there, but didn't feel like there was a whole lot to do.

I'm teaching Relief Society today, so I guess I should get preparing my lesson.  It is Testimony by Elder Oaks' talk from April Conference.  It is so good.

Have a great day!

New look for a day or so!

I seem to enjoy changing the backgrounds on my blog a little too much!  Yesterday I was playing around with a Halloween layout and today, I found another layout that I loved.  You can see Allie Brown's Layouts by clicking on her link on my right hand links list.  So much fun!

I also updated my photo blog with some pictures of our trip up the canyon.  I think I may need to play with the exposure a little bit because some of the pictures are a little bright, like they were overexposed.  

More later!  Love to all!!

A Drive to Bear Lake

It has been a very busy week as usual.  We decided to take some time yesterday to enjoy each other and the scenery.  We took a drive up to Bear Lake and had a blast looking at all the changes in the canyons.  We stopped a couple of times for pictures in Logan Canyon, and basically reminiscing about the times we spent up the canyon when we were first together.  I loved it.  Here are a couple of pictures we took at the visitor center at the summitt.

This is one that we took in the canyon on the way back down.  It was the "magic" hour for light.  I loved it.  The trees were starting to change and the colors were absolutely amazing.

Holy Neglected Blog!

Wow!   A whole week since I last posted.  I can't believe how busy we have all been.  It just seems with Dan back in school on Monday and Tuesday nights, we are busier than usual. 

Abbie and Nigel love school.  Nigel is coming home with a new song or two every day.  He thinks that he is so cool because he spells the colors and is reading a few words.  I think that he is adjusting better now that it is routine.  Abbie is doing well too.  Of course our little math genius isn't too sure about reading, but we are working on that aspect of her education.

Last night was the school carnival.  I completely forgot about it until my mom reminded me

 after dropping Abbie off at a friends house.  Nigel and I went, met up with Abbie, and then Dan joined us after we had been there for an hour or so.  They seemed to have a great time and won some "fantastic" prizes like pencils and whistles.  The highlight was the inflated bouncy slide toys.  They had one called King of the Mountain, and it was hit.  I tried taking pictures with my iPhone, and it wasn't as good as my regular camera, but it really did a good job!  I guess the light was good and that helped!

Speaking of the iPhone...have you tried the new iTunes???  I love it!  Of course we are a Mac addicted family, so everything we have is Mac.  I downloaded the new iTunes update on my MacBook and am in love with it!  It has a great new "Genius Tool" to make playlists with your music.  I have had fun with it already!

On the job front, Dan was offered the position he interviewed for last week, and he took it.  I am so excited for him!  He is really happy to leave his current position, and I know that he will do great.  I am happy to report that I did not get the job that interviewed for.  I guess I was second choice, and they were almost going to offer it to me.  Luckily, they decided to go with someone else and he accepted the offer.  I have put my application in for the job in the Registrar's office and feel much better about that one.  I sat and talked to the guy who used to be my supervisor, and we chatted about the state of things.  He knew my heart really wasn't in the other job, as I had told him as much before I even interviewed.  He is the one that tried to get me to apply for the job in the Registrar's office.  Perhaps he has ulterior motives? ;-)

Have a great weekend!

New Hair!!!!

I'm all brown hair and red highlights.  Yesterday Daniel talked me into changing my hair drastically.  I am so glad he did!  It is very different, but I love it!  It is quite a bit darker than my natural color, so it is taking me some time to get used to it.  This isn't the best picture, but It will have to do until I can get someone to take a better picture.  Gotta love PhotoBooth on my Mac!

For those that have heard my rants about the yellow paint, yes as you can see, it is still here.  My good friend Mary Ann has great contact in the paint world, so I need her to set me up with another 5 gallon bucket.  I've done half of the house, but not too many see the kitchen, so it has been lower on the list.

Daniel is at class today and we have been having  cleaning day.  Nigel's room is done, and part of my bathroom is clean.  I've done tons of laundry and canned more tomatoes!  I just sat down to rest a bit and decided to hop online.  Lunch is next, so I guess I'll have to get back up and work some more.  

The job interviews went really well, and I know that Daniel will get an offer soon.  They said as much in the interview!  As for mine, I was excited about it until I was approached by the Registrar's office about a job that they wanted me to apply for.  It is much more up my alley than the one that I interviewed for yesterday.  I will have to wait and see what transpires.  No wonder my Facebook status was so "unsure" for most of this week!!!!!

Now that the obsession has waned...

Yes, now that the obsession over reading the Twilight series has waned, I think that I need to get caught up on my housework, get ready for a job interview on Friday (Yippee!) and do a couple of digi layouts.  I spent a good portion of the weekend getting caught up on some of the things that I've been putting off while reading.  I still need to scrub the kids bathroom, but that may wait until later this evening.  I have to get the stomach to get all the toothpaste off the cabinets.  Of course no one did it.  I don't go in there very often, unless I'm helping the kids with something, so I didn't notice the blue smears all over the side of the sink cabinet until they were dry.  Yeah me.  I get to clean it up.  I can only think of Nigel, but I can't rule Abbie out either.  No one is 'fessing up, and they are both acting innocent.   Did someone else do it while sleepwalking in our house??? 

I am so excited with the happenings the week in our life!  Dan has a job interview with another department on campus at the U.  He has worked in the office of Information technology for almost 9 years now.  His latest assignment has been with ISO, the Information Security Office.  He has been a little disenchanted with it, as they were one of the last groups to be informed about the loss of information from the hospital a couple of months back.  Shouldn't they have been the first???  Anyway, a guy that he knows on campus, sent him a link to a job he had in his department and Dan applied.  The talk is that he is a shoe-in, but we'll wait and see.  I just want him to be happy and challenged at his job, not ornery about all the issues that they are facing.

Dan isn't the only one with an interview!  I have one too!!!!  Now, I did just get to Weber State last November, but my immediate supervisor left to take on the Associate Registrar position, leaving his position vacant in July.  After Dan and I talked about it, I decided to go ahead and apply, regardless of wether I get the position or not.  First and foremost I need to keep myself out there for other opportunities that come up.  If I get it, great!  It will be nice to keep doing what I'm doing, but have a broader scope. 

Well, I completed a couple of scrapbook pages today while it rained and hailed and was an absolutely fantastic morning for curling up on the sofa.  I am kind of behind on what I have wanted to accomplish.  So I've worked and got a couple of pages done from our annual excursion to the Box Elder County Fair & Rodeo.  We've gone almost every year that I can remember.  They have this hamburger stand that we eat at.  For some reason it is the best and I crave these hamburgers all year.  I'm not much of a meat eater, but for this, I'll make an exception!  I saw them bringing in bushels of tomatoes to put on them, straight from the farm.  No wonder they taste so good!  Yummy!  My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

I should also mention that I did my very first batch of canned tomatoes on Saturday!!  All my tomato plants have produced, but most all the tomatoes are split.  I just chunked them all up, put them in glass jars and processed them.  It totally reminds me of my mom and her canning all the years that I was growing up.  It was actually a lot of fun.  Now, if the wind and hail didn't ruin my peaches......

Oh my gosh!!!

So, I have done nothing for the past few days but read.  I hadn't read any of the Twilight series until last Sunday.  I have wanted to read them, but was waaaay behind on the phenomenon.  I read the first book last Sunday and over the past week have finished the rest.  I read the last few chapters of Breaking Dawn this morning.  I loved every one of them!!!  I borrowed the last three from my sister-in-law Laura, but I think that I'm going to need to buy them and have them around.  I've been out of everything due to the pull this has had.  I am glad that I have had a time to zone out and do basically nothing but read.  I have missed that.  

Perhaps I'll have more to write about later!  But hey, it was fantastic!!

First Day of School!

Today was the first day of school!  The kids were so excited for today.  Last night they each had a father's blessing and were all ready to go.  We took Abbie first, as they have "Back to School" day.  This is her at her desk.

Since this was Nigel's first day of school too, I had them pose together:  


We had to come back to school later for Nigel's "Back to School" day.  His teacher is brand new and this is her first year teaching.  She was very enthusiastic and an Aggie to boot.  I think he will enjoy it, even though today was kind of tough.  He didn't like leaving the classroom to watch a video while the teacher spoke with all the parents.  Then he started crying because he had to come home!

We've had a very busy few days and I hope to post more about that later.  We celebrated 11 years of marriage, went to the annual county fair/rodeo in Tremonton, and school started.  Wow.  Can it get any busier?  I'm sure it can!