Johnny and Maren

HOLY CRAP IT'S BEEN FOREVER part 2

2012-01-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, we freed up some space on our computer so I uploaded more pictures :) here are some that will help recap.

Took some naps on the beach and loved the ocean but those pictures wouldn't work for some reason.

Spent an afternoon at an Arboretum. And picked some fruit from their fruit trees, shhh don't tell.

1st baseball game, way past my bedtime. Went to see the Anaheim Angels, lose....

Grew a mustache.

Along with the rest of my family.

and other family. I think my grandma Eves and Ashley's looks fantastic.

Then I ate a mustache.

HOLY CRAP ITS BEEN FOREVER!

2011-11-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

I have no idea where we have been all these months. I think I haven't posted in forever b/c our computer is full and I haven't been able to upload any new pictures. Pictures usually lead to a post. All I can say is that summer was fun, fall was fantastic, and here comes winter! It's been fun watching Harper learn and grow.

Milestones:

Can you believe it?! HE'S ONE!!!! We had a fun 'Stache Bash with our families for his first birthday. I'll have to post pictures sometime when I can actually load them. We had mustache cake, mustache cookies, pin the mustache on Harper, as well as fake mustaches to wear.

He is on the verge of walking and talking. Seriously, you can see he really just wants to take off and especially when there are other kids around. He wants to play with them so badly! I am mostly writing all this for myself to remember what milestones he hit at one so skip ahead if you'd like. :) He currently can say Mom, Mum (mostly), or Mumum, Dad, or Dada or Dadad, Tito, or more like Dida, Dah (dog) Bah (ball), and make car engine sounds when he plays with his cars. Oh yeah and he mimics the sounds of peek-a-boo with a high pitched squeak then a sound that is similar to boo. Sounds something like "ah ooo".
He can point to Mom's eyes and as of this morning Mom's nose. He loves to take his fingers to your lips (sometimes his own lips) and strum them while you hum to make some awesome noises. He can clap, play So Big, and patty cake. He loves music and has discovered jumping, thanks to Taylor and Vanessa's Jumping Johnny. He had to try it out after he saw Sawyer jumping like crazy in it. He loves pretty much all food, not too picky. He loves to be included, if you are walking somewhere and say "come on Harper" he crawls super fast to catch up. He can nod yes or no, most the time it flows with the conversation which is funny b/c we can't tell if he understands nodding completely. But, he does it so often we kind of think he gets it, which makes me wonder... how much does he really understand? He is so funny and we love him!

Just like Dad

2011-06-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Harper loves his Dad. Sometimes, after Johnny gets home, when Harper is kind of in a whiney mood he'll follow Johnny with his eyes as he walks in and out of the kitchen as he's trying to get some dinner. I'll be holding him while he's whining and watching Dad and you can tell by the look on his face he is thinking "Pick me up Dad! I've been stuck with Mom ALL day." Too cute.

Also, when Johnny has a day off and gets to sleep in a little bit, Harper can tell there is someone on the other side of the bed. (Harper usually gets breakfast in bed, that lucky boy) He just stares at the lump under the covers until Johnny rolls over to face him and our baby gets the biggest smile when he finally gets to see his Dad's face. Happy Father's Day Johnny! Here's to your days off! ;)

He is now 7 months and just getting over the chicken pox. We have no idea where he got them but he took them on like a champ. Only had one rough evening because I think they kept him from sleeping all day. I guess we'll see if he still gets the vaccine in 5 more months.

A-Z

2011-06-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Age: 25
Bed Size: Queen, but I wish it was king.
Chore I hate: I absolutely hate washing my pots and pans.... funny b/c I cook a lot.
Dogs: Tito! Our quirky little Italian Greyhound
Essential start of my day: Harper whining or crying or playing and I pull him into bed with me and feed him some breakfast haha.
Favorite Color: Green, usually, sometimes red.
Gold or silver: Silver
Height: 5'10''
Instruments I play (or have played): Piano for 8 years, and a short stint with a guitar that is now stored away.
Kids: Our chubby wubby baby boy Harper
Live: Layton, UT
Mom's Name: De Ann
Nickname: Mern, May ran.... I think that's it.
Overnight hospital stays: Just with the birth of my boy
Pet Peeve: I have a lot... seriously. Don't get me started, don't even get me started.
Quote from a movie: " A bundt."
"A bunk."
"No, bundT."
"Buuuunk."
" A cake."
"Ohhhh it's a kek! There's a hole in this kek."
Right or left handed: Right
Siblings: 4 older brothers
Time I wake up: anywhere between 6 and 7 am. But, I don't officially really get up until about 8 or 9.
Underwear: Yes.
Vegetables I dislike: Mushrooms, but is that really a vegetable?
What makes me run late: Trying to make sure I have everything, like twice over. Lately I can never find anything to wear.
X-rays I've had done: Ankles,thumb, knees, jaw
Yummy food I make: I'd like to think it's yummy, but I often make some not so yummy stuff, just ask Johnny. What I do like I usually post here.
Zoo animal: Not sure, I haven't been to the Zoo since I was probably 12. It is time for me to go again. Lets just say any animal that makes me laugh. Monkeys are good at that.

Typical 2

2011-05-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Since I last posted, just a couple days ago, I've been thinking a lot about me becoming that stereotype of a Mom. I didn't really like it. But, after more consideration I decided it's just because that is what consumes my life. I wake up at 6 or 7 every day and if you ask anyone who knows me, that is not something I would EVER do before I had a child. I spend my days wiping, changing, holding, rocking, tickling, FEEDING, and singing the few children's songs that I know. And, some days I am a little frustrated (not gonna lie). Mostly with the communication barrier we have between us. Harper doesn't really cry too often but when he does I wish he could just tell me what the problem is, it would be much easier to fix. He has been teething lately so the whining has increased some and he doesn't sleep as sound as usual. I hope it ends soon because I am more accustomed to my happy baby.

I've always heard of those Moms who talk to their husband in a baby voice when they get home from work. Well, I haven't gone as far as that yet but I feel it's very close. Johnny has been working NON-STOP the past month or so and so the few hours that he is home it is nice to have a real adult conversation (well, if he isn't too absorbed into his phone haha). I am so happy he enjoys his work. I don't think he's ever come home upset or unhappy.

So, back to what I was saying. I have changed. There are things I wouldn't have ever done before that I am doing now. My life has re-arranged and I am happy that it has. My family is small but it has all of my attention. Conversation may be a little boring with me, sorry, just a new phase of life that has frankly opened my eyes to a bigger world. Kind of ironic. I don't think until you are blessed with a child do you really fully understand why parents are the way they are, or why "typical" isn't so bad - at least, I didn't.

Typical

2011-05-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I have become the typical Mom Blogger.... all I do is talk about my kid. But, with a face like this, how could I not? He's 6 months now, yes, half of a year has gone by. Wow. I need to baby proof our house pretty soon, he's almost to the crawling stage. I love being a Mom. Here are a few things we've done lately.

Played with Dad.

Practiced sitting by ourselves.

Looked for Dad after his run at the Ogden Half Marathon.

Got a new play center that sometimes wears us out.

Tried some new real food. I think this time was carrots.

Fed some ducks and hung out with our friend, Olivia, at the park.

Learned to swing!

And found out that we LOVE it!

OH AND Harper's first tooth decided to pop up a few days ago so he is a new member of the teeth club. :) He would love to gnaw on your knuckle for you.

2011-04-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

I love my growing boy. He'll be 5 mo this next Sunday :)

Love his flap of baby chub that folds over his knee cap.

Ten Jew Berry Mud

2011-02-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

This is one of my absolute favorite emails that I got... back when email was facebook. I was thinking of it the other day and had to go find it. I got another good laugh from it so I thought I would post it so I could always find it. And so if you are ever eating breakfast with me, you know why I am talking weird :) I'm not sure where it came from. Enjoy

Ten Jew Berry Mud
The following telephone exchange between room-service and a guest at a hotel in Asia was recorded and published in the Far East Economic Review.
Hotel: Morny, ruin sorbees.
Guest: Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service.
Hotel: Rye! Ruin sorbees ... morny! Jewish to odor sunteen??
Guest: Uh ... yes ... I'd like some bacon and eggs.
Hotel: Ow July den?
Guest: What??
Hotel: Ow July den ... pry, boy, pooch?
Guest: Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry, scrambled please.
Hotel: Ow July dee baychem ... crease?
Guest: Crisp will be fine.
Hotel: Hokay. An San tos?
Guest: What?
Hotel: San tos. July San tos?
Guest: I don't think so.
Hotel: No? Judo one toes?
Guest: I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'judo onetoes' means.
Hotel: Toes! Toes! ... Why djew Don Juan toes? Ow bow singlishmopping we bother?
Guest: English muffin!! I've got it! You were saying 'Toast.' Fine.Yes, an English muffin will be fine.
Hotel: We bother?
Guest: No, just put the bother on the side.
Hotel: Wad?
Guest: I mean butter ... just put it on the side.
Hotel: Copy?
Guest: Sorry?
Hotel: Copy ... tea ... mill?
Guest: Yes. Coffee please, and that's all.
Hotel: One Minnie. Ass strangle ache, creasebaychem, tossy singlish mopping we bother honey sigh, and copy... rye?
Guest: Whatever you say.
Hotel: Ten jew berry mud.
Guest: You're welcome.

Guess Who's 3 Months!?

2011-02-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

He looks so grown up in these first two pictures

Getting better at sitting up

His little white 3 mo. onesies are starting to look like muscle shirts :)

Blue Steel

It was so warm we had to get out. Tito misses the warmer weather when we get out and do stuff with him.

Clear skies

Keeping warm in his stroller. I think he liked getting out too, all smiles most of the time.

"Hi Mom"

Tito perched on top of the couch trying to stay warm in the sun. Looks out the window like this all day if the sun is out.

For My Love

2011-02-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

I wish I was creative enough to come up with something like this!

http://flannelanimal.tumblr.com/tagged/Arrested_Development_paper_dolls

I think I should print all these out for Johnny's Valentine's Day present. He can hardly wait for the movie to come out, he can play with these until then.

Remember When

2011-02-07T12:39:00.001-08:00

This was a long time ago, but has been on my mind quite a bit the last few weeks. I can't help but smile every time I think of it.

Once upon a time, there was a husband and wife who were serving in primary at their church. They were teachers of one of the youngest classes, called the Sunbeams. They had to both teach because there were so many kids! Each Sunday anywhere from 6-10 kids, ages 3-4 (I think), would show up for class. Half of the time was spent with older children in Sharing Time, they would sing and learn many lessons about being Christ-like.

One Sunday, a different teacher was giving a lesson during Sharing Time while the husband and wife were keeping an eye on the Sunbeams to make sure they paid attention, kept their fingers out of their noses, and hands to themselves. During the lesson the teacher began to cry because she was feeling the spirit of the Lord. She wanted to make sure the kids knew why she was crying so she asked them, "Do you know why I'm crying?"

There was a little bit of a pause and the wife heard one of her Sunbeams begin to answer the question, "Uhh," he said quietly in his high voice. But, she quickly shushed him as she put her hand on his hands to make sure he knew she was shushing him. She knew what was going to come out of his mouth after the "Uhh". Many times she was teaching and would ask this child a question and in efforts to get a good laugh out of his little peers, and because he wasn't exactly sure of the answer, he would reply with the same answer without fail, "Uhhh, poop in da bed?". And, it always started with "Uhh" in his high, little boy voice.

As the wife shushed him he looked up at her and gave a naughty little smirk. He stopped right at "Uhh", awkward moment was averted. No, she wasn't crying because there was poop in the bed, or because she pooped the bed and she wouldn't come to church and share the experience with you if she did. Oh, gosh that kid...

We now often answer each others questions with an occasional, high pitched, "Uhhh, poop in da bed?"

Now that that is out of the way.... We blessed Harper yesterday :)

I couldn't help but feel so grateful for my husband and little boy. I am so lucky to have such a strong, healthy growing baby. If Harper only knew how much we love him and how happy we are to have him, I'm sure he will figure it out someday :). We had a fun time with our family and friends that were able to come. Here are a couple pictures from the day, thanks to my Dad (I didn't take any pictures, stupid me.)

Harper, STARVING, with my Grandpa Eves.

I was hiding a cookie behind my back... haha

THANK HEAVENS!

2011-02-02T11:18:00.001-08:00

It cannot warm up fast enough!!!!!

Just more pictures

2011-01-31T21:51:00.000-08:00

We can't forget Tito. :)

I love this look, kind of a mischievous little smirk.

He has the biggest thighs.... so cute.

Talking to his Dad

Our Chunky Monkey

2011-01-25T18:12:00.000-08:00

You can't really tell from these pictures but he is growing! I should take and post some more current pictures but it's all I have at the moment (when I am actually willing to write a post). He is now 2 months (10 wks to be exact) and I can't believe it. At his 2 month check up he measured in the 90th percentile for weight and 75th for height. When he got his shots I couldn't help but smile because he has this squeal that is so cute and so pathetic it just makes him so much more adorable! He cried like that more in the first few weeks but only does it now when he is really upset, aka shots. He is cooing and smiling so much lately, Johnny and I love to have conversations with him.

Poor Tito is still jealous but I would say adjusting well. Every time we get home he says a very quick hello to us and immediately tries to stick his nose in Harper's car seat to say hello to him.

So I did't really post a year in review post so here it goes.

In 2010:

I quit my job.

Johnny quit his second job.

We started planning for a 3rd.

We both ran the SLC half marathon.

We went on a huge hike down in Zions called the Subway.

Johnny ran the Logan half marathon.

We went camping a few times.

Johnny ran the Ogden Hurt in the Dirt race while his friend biked the other half.

Johnny ran the Pocatello full marathon.

Johnny moved from the night shift to the the evenings :).

We moved.

I had a baby.

He was cute.

Be-lated Thankful Post

2010-12-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

So, as of 4:38 this morning, I have been a part of the mom club for exactly 3 weeks. I feel so old. I also feel like there is no such thing as a mid life crisis. Well, there is one but I think there's actually a few that you go through before you hit the real deal. Maybe the one you hit midway through your life is just the most severe. I think a few little ones all lead up to the big one where you finally settle with where you are in life (after the denial stage of course). I think the sleep deprivation is my first crisis; realizing my life is shifting into a different gear. Mixed emotions, but most of all thankful... for SO many things.

I'm gaining much more respect for all the parents out there. What I love so far about being a parent is seeing how much Johnny loves it. And, the actual birth was pretty neat, not the labor but the birth. ;) Oh, and his smiles (I know, they're just reflexes right now but I still like to think it means he's happy) I am so excited to get to know him as he grows, crazy how he looks different everyday. World, meet Harper.

Scrambled.

2010-11-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

No, not eggs. Me, I scrambled the past few days to get everything ready for our baby boy when the Dr. told me I was 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. Ahhhh! I came home and immediately ordered a Pack n Play (which arrived the next day) so he had somewhere to sleep if he did, in fact, come 4 weeks early (crib will be here around xmas). The next few days we bought him a dresser, assembled it, gave the baby room better order, washed the baby clothes and blankets, finally got some nursing bras and such, put together some other things so the room wasn't so bare, oh and last but not least put together the hospital bag. Whew! I think we needed this little 'running start', as my Dr. put it, to help us (mostly me) realize time is running out!

I think after all we have done to prepare, I still cannot say I am ready for him to come. But, I am excited beyond words to have the little guy here.... and to have my body back. My life won't be completely mine anymore, but my body will. Errr, minus the feedings every 2 hours. Still, there are more things to do to put all my ducks in a row and thank goodness for the shower I have tomorrow. We are grateful for all the friends and family that have been helping us out. I think it's safe to say I have the first time mom jitters, if that is even such a thing. I think there should be some sort of word for it.

We sure are learning an important lesson through all of this. Our boy is a little trickster and April fools may be his favorite holiday. First, by posing as a girl for one of his first pictures and second, making us think he is coming much sooner than he actually is! :)

Running Around

2010-09-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

So, while running some errands today I got kinda tired. While filling up Johnny's car I actually put my debit card in where the receipt comes out. Twice. I wondered if the lady sitting in the car at the pump behind me noticed.

Johnny's been running around a lot lately too- literally. He ran the Top of Utah half marathon up in Logan. And if that wasn't enough he decided to run the Pocatello Marathon (Running the Gap) the next weekend - I think it was the next weekend. I forget. He is crazy, along with his friend Shantai, who ran the half up in Logan, and then did the half in Pocatello the next weekend too! Anyway, he had a lot of fun and I couldn't be more happy for him. He was pretty nervous and couldn't sleep at all the night before. I'm sure there are many more marathons in his future. I just hope I can get that fit to do it with him a year from now.

This is all I got of him running the half, some people were practically on the course so I barely saw him go by!

The road goes between those two hills back there

(aka the Portneuf Gap). Hence the name Running the Gap.

This is about mile 22 and he's smiling, guess he was feeling good.

His friend Trent ran the full also, he's the one that talked Johnny into doing it!

Dirt and Love

2010-08-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from recent happenings...

Johnny did a little something called Hurt in the Dirt this last weekend. It was up in Ogden and he did it with one of his mission friends. It's a 4 mile run, ?? mountain bike ride, then another 4 mile run, then another ?? mountain bike ride. You can either do it all yourself, or get a team together. Seeing that Johnny sold his bike a little while back, he did the running and his friend did the biking. You have to run through ditches and over tree stumps and fences... he got pretty dirty. At one point he ran through a muddy/watery ditch and the guy ahead of him lost his shoe in the mud and it took him a while to pull it out. I also heard the winner of the race lost a shoe so he just took his other one off. Yuck! Anyway, they did pretty well finishing 9th in the men's pairs division.

Our 2nd anniversary was great. We spent it up in the mountain air at Deer Valley with Ben Folds and the Utah Symphony. I am so happy to have married someone that I have so much in common with.

Trial Lake

2010-07-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

We had some fun up in the Unitas last weekend for a short camping trip. We drove to Evanston to get a part (that we didn't realize we were missing until we were up there) for our little blow-up boat. On our way there we drove right through (very slowly) a sheep herd, twice. Tito loved it, I don't think he's ever encountered sheep before. Baaa! I wish I had my camera but I left it back in the tent. Johnny did pretty well with a wife that doesn't sleep as well as she used to-- b/c of the thing growing inside of her. Even when she got a little spooked in the middle of the night (The rain cover was flapping on the tent, it sounded like an animal going after Tito's food people!).

We had to spend some time in the tent because of the rain. Tito's eyes are all googly for the cheese and crackers.

There's my man, getting the fire going... I wasn't quite ready to come out yet.

We spent a short while on the lake while the skies were clear. Tito took it pretty well, seeing that water is his nemesis. He was pretty excited whenever we got close to any shore line.

April Fools... A Bit Late

2010-06-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

So, I hate to make another baby related post... so this will be short and sweet. I already posted this on facebook (gotta keep the universe updated). We seriously consider deleting our accounts every week! But, we have for years so it most likely will never happen.

Our, thought to be, baby girl is actually a baby boy!! What a little stinker for playing a trick on us! My mom already bought 4 little girl onesies (but she is always buying baby clothes, even if there isn't a baby due). I'm sure another girl will come along on the Eves side sometime soon.

What Coconut?

2010-06-29T09:25:00.001-07:00

I recently have discovered my taste buds have gone awry. There is a new coconut flavor of M&M's and they seriously taste like plain old chocolate to me. I, without a doubt, thought they made a packaging mistake. Until Johnny ate some. He insists they taste like coconut. Hmmm

Last night I made a salad that I love. It has cottage cheese and a little balsamic dressing... yum. BUT did I like it last night? Not so much. I could hardly taste it. I wonder what else I have been missing (but just haven't noticed). What a strange and annoying thing. Anyone else out there have taste bud issues when they were prego? Apparently I don't get sick when I am with child. I just can't taste things.

I think I am going to buy another package of those coconut M&M's and keep eating them until I can taste the darn coconut. Maybe eat them with real coconut to help me remember what it's supposed to taste like.

Dog Prep

2010-06-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

We have a new do here... my blog page that is. I normally only like simple, clean blog templates... we will see how long this new one lasts.

I can not wait to get past this awkward phase of pregnancy. It's like I am going through middle school again. I can't decide whether to push my stomach out to look more prego, or to suck it in. My friend Chelsey has similar woes. Our due dates are a week apart.

I was reading the other day on how to prepare your pet for the baby. It pretty much just said poke the animal in odd places every 5 or so minutes. (haha) Tito should be able to adjust well. He has been around all of our nieces and nephews quite a bit without any incidents. Other than wanting to run off with my poor nephews comfort item (a dog stuffed animal named Dog), stealing food from hands at the height of his mouth, and licking ears, we should do okay. He will, however, miss all the attention he is currently getting. He runs our house.

It's a .....

2010-06-01T19:27:00.001-07:00

Just FYI the milk tactic before bed works. I can't decide if my midnight hunger pains are a thing of the past or if the milk prevents it. I'm probably going to keep doing it until the baby is here. I think it's funny, bedtime milk... ha. Does any one else think it's funny a grown woman drinks it before bed? And, no I don't warm it up.

Speaking of the baby, we just went to the Dr. today and got another ultrasound (this place is great, we get an ultrasound every time we go). The doctor is pretty positive it's a girl :)

I am only 14 weeks tomorrow but I thought it was a girl from the get go. And since the Dr. said he was pretty positive, I'm gonna just plan on it ... let's hope we are right! If we buy anything we are for sure going to save the receipt though! When we go back 4 weeks from now, it will only be reassurance. It is pretty neat to see the baby has arms and legs that are kicking; you could even count the fingers on the ultrasound! I can't feel it yet, but she looks pretty active. Hopefully I will find more to talk about than this, but it is just too exciting.

Oh, and one more thing - I also found out today that June is National Candy Month :) lets all celebrate! Candy/chocolate party anyone? We could watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Chocolate, and eat lots of goodies.

Fat

2010-05-25T21:26:00.001-07:00

So first time moms don't normally show until 5-6 ish months. I am a couple days away from starting my 4th month and I am feeling.... well, f-a-t. I'm not talking baby in the tummy fat.

I'm not too worried about it b/c I'm sure it will even out sometime, but what do I do when I wake up TWICE in the middle of the night b/c I am absolutely starving?! It is such a strange feeling b/c there is no way you can go back to sleep (I have tried). Although, I think I may have solved the problem. Last night I drank some milk right before I went to bed in preparation for the hunger pains and guess what? I didn't wake up even once. I'm going to try it again tonight - I'll let you know how it goes, I am very optimistic.

Bob Law's Law Blog

2010-05-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

The title has nothing to do with this post, I just thought of Arrested Development and the Bob Law's Law Blog thing. If that's not right I hope someone can correct me. =)

.........

Not sure what is with me lately.

.........

My life feels a little bit messy. Hopefully it will get organized soon, and it will. Unless Vanessa sparks my thoughts again.

Good Job Jaime Oliver, but...

2010-04-15T19:04:00.001-07:00

My friends I graduated with have gone on to pursue their dreams of becoming Registered Dietitians through extensive hours of internship. Jill found an article that hit the spot on how I was feeling about this "Revolution" Jaime Oliver has started. It is great what he is doing but there are many aspects I think he doesn't take into consideration. Not all schools have crappy lunches, and they are regulated. Changes have started a long time ago, but, change takes time.

We have talked about school lunches many times in class and it is such a touchy subject. Here is a big issue (among many others):

Parents come in and complain that the kids don't have any nutritious foods to choose from. But, if you follow the kids home, they are served the same if not worse than what the school is serving. The change needs to start at home, first. Otherwise, kids end up not eating and throwing the healthy foods that they get from school out. Wow, did that make sense? I'm not saying schools can't change first, just don't complain that your kid isn't getting proper nutrition because of the school lunch program-- look at what you give them at home, then you can raise your standards for school lunch. Hopefully school lunches have improved by the time you fix your own problems.

Sorry, long rant. Feel free to read this article.

IFIC Nutrition Blog | Food Blog, Nutrition Advice, Food Facts - PSST ... Mr. Oliver ... We Started the School Nutrition Revolution Before You Got Here

Posted using ShareThis

Voting in April

2010-04-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

We are having a hard time deciding what to do in our future. Our lease is up in September, and time is a ticking. The polls are now open.

1. Find a job, move to Tucson, AZ and get a great deal on a large house with no grass.

2. Find a job, move to Boise, ID and get an amazing deal on a new house with grass.

3. Try out travel nursing for a while and see where it takes us.

4. Start a business and be my own boss.

5. Freaking find a job already and just accept you aren't going to find your dream job just yet.

6. Hopefully hear back from the Ultrasonography program soon ... get in ... and do it.

7. Just give in already, stay in Clearfield, UT where Johnny has a job, and have 15 babies.

Please circle the best answer(s).

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4, 7

E. 5, 7

F. 6, 7

Believe it or not, there are more choices than this.

Not a Surprise, Just Secret

2010-02-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of my birthday weekend than Johnny planned for me. Isn't he great? We spent a night at a beautiful condo in Midway. We got a kick out of the Swedish paintings on the outside of the buildings up there.

There was ice art nearby that was lit up at night. We stopped by the next day to check it out.

It was really bright, despite it being cloudy.

If you can click on this one and enlarge it, I love Johnny's face. He is such a kid.

Valentine's Day Song Tribute

2010-02-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

In the words of The Format (RIP), I love, love. I do. This is my dedication to Valentine's Day; a day that Johnny thinks is lame. Good thing my birthday is numerically close to that dreaded day so the weekend can be celebrated for a real reason!

I would recommend listening to the song I posted. We love these guys in our household, they are a little different. I think their new name fits their music better. The "death" of The Format brought rise to fun., who we got to see in concert last weekend. Many thanks to some close friends who decided they did not want to drive 100 miles to see them and forfeited their tickets to us. Fun was lined up with Vedera, and Jack's Mannequin. We loved the whole show really, but was mostly there for fun., literally. :)

I love, Love. I love being in love. Happy V-day!

What's the point in making the bed?

2010-01-12T22:45:00.000-08:00

Almost every night of my life I get tired so I get ready for bed. The only problem is, getting ready for bed involves brushing my teeth. The minty flavor of toothpaste, the clean feeling, and cold water wakes me up! So, by the time I actually lay down to go to sleep it takes me a good 10, 15, sometimes 30 minutes to fall asleep. Ever had this problem, or is it only me?

There is no need in our home to make the bed. I wake up about the same time Johnny gets home to go to bed. Sometimes I try to sleep in so I can catch some z's with my husband, but lately he has been getting home too late for me to even enjoy sleeping in. He wakes up, we have dinner, possibly enjoy a movie or a whatever then he is off to work and I'm off to bed. Our schedules used to be off by about 1 hour; I would go to work right before he got home. So we wouldn't see each other until about 5, Just in time for my dinner and his breakfast. Now that I have quit my job, I have a little alone time while Johnny gets the necessary sleep he needs to function. Most my time seems to be spent doing repetitive cleaning. blah. Oh, yeah and taking Tito out every 5 minutes to let him pee. Why on earth did we get a dog with the smallest bladder?

Anyway, this post is becoming pretty random. I am enjoying the time to myself and am reconsidering what I want to do with my life. I am now thinking, what the heck, I might just become a spin instructor. I have hated every job I have ever had. Each for different reasons. Johnny thinks I just don't like to work, and that may be true. I would rather believe I haven't found my niche yet. I hate doing something all day thinking, I don't like this. I am grateful for a husband who will work, and who got a degree in something that actually provides a career path (unlike mine haha). I am grateful that he is willing to take advantage of the education he has paid for (and earned) to work in that area of practice. Although, he may not enjoy it or want to do it for the rest of his life. I am just happy he can be the sole bread winner, buying me time to figure out what I want to do.

I am partly making a post just because I haven't done anything on this blog since I think October. My food blog has also been lacking. I have a love hate relationship with blogger. I think my friend Vanessa can relate. :) Speaking of Vanessa, she posted a note about 2009 and it made me think about all the events that happened to us last year. Wow, what a year. I can hardly remember what even happened - it went by so fast!

My toothpaste high is now gone, good night! And good morning Johnny :)

P.S. sorry no pics, my computer crashed and I now have none.

John and Maren... I mean...

2009-10-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

JON and KATE ... plus 8

And no, this is not an announcement that we are pregnant- especially not with 8.

We had a fabulous time at Halloween party with my old high school friends. I am not on my computer so I just stole one of Chelsey's pictures. I may post the ones I took later but Chelsey captured our faces at just right the moment I think. haha!

New Favorite

2009-10-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

YUM

And here are some pictures from recent adventures

On a hike up to Lake Blanch with Kelissa :)

Johnny perched up on a rock at the Valley of Fire in Nevada, way back in March.

At the Hoover Dam, again, in March

Some friends we met up with while we were in Vegas!

Johnny showing you the huge piece of crab meat he pulled out of a crab leg.... pretty big!

Love

2009-09-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

I love old photos (thanks Steph), especially of my family. This is my Grandma Eves who passed away last week. She and my Grandpa were married for 63 years and were devoted to one another. What a love story.

Wishful Thinking

2009-09-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

I am just putting out an announcement to all of my wealthy friends:

If any of you have any money you would like to donate to me to start my own bakery/cookie/goodies shop, just let me know. I am accepting checks above $5,000. I have given up the job search to give myself more time to day dream. Thank you.

LOTOJA

2009-09-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

It has been a while... and I am also having a hard time posting on my food blog. I guess I just don't really have much to say lately. We are both currently looking for jobs (pretty much since the beginning of summer but luck has not gone our way) and getting pretty good at entering all of our work history into the online applications. yuck. If you hear of anything let us know!

I think I just get sick of looking at the computer screen looking for jobs that the thought of looking at the computer any longer would possibly kill me.

We are trying to bike a little more and have talked about doing LOTOJA next summer so stay tuned. I really should get some rides in that are longer than the few miles I am currently doing but, You need to start somewhere right? Here are a few explanations of LOTOJA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOTOJA

http://www.lotojaclassic.com/pdf/2008.CourseMaps.pdf

I am getting excited now that I think about it!

Random thought... I have always thought that Kanye West was a pompos (sp) idiot but after last night I think he is a complete arrogant nusance to the music world... not really sure what I mean by that-- I guess there is no chance for me to ever really like him anymore.

That's pretty much all I've got (Kanye, JOBS, and biking) Maybe Johnny should do a post or two??? I think YES.

VOTE FOR TITO!!!

2009-08-24T22:45:00.000-07:00

I put our dog in a cutest dog competition... haha! We could possibly win $1,000,000! So, all I ask of you is to give him a vote, otherwise he won't win!!! Thanks for the help!

http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=A2795B8AD920D1C7791DA8D88A70DECF

Quickly Updated

2009-08-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some updates for you all... I know you've been dying to hear from us.

Santa Cruz and San Jose were both fun this weekend!
The river was relaxing last weekend.
I can't wait to be done with my job this week!
We still hate job hunting but are both still doing it.
We plan on getting some biking in before we leave this city...
As of right now, Utah here we come.
Tito misses his friend Jonas.
We are pregnant... just kidding. haha.
Lake Tahoe was fun a few weekends ago!
The world is our oyster!
Here are a few pictures of our fun in California.

Love Your Leftovers

2009-07-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

I have started a new blog that was inspired by my friends and Johnny. Hopefully it's helpful to some and I think it will be kind of fun for me. I basically will post a couple recipes a week and hopefully people will post comments and suggestions so it is a win win blog. If you like it you can follow me or post the address somewhere on your blog to spread the word (the more the merrier). Thanks, and enjoy!

www.loveyourleftovers.blogspot.com

The Move

2009-06-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

I would just like everyone to know that pools are useless. Today is about the fifth day since we have moved to the blessed town of Citrus Heights that I have put on my bathing suit with the idea I was going to work on my new, but practically still non-existent tan. I need to look like a local right? Well, I get distracted and don't actually get to make the walk to the pool too often. Someday I will not be stark white. I guess I should just think of it this way- I am avoiding skin cancer! There, that makes me feel much better. Here are a few pictures from our move. We stopped by the Salt Flats to let Tito out for a bit. Our car was full to the max, with stuff strapped on top and covered with a tarp. We also watched our friend's dog, Pipper, the first week we got here and they have an Italian Greyhound too! It was fun to see Tito with a dog just like him. I think Italian Greyhounds are becoming my new favorite dog... they are hilarious!

This May Not Make Much Sense, I was in a hurry

2009-06-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hello from the great state that everyone is running to get out of! We have moved in and are starting to get comfortable... well, the heat will soon take care of that. As I job search online I do get side tracked and end up on sites that definitely don't have job opportunities on them.

I came across a blog that was swearing off carbs and milk. (yes sorry this may be a vent for me) For some reason one thing that bothers more than anything else nutritionally is when people get so angry at carbs for putting pounds on their hips, thighs and buttocks. I can't stand it but have to hold it in when I hear someone went on the Atkin's Diet or use this equation : carbs = bad. People, people, people! There is such a thing as the glycemic index and there are good carbs and bad carbs! Just because you aren't sure which is the correct form to eat does not mean to leave them all behind! Honestly, do you think eating an entire diet of meat, meat and more meat, with a little veggies on the side is going to do you good in the long run?!

Ok, everyone think long term here. To avoid foods that spike your blood sugar make sure you chose good carbs! 100% whole grain, and try to avoid foods with any sort of sugar in the top 4 or 5 ingredients ( these usually end with 'tol' like 'sorbitol' or watch out for syrup) Yes, fruit may spike your blood sugar but it has so many other nutrients (esp. fiber) that you need-- long term right? It is a quick way to get a pick-me-up between meals and you can add some almonds or other nuts to add protien for satiety until your next meal.

Ok, milk. Milk is so gosh darn good for you! Vit D (you do get vit D from the sun but it is not the recommended way), Calcium, Phosphorous... Milk is fortified with goodness and the honest truth about the fat percentages is that you get the same amount of nutrients with 1% or skim milk with less the fat! OH and DON'T worry about buying milk that is not from cows that are treated with hormones... FOR REAL, rBst (the hormone they use) has been proven to poduce the exact same milk as those cows who are not treated. Some people may have a hard time digesting it but if you start with a small amount and work your way up to it, it can be possible to drink at least a glass a day. The same idea is with beans... if I ate 4 cups of beans in one day I would undoubtedtly get some gas b/c my body is not used to eating so many beans in one day. If I ate 1/4 c beans one day and gradually built up to 4 cups in one day, most likely my body would be used to it by then and the bacteria that creates that gas would not produce as much....same thing with milk. Start with some yogurt and once you are used to the yogurt, drink a small amount of milk after your serving of yogurt. You then can gradually increase the amount your body can tolerate.

One more thing while I am on my soap box... please please please do not skip meals or think that the less you eat the better. You will slow your metabolism and therefore have less energy, you will burn fat slower (b/c your body is in starvation mode)--- it is natural to feel hungry, if you never feel hungry you may not be burning anything!

Last but not least--- EXERCISE --- a healthy lifestyle includes variety of foods and moderate activity, simple as that.

I could go on forever.... but those are just some thoughts. I don't think diets are bad, they can be VERY helpful to jump-start a healthier lifestyle, but they do not work LONG TERM.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

2009-05-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

We will be saying goodbye to Pocatello in a few weeks. John's hometown I am sure will miss him, I would not be surprised if the name Johnny Williams is household name here... everywhere I go someone has some crazy story with him from when they were younger.

As for me, I doubt the state will notice I was even here. Ever since I have moved here I couldn't wait to get out, although I did have some pretty fun times and loved most everyone I met. Five years of school-- HOLY CRAP I am so glad to be done! And so happy John is done at the same time! I get a strange feeling that I may end up missing this place, when I have been fighting for so long to get out! Good thing I stayed though, it took me a full 4 years to find my husband. We are excited, anxious and nervous to move on to the next chapter of our lives. Goodbye Pocatello, hello Sacramento.

Reason to Celebrate

2009-05-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

I once heard that the woman who started Mother's Day was upset to see how big the holiday became, but mom's are such an important part of our lives I think they deserve a day of "thank yous". I know my mom deserves it. She survived not only my sassy teen age years, but also 4 other boys. I think the 4 boys prepared her for what was to come... a stubborn little girl. I love my mom for the following reasons:

She is always pushing me to succeed. She pushed me to get my young woman recognition award, she always said "I didn't graduate from college but you are going to", she wanted me to learn all the hymns in the hymn book before I quit playing the piano, but I resisted... I can play most of the popular ones haha, but my favorite is when I had to get in shape for soccer but was too tired to run, she would push me off the couch and get me out there.
She is the best cook I know- and she always has something to share, whether it's food or knowledge.
She taught me to be kind to everyone
She works hard to keep us happy, even if it means she has to give something up. (I don't remember the last time she bought clothes for herself, my dad has to keep her updated because she is so selfless).
She is such a talented quilter-- she has worked on a quilt for me my entire life if you can believe it.... it was supposed to be given to me at my wedding but it requires so much hand stitching it still isn't done! (but its close)
She is creative
She would wake me up at the butt crack of dawn to say family prayers before everyone left the house.
She packed me a lunch all the way through my senior year of high school
She came to practically all the soccer games that she could
She allows her home to be a grocery store.

As you can see, she is clearly a great example to me!
I love MY mom!

and, Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

Close Encounter

2009-04-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was this boy who worked for the Forest Service. With this job includes morning workouts and one day they went on a run. Well, this run was hard and the weather was hot and the boy got sweaty so he decided to ditch his hat. He returned feeling rejuvenated, and he stuck his hat back on and got to work with his crew members.

The hours passed and this boy kept feeling someone tap on his head but every time he would turn to see who it was, there wasn't anyone there. He thought one of his friends was playing a trick on him and he was starting to get annoyed. His head got itchy from the tapping and so he took his hat off to scratch it. That was when he discovered who was irritating his head; in his hat was a lizard that had been tucked up close to his head for the past 3 hours. While he was on his run the green little lizard hopped on into his hat and went for a ride that it clearly did not expect. The reptile, while stored for 3 hours, either ran out of air or it got sick of being squished in hair; it's hard to say why he was tapping on the boys head, possibly the little thing thought the boy was working hard and felt a head massage would do him good.

In the end the boy was not harmed and apologized to his friends for accusing them of tapping on his head.

The End.

Do's and Don'ts

2009-04-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Note to Self:

Do NOT clip Tito's toenails then wear shorts, unless you want red scratches all over them.

Question: Why do we clip our dogs nails? They become even more lethal than before. We need Pedi Paws (that is what John's 4 year old niece told us; their advertising seems to hit all age groups).

Do NOT leave the bathroom door open. There is so much fun just waiting to happen in that trash can!

DO watch where you step near the potty paper, he tends to walk away while he pees.

DO keep an eye on your plate, or any food that may be in your hand, or mouth for that matter.

Do NOT leave old homework assignments on the ground; Tito will mistake them for newspaper and use them accordingly.

Oops

2009-03-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

In the process of trying to be creative I lost all of our friends and links... thanks for visiting and could you be so kind as to post your address below. As you can see our current template is looking sad. I'll have to work on that when I am not so T.I..R...E....D. thank you

Signs of Spring

2009-03-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the first weekend in a long time that didn't look like a Tim Burton movie. Finally Spring is coming. To me Spring means two things. 1. A week off of school which is coming next week. and 2. The Grand Targhee Cardboard Race.

For the last two years Taylor, Phil, and I have entered the cardboard race. The first year we made a guy with a mullet out of cardboard, dressed up in 80's outfits with mullets, and raced down the hill. Unfortunately, half way down the hill our sled broke. Crowds line up all along the course and if you are doing good they cheer, if you do bad, they snow ball you. Needless to say that first year we got snowballed pretty good.

Last year, we redeemed ourselves. We came up with the theme of gorillas riding a giant bana... bananana... banana (I never know how may ana's to put). We learned from our first year that if long, skinny sleds move the best, so we went with the banana. We went so fast we went past the pads that are suppose to stop you and slammed into a wall of snow at the end. Taylor and I both got bloody noses and Phil got injuries we still don't talk about. As we were traveling down we were throwing bananas to the crowd.

This year we need your help coming up with an idea for the theme. We want to build something long and skinny. Respond with your ideas, and if we use yours we might give you a prize. Please no perverted ideas (we already came up with those).

We Cried

2009-03-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

...because we were laughing so hard this morning. Dreams can be funny things but even better when you are physically moving or doing something while you are sleeping. I have weird dreams, most know this, but I rarely go into motion while I sleep. I once was caught, while sleeping over at my cousins, actually swimming in my sleep. Naturally I was warming up for the time we were going to spend at the pool the next day- wouldn't want to pull a muscle. Anyway, today we woke up and I started to tell John about the weird dream I had. He then explained to me he thought of a great name while he was sleeping and he dreamt he wrote it down on a pack of gum on the night stand. He thought it was the most amazing name but couldn't remember what for. While in the process of writing on the pack of gum, in his dream, he was pleased and, I guess, pleasantly surprised that he had gum he could chew later (just something he could keep in mind later when he felt is breath needed a boost). Weird. Well, the dream exchange we had was forgotten for a while and we went on doing other things (watching Live with Regis and Kelly ... we are waiting for a phone call from them to tell us its our chance to win and go on vacation). Johnny leaves the room and all I hear from somewhere back in the house is uncontrollable laughter, I mean, pee your pants you are laughing so hard, laughter. He then walks in the room (still laughing so hard he is bent half way over) and gives me a pack of gum he got from our night stand. I will tell you what was written on that pack of gum. The most amazing name you have ever heard of... (but we still don't know what for)..... Taragil or Taragul or maybe even Taragut. It is kind of hard to see what the last 2 letters are because he wrote them while he was sleeping. Oh, yeah, and he said he now remembers there was a last name too but he was too tired to write that down. People, this could be our first child's name. Needless to say we googled it and there wasn't much out there.

Pot-Belly Puppy

2009-02-27T17:47:00.000-08:00

Johnny and I just got a new puppy. We decided on an Italian Greyhound because of the many features they posses and because Johnny saw this kind of dog on the beach and thought it was the coolest thing... they are FAST! They are actually greyhounds just bred selectively to get a smaller dog, they are in the toy category because they are so skinny but a little taller than what you would associate with the title toy. Supposedly, IG's are the best apartment dogs and since we are going to be moving quite a bit the first few years we are going to have to wait for our Weimaraner. He is the cutest little thing. We thought he needed an Italian name b/c of his breed so we named him Tito. Tito also means 'giant' so we found this very appropriate because he will grow to be less than 10 lbs and smaller than 16 in. He has so much energy right now as a puppy and is extremely quirky. He is such a little cuddler, he loves to be up by your neck or sometimes, even on your shoulder. I found that he is so skinny that when he eats, his stomach pooches out like a pot belly- haha! He is really like a little kid because we have to ask him like every 30 min if he needs to go pee. If you forget to ask you will suddenly see his facial expression and activity freeze as if he is thinking "what is that feeling?" or "I wonder if I can get away with peeing right here instead of on the paper." He kind of does a dance if he needs to relieve himself but doesn't know where to go, then you have to hurry and point to the paper or he will just go right there. We already had some friends make fun of us for not going to a movie b/c we didn't have him kennel trained yet... we are losers. We do have friends who are fellow dog owners who completely understand why we are so weird. I feel that if Tito had a friend he would be better behaved while we were gone! haha like that is going to happen. We can't wait for it to warm up and for Tito to get bigger so we can see how fast he is!

PREGNANT

2009-02-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

My mom recently called me. "Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked.

What?

Apparently she just received a magazine in my name about parenting, prenatals, and nutrition. I can hear Clayton, my brother, in the background saying "Out with it Maren! Everyone is going to find out eventually!"

Oh dear. Well, let me let everyone know I am not prego in the eggo, just in case you see my mom you can re-assure her. This is definitely not the first time this has happened.

A few months back, before Johnny and I were married my mother called me and said the exact same thing. In the mail that day she got a sonogram that was post marked from Vegas with only a smiley face on it. She claimed to have asked everyone else in the family if it was theirs but everyone denied it. I knew right away it was my brother Mason and his wife Kim announcing another child on the way, but my mom could not believe it- just because they said no. They do have a history of announcing in elaborate ways that they are with child.

Apparently my mom really wants her only daughter to have a baby... she may die from anxiety from the wait if Johnny and I don't act soon! ;) I can see her in my mind asking "Now? Oh, ok. Now? No, now?...NOW?!"

Pocket Pall

2009-01-31T22:16:00.000-08:00

Learning new things about your husband is fun... especially when its a sort of habit that he has yet to realize he does. This particular 'habit' that your husband does is something that no one would notice unless they lived with him. I'm not sure if it really is a habit. It could be some kind of comfort item that he decided he needs. Most people have blankets or stuffed animals that they can not seem to part from but for my husband, he has a hard time parting with napkins and paper towels. He will hold onto them and wad them up while he eats and eventually he secretly, somehow, very discretely, will tuck them into his pockets. A few times I have gone to reach for my napkin and found I have misplaced it somewhere but can't find it. I then remember that these small paper items are very dear the man sitting next to me and I have to ask, "umm, did you use my napkin?" (of course I have now learned that it really is in his pocket, but enjoy asking anyway). He will look at me confused but soon will reach down to his pocket where he now feels something that wasn't there when we started eating. How cute this is when I go to put a sweatshirt of his in the wash, and I check the pockets and find a wadded up napkin. He is funny, and I love him.

Christmas Break!

2009-01-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, time has really gone bye these past few months so I'll try to just update everyone through pictures. We are both in the last few months of our undergrad degrees and can't wait to get out in the 'real world'. As for now, here are some things we did over Christmas break to entertain us so we don't go too insane from just straight school work!

We had a great time at Johnny and friends' Annual Kenny G. Ugly Sweater Party... Sexy sounds, sexy times!

We visited the Intel Museum in Santa Clara, California. As you can see, Johnny spelled my name in binary code.

We went and walked around Stanford because we heard their campus is sweet and we were not disappointed.

We took a drive down the PCH and stopped in Monterey because we had to check out the sand dunes. We had fun getting some sand in our pants! I miss the warm weather. This morning here in Idaho it was -6 degrees! brrrr

Mason and Kim were nice enough to let us stay with them while we were in California. We got to hang out and have fun with Addison, Connor and little Aubrey. Connor would surprise us every other morning and jump into bed with us! Haha, he is such a funny kid! He loved to wrestle and give Johnny a whoopin'. As you can see from the picture he was showing us how to use the stethoscope.

Johnny loves long boarding, so we tried to get some of it in while we were somewhere without snow on the ground.

We went up to Mason and Kim's stake property and went camping and we were the only ones there! We got a camp site with an ocean view! This was such a great spot! One of Johnny's high school friends met us up there (he now lives in Sacramento). It was nice to spend some time with him and his wife.

We got back to our camp site after a hike the next day and down the trail comes... a mini horse and a goat. ??? So weird, but a missionary couple watches over the campground and they came down to say hello with their two pets. Haha! When I get old, I want a really weird pet...

There you go, that is our update... now I need to get back to my research paper! Until next time! (who knows when that will be)

Deal or no deal?

2008-11-04T16:46:00.000-08:00

We had some fun carving pumpkins with some friends. In this other picture Howie Mandel and one of the shows hot models made an appearance at this Halloween party to help promote the million dollar mission. ;)

Babies and Halloween

2008-10-29T18:28:00.001-07:00

Hi all! I am so proud of myself for putting another post up here the day after I did one. I was just thinking that holy cow, could anyone else be having a baby right now? If you think that I am crazy let me make you a list of everyone I know that is having or has had a child in the past few months, weeks, even days.

Ana has a new little boy

Corbin just had a little girl

Kim just had her third and it's a darn cute baby girl

Chelsey is going to have a boy... in like 5 days

Josie just found out she is prego

Teri is gonna have a kiddlet here in a bit

Did I miss anyone? You let me know. I think it is quite funny and I like that my friends and family are all planning this together haha. I am so excited for them and truly wish them the best!

Also, I love to see little kids and babies all dressed up in their Halloween costumes. I think its hilarious. I just got back from an ISU student athlete trunk or treat and I think I laughed at the kids the whole time. Poor things, they might get the wrong idea because we couldn't help but point while we laughed....I am not laughing at them I am laughing with them; they have to know they are weird looking right?

I think I love fall more and more each year. It gets me excited for the Holiday season, especially because we get a week off school for Thanksgiving and practically a month off for Christmas, woohoo!

Oh I guess I should explain the odd picture above. It just reminded me of how much fun it is to dress up for Halloween- only, this was not even close to Halloween. Johnny and his friends were making an e-vite to a Richard Simons (does that have one or 2 "m's"?) 80's dance party and I thought I would through it up here for Halloween. And to see if he ever looks at this and if he will ever say anything... hehe! Guess we'll find out. He is the one proudly sporting the mullet and sweet blue cut-off sweat shirt :)

Quick Update About Nothing Really

2008-10-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hello, it has been a while... and I'm not sure that much has happened. Hmm well we have been starting to enjoy spending more time together now that soccer is ending... and he has been home from fires for quite a long time now :) We did get a new couch that looks so good (thanks to Mom and Dad).

What else should I say? Well, as for me I am really just trying to push through this last year of school so we can move on with our lives. I can not wait to move and see some new scenery.

Johnny is loving this semester so far because it is not as ridiculously hard as last year (always a plus). hmmm...

I think I might just try to post some pics because I am really not coming up with much to talk about. I'll try and get Johnny to get on here and write some very interesting and mind boggling things for you all.

These Pics are from a bike trip in Sun Valley and we stopped at Shoshone Falls on the way, I think that's its name. Idaho does have some pretty beautiful places.

Did I just get married?

2008-07-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

So, TWO days after our honeymoon I see this fire up in the hills through the window of my bosses office. First thought, "I bet Johnny is going to be called out on this one, it is so close." The flames were actually quite big but it turned out to be not too big in acres. My first thought was right, he was called out and got home around 9 I think?

THREE days after our honeymoon (which was at Sun Valley and we had a blast btw) on a Saturday, there is another fire somewhere over by Rockland, ID for those of you who may know the area (probably none but I told you anyway!). This one actually was pretty big, if I remember right, but he was able to make it home that night which was nice because we were expecting at least a day or two. We were actually able to make it to our good friends reception out near Preston, ID and we were able to make something of the night by grabbing a quick bite at the Olive Garden in Logan at about 9:30 (thanks to a wedding gift certificate!). Boy were we tired when we got home!

FIVE days after our honeymoon Johnny was called out on a fire out by Swan Lake near the Idaho\Wyoming border...it is now SEVEN days since our honeymoon and since the fifth day I have talked to him for maybe a total 20 minutes because his phone has no connection where he is at. He has resorted to borrowing other crew members phones and calling me from there but most of the time we say 'hi' and then I can't hear him anymore, but he can still hear me! haha what a joke! He should be gone for at least 2 more days, and my guess is he will be rolling into town in about a week.

This has been quite the interesting experience, I am married for about a week then I am back to kickin' it by myself! People ask "How is married life?" and I say "It was good!" Look at the bright side, I get this new big bed and apartment all to myself!

No, but really I am grateful for the good pay he gets while out on fires and I am happy I have a man that is willing to do what it takes to make sure we are happy in the long run. Johnny is such a hard worker and I...I can kick a ball really far (haha I think my mom said that once) :)... I mean, really between his hours on fires and my job at the glamorous Graduate School, I think by next month we will be moving into a new house and I am already car shopping.

Wow this blog is really long but I do want to try to post some pics...we will see what happens!

Oh and married life IS actually really fun! Even if I don't get to see him or talk to him as much as I want. That is my sob story....what a whiner. My next post will be very happy, I promise!

The beginning

2008-07-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

On thursday, July 17, we got married at the Mount Timpanogos Temple, surrounded by friends and family. Later that night we had a reception in the backyard of Maren's parents in Sandy and on Friday we had a reception in Pocatello. The reception was awesome; if we do say so ourselves. Maren's mom catered all the food. Liz, Maren's sister in law, did the flowers and decorating, and our good friend Austin came down from Washington to play guitar and sing. It was so nice seeing friends and family that we have not seen in quite some time. All and all we couldn't ask for anything more to start our lives together.

Hotel:	Morny, ruin sorbees.
Guest:	Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service.
Hotel:	Rye! Ruin sorbees ... morny! Jewish to odor sunteen??
Guest:	Uh ... yes ... I'd like some bacon and eggs.
Hotel:	Ow July den?
Guest:	What??
Hotel:	Ow July den ... pry, boy, pooch?
Guest:	Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry, scrambled please.
Hotel:	Ow July dee baychem ... crease?
Guest:	Crisp will be fine.
Hotel:	Hokay. An San tos?
Guest:	What?
Hotel:	San tos. July San tos?
Guest:	I don't think so.
Hotel:	No? Judo one toes?
Guest:	I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'judo onetoes' means.
Hotel:	Toes! Toes! ... Why djew Don Juan toes? Ow bow singlishmopping we bother?
Guest:	English muffin!! I've got it! You were saying 'Toast.' Fine.Yes, an English muffin will be fine.
Hotel:	We bother?
Guest:	No, just put the bother on the side.
Hotel:	Wad?
Guest:	I mean butter ... just put it on the side.
Hotel:	Copy?
Guest:	Sorry?
Hotel:	Copy ... tea ... mill?
Guest:	Yes. Coffee please, and that's all.
Hotel:	One Minnie. Ass strangle ache, creasebaychem, tossy singlish mopping we bother honey sigh, and copy... rye?
Guest:	Whatever you say.
Hotel:	Ten jew berry mud.
Guest:	You're welcome.