Digital Citadel

New House

2011-12-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

As law school is finally starting to come to a close, Colby and I are excited to finally be moving on to other happier milestones, the first of which is acquiring our first house! (Insert excited high pitch squealing from me and hmph from Colby!) But I have learned to follow my mother's personal motto, "Why do things the easy way when there's a harder way to do it?!" and the house purchasing has taken an unexpected turn. Instead of purchasing an already remodeled house we are purchasing a house, have lined up a contractor and are going to be remodeling it. By remodeling I really me we are gutting the entire thing to create an almost entire new house. I am posting the before pictures here and when the remodel is finished I will post how it turned out. I didn't get a picture of the outside, mostly because we have gotten about an inch of rain today and I didn't want to be out in it any longer than absolutely necessary.

The house was originally built in 1947, has two additions, a den with sunroom and a one car garage but judging by the kitchen it was last updated in the 1970s. This is a shot of the front door we are keeping, as opposed to the other front door we are getting rid of. The wall you see on the left (which is a half wall separating the kitchen from the living room) is going to be torn down and a center island built in its place.

The is another angle of the wall. I am sure you are all admiring the pretty sunflowers but they will be going away. The entire kitchen is going to be redone, with a gas range top and a double electric oven replacing the current unit (that doesn't work).

The doorway you can kind of see just past the sunflower wall will be turned into a small pantry (hooray for a place to store my canned food besides under the beds). The flooring in the living room, kitchen/dining room, hallway and den are getting a nice laminate flooring, the bathrooms will remain tile (the master bath the tile has to be replaced but it will be tile) carpet in the bedrooms and the sunroom will keep its current tile.

These are a shot of the den with the second front door which will be removed and replaced with a window and wall. I refuse to run between the two doors when someone knocks trying to figure out which door they are at. The den is next to the living room (you can see the fire place through the doorway) and the other door leads to the sunroom.

This is a shot of the sunroom (I didn't get a very good shot of it and only got the one, my bad) but it leads from the den (the open doorway) to the garage (the glass door) and the other door you see is to the kitchen. It has a tacky wood door (not seen in these photos) that we are having removed and a sliding glass door replacing it which leads to the backyard.

The house has three bedrooms, two of which we are only repainting and replacing the carpet. Because it is an old house it has some interesting quirks, one of which the drawers built into the closet.

The master bedroom (shown below in lavender), we are tearing out the existing closet to add more space into the bedroom and will be building a small walk-in closet with some of the space in the bathroom.

The masterbath is the room that needs the most work, we will be enclosing in part of the bathroom in to make the walk-in closet and redoing the rest of the bathroom. As you can see the roof currently has a leak (a major leak) that will be fixed (a whole new roof is going on). The house also currently has both a swamp cooler and an AC unit on the roof, the swamp cooler will be coming down when they fix the roof.

The front yard is landscaped with two mature trees and a plum tree with rosebushes but the back yard needs some work. It has a pool with a slide (hooray!) but (and you can barely see it in the photo) but the only trees in the yard are three orange trees, one of which hangs over the pool and drops fruit into it (Gross, I know!). The yard is flood irrigated so I am excited to get a garden and some other fruit trees planted. But it is a good sized lot (you can't tell that from the photos) and it has nice covered back patio, perfect for grilling!

I realize this is a long post after months of silence but various family members wanted to see the house so here it is. Like I said, when it is finished I will post more photos.

Jordanne is getting married!

2011-08-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

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Washington DC

2011-06-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

Jill contacted me about six months before we left complaining that for the Senior Class Trip her high school was going to Disneyland, she didn't want to go to Disneyland and she didn't understand why they couldn't go some place cool like Washington DC. This got me thinking, Colby and I had been talking about going somewhere fun in the summer but couldn't decide on someplace that we both could agree upon. Colby served his mission in the DC South Mission and we had visited for just a couple of days a few years ago (which turned out to be over six years ago, time flies) but we had always wanted to go back, spending more time there. One thing led to another and we were off to spend 9 wonderful, exhausting, humid, tiring, fabulous days in the Washington DC area.

I had to get this photo of how we spent our layover in Chicago, Colby is watching a Netflix movie on his cell phone while Jill watched a movie on her iPod nano and I read a book on my Kindle. It felt so techie but I laughed at all the travelers fighting over the power outlets to charge up their devices.

Jillian's Senior Pictures

2011-01-16T18:32:00.001-08:00

Part of the reason Jillian came to stay with me over the summer was so Erika could take her Senior Pictures. As usual, she did an amazing job!

You can see more of Jillian's amazing photos at Erika Snow.com.

Jillian Homecoming 2010

2011-01-16T18:03:00.001-08:00

Jillian was on Homecoming Royalty and was totally robbed of the crown. ;) I was able to travel to St. George to see her and to do her hair for the dance. The parents escorted the Royalty members onto the track during half-time for the Homecoming Football Game. She looked amazing!
The following day was the day date and dance. Dad, of course, was on hand the threaten her date into behaving properly (as if that was a problem, he is a good guy!)

Jillian went with Kendall Wilkey, his dad Rex and our Dad were mission companions so it was just kind of funny that they went together. Jillian, of course, looked amazing (even wearing her Converses)!
Jillian has wanted to wear pearls in her hair since Jocee wore them to a dance and they looked incredible against her dark locks.

Every time there is a dance we always stage a photo of the girls (be it Jordanne or Jillian) pinning the flower on their date but every time I end up pinning the flower so the date doesn't bleed from the girls tender ministrations. This time the staged photo didn't turn out (Jillian looks stoned) and I accidentally ended up in the photo while pinning the flower on.

I am glad I was able to be there to see Jillian looking all grown up!

Phoenix Zoo Summer 2010

2011-01-16T17:37:00.001-08:00

Jillian came and spent some time with us over the summer. One morning we braved the heat and visited the zoo. By braved the heat I mean it was 92 degrees when we started and an hour later it was 102 degrees.

The Phoenix Zoo is one of the only zoos in the world to have a Monkey House where the monkeys roam free and visitors are allowed to go into their enclosures. You aren't allowed to touch or pick up the monkeys but you do get to be amazingly close.

Surprisingly all the animals were really active so it was well worth the sweat we worked up. :)

Houseboat Summer 2010

2011-01-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

We were able to join the family for a couple days out at the lake to stay on Dad's houseboat. Luckily everyone except Jocee, Zorn and the kids were able to come while we were there (but we missed them). Because there are so many of us it was mob scene most of the time, trying to find a place to sit, let alone sleep could be a challenge but we loved every minute of it!

Henry was even there, well kind of, a brave pregnant Rachel made the drive from Logan to suffer in 125 degree weather to join us at the houseboat.

If you are wondering why there aren't any photos of me, let's just say the person who carries the camera determines who is the photos and since I carry the camera I get to decide. Also, nobody really wants to see my glow-in-the-dark white body in a bathing suit.

Jillian got a job for the summer counting fish on the Virgin River (okay, her official job title was something else but basically she spent every day at the River counting fish) and as a result had a wicked tan from her shoes that took forever to go away.

Montezuma's Castle and Well

2011-01-16T17:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, I realize it has been a little while since I posted on this blog. In my defense I do post five times a week on my book website but I guess it is time to update the blog and fill everyone in on what Colby and I have been up to for the last little while (okay, almost a year).

After our trip to CA we decided to seem some of the local sites here in AZ. Too many people go on vacations to visit other places but never see the sites around where they live. We drove up to Motezuma's Castle, which I was told by everyone and the website was a hike to the ruins. Umm...they lied....it was a level paved concrete path that round trip was less than 1/2 mile.

Unfortunately this was about as close as they let you get to the ruins. We had anticipated something a bit more challenging than than level path that took less than a 1/2 including photo time so we decided to go see Montezuma's Well. It was a great choice!

The Well is a much longer hike with a lot of stairs if you want to go down to the actual water and not just view it from the rim. The water that flows into this well is warm and fresh and over a million gallons a day flow through it. There are numerous animal trails and Native American ruins around the Well including an amazing irrigation system created by the Native Americans who farmed in the nearby Valleys.

It was a little warm while we hiked by well worth the drive and the trek!

In Honor of the 4th

2010-07-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

I saw this and couldn't resist sharing it with everyone. Gotta love the US!

CA Final Day

2010-06-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

Originally we had planned to spend the last morning at the beach but us Phoenicians have become wusses and the 60 degree weather was too cold for us to play in the water. (Hey, that is the coldest it gets here in the winter, I almost needed a coat :) ). Instead we went to the Maritime Museum, it was amazing! Basically, it is nine ships that you pay a small entrance fee and you get to explore all nine ships. The first was the Star of India an 1800s British Merchant ship that transported goods and people all over the world.

It was incredible to see how large the ship was and

then to imagine the number of people crammed onto

for months at a time. It gave me a greater appreciation

for what my ancestors must have gone through to

get to America from Europe, crammed into a little

room with lots of other people, sickness running

rampant, praying you don't run into any storms.

Lachelle and I did do the whole Titanic moment on the ship but I don't have a copy of the photo since I had my camera on me (I'm probably glad about that actually...now that I think about it...).

I think Colby's favorite, of course, was the Russian

submarine. Talk about living on top of each other! The

ship didn't have enough beds for all the men who lived

on it so they slept in shifts.

There were lots of great things to see and I tried to convince Lachelle to climb into the torpedo tube, this is as close as she would get. :)

They had several steamships, including this private yacht with a smoking room (Colby is holding a pipe because obviously high class individuals would smoke a pipe). It reminded me of the movie In Search of The Castaways, an old Disney favorite of mine.

After getting our fill of the Maritime Museum, we walked down the pier to the USS Midway aircraft carrier, it was HUGE; unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to tour it so we are going to have to go back to see it. We ate lunch at this great restaurant on the pier, with huge glass windows overlooking the bay. As we were eating there was a small ship with a large mat in that had a dolphin swimming along the side, every so often the dolphin would jump into the ship, the trainers would give it a treat and then it would jump back into the ocean. Our waitress told us that they used the dolphin to check for mines and bombs under the piers up and down the coast in the fight against terrorism. It was so amazing to watch the dolphin working with the trainers and to think about man and animal working together.

CA Pool Party

2010-06-19T15:20:00.001-07:00

After back-to-back days at theme parks we were tired! After we left Sea World we decided to order pizza and relax in the hot tub, just enjoying each other's company instead of trying to find somewhere to eat. It was great! Not seen in the photo are Kim and Sharlene who sat at the other edge, just letting their feet soak and Rado who pulled up a chair and kept us company.

CA Vacation Sea World

2010-06-19T14:52:00.001-07:00

On day three of our vacation we went to Seaworld. We went straight to the dolphin enclosure, hoping to see them feeding the dolphins and instead, the workers brought in their pet dogs to play with the dolphins. If you look closely on the left in the front there is a Border Collie that spent the whole time running back and forth in front of the glass trying to lick the dolphins. The dolphins loved it and kept tapping the glass to get the attention of the dog. It was great to see them all having such a good time.

I have always found the eels to be super creepy and have to admit I kinda freaked myself out while I was in the aquarium by myself, luckily my husband came along before my imagination took complete control.

Bentley, as you can see, had the best seat in the house for viewing everything.

Of course, no trip to Sea World is complete without watching the Shamu Killer Whale Show. Colby and I sat by ourselves because I refused to sit in the splash zone with the rest of the family. I know, I know, I am a party pooper but I just don't like getting soaked by water and walking around wet for the rest of the day (yes, the family used the argument that it was hot enough that I only would have been damp for a little while but nonetheless, not my idea of a good time). We had a great time I only got a little sunburnt when the sun finally decided to come out and play.

CA Vacation Legoland

2010-05-21T22:23:00.001-07:00

On the first full day in CA we went to Legoland. I have to admit I was super impressed by the detail work and scale that went into the displays. You can see how large the Washington Monument is compared to my tall husband. Bentley loved the rollercoaster ride and wanted to go again and again.

There are over 2.5 million legos in the park and it is amazing the different displays. Here we were in the Castle themed portion of the park and you can see Kim's cute prego belly getting in on the action.

The park was great especially since Bentley was tall enough to go on most of the rides and they weren't too scary for him. The park also had a couple of more exciting rides for the adults that we were able to go on.

CA Vacation Day One

2010-05-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

We were able to go to California this last week with Colby's family and we had a blast! The first day there we went to the beach and FROZE! Unfortunately, we choose a very cold week to be there. It was hard to leave the 90 degree weather in Phoenix for the 60 degree weather in California. After walking in the sand and ocean without shoes we weren't able to find a place to wash our feet so Kim and Lachelle made do with an outdoor hand washing facility by the bathroom. The crazy people at the beach were actually swimming in that overcast cold weather. I guess Colby and I have adjusted to Phoenix alot more quickly than I expected.

The photo below is an accurate photo of how the guys spent most of the trip, gathered around Colby's phone looking at something or other.

New Life, New Messes

2010-04-28T00:23:00.001-07:00

This Spring we were very excited to see that a Mama Hummingbird was building her nest in our carport. We checked daily to see if the little eggs had hatched. Every time we went outside the Mama bird would fly away so we have watched the nest through our living room side window. Finally it happened, we saw Mama feeding the baby birds. Slowly the birds have been getting bigger. If you look closely you can see two beaks sticking up out of the nest.

You are thinking "Awww, how cute!" right?! Wrong! What we didn't factor in and what most people fail to think about is that Mama bird doesn't leave the nest to take care of business, she just lifts her little hind end over the edge of the nest to make sure it doesn't land in nest. As the baby birds have gotten bigger, they have followed Mama's example very well. What does this mean? Well, my car is completely covered and I dive into every time I need to leave, afraid that I will be tagged getting in. If you look closely, all the white marks are from the birds. Oh the joys of new life.

Okay, I am embarrassed to admit that I drafted this post some time ago and thought I had posted it but I hadn't. A quick update on the birds, turns out hummingbirds have more than one clutch a year and she is currently sitting on new eggs and I anticipate that I will have a dirty car for the next couple of months.

Spring in the Desert

2010-04-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

When we moved in our front yard was bare, except for a few desert plants. It has been pleasantly surprising to see the wildflowers flourish in our front yard. (Well, it was pleasant until we got a warning from the city that it is a fire hazard and we had to mow them down.)

I was able to go hiking with Erika and the boys a couple of weeks ago and it was crazy to see how green everything is. Granted, we have one of the highest rates of rain in decades so everything is growing like crazy. Haydn took his light saber and cleared the path for us. Thanks to him we didn't have any attacks from the enemy. :)

Study Assistance

2010-02-16T10:14:00.001-08:00

Lately Smokey Joe has decided that every time I am studying he needs to come in and help me. Half the time he climbs onto my lap as I am sitting at the table, forcing me to scoot back further from the table and contort my body in unnatural ways to work around him. (Because of course I can't just kick him off my lap.) The other half of the time he just lays right down on top of my papers so I can't read them at all. If Colby is home I can usually convince Smokey Joe to go bother him but if I am home by myself than it keeps things interesting.

Refinishing Project

2010-02-09T08:57:00.001-08:00

Before:
After:
This weekend I restained a piece of furniture that I recently acquired from Dad. I am the third generation to own this buffet and it looked well loved before I fixed it. Old English makes a nick and scratch repair stain for dark woods. Because of the detail work on the front of the the buffet I didn't want to do a full refinish. I am very pleased with how it turned out. I was able to do the entire buffet, inside and out, using less than half of the bottle of stain. The photo below shows the difference between the two legs, one restained and one not.

Giveaway on Novelreaction.com

2010-02-05T10:03:00.001-08:00

I am giving a novel and box of Godiva Chocolates away in honor of Valentine's Day. Just go to novelreaction.com and leave a comment to be entered. Good Luck!

Jillian Junior Prom

2010-02-03T10:36:00.001-08:00

I was able to go to St. George last weekend to help Jillian get ready for Junior Prom. She had a great time and looked amazing! The dress she was wearing is one that Jordanne got for a dance and this was the first time Jordanne would even let her try it on. (Jordanne said it was because Jillian would look better in the dress than she did.) Jill looked all grown up and beautiful!

Jocee was able to bring Mily and Cartr down to spend the day with us and help get Jillian ready for the dance. Mily was so cute! Mily loved watching us get Jill ready, she kept wanting to be in the bathroom with us, handing us the bobby pins while we did her hair. Jocee kept trying to get her to go play with the toys in the other room and Mily kept coming back to watch what we were doing. I pointed to the dress hanging in Dad's room and Mily, her eyes as big as saucers, said, "OHHHHH, it's SOOOOO pretty!!" Jocee is in trouble with her girlie-girl.

Botanical Garden

2010-01-29T09:02:00.001-08:00

I realize I have shamefully neglected this blog lately, between law school and focusing on my book website (and not having anything interesting to post), I haven't posted anything for awhile. Recently, Colby and I were able to visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Tempe with the Snow family. It was beautiful! I had no idea there were that many different types of cacti (the plural of cactus, as I was corrected by Haydn) nor that the were that beautiful. I found out that the reason most of the trees here have green bark is because they don't have typical leaves, the bark will actually do photosynthesis so the tree can eat at all times.

The photo above is a beautiful glass sculpture located outside the garden that they are trying to purchase from the artist. We really enjoined the walk through and are planning on visiting again when the flowers are blooming in the next couple of months.

Jordanne and Jillian Visit

2010-01-15T08:13:00.001-08:00

In November I found out about a killer deal being run by Southwest Airlines, fly anywhere in the US roundtrip for $50.00. So, Jordanne and Jill bought tickets and came to spend the last week of freedom from school with me. It was great! We went shopping, visited the Snows, and went hiking. The girls were excited that it was in the 70's the whole time they were here. One day we went hiking in the McDowell Sonoran Cactus Preserve. It was gorgeous! We all had a great time and before we blinked they were boarding the plane to go home. I'm so glad they were here to hang out with me.

New Years Resolutions

2010-01-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. New Years Resolutions. Why is it that I start off the year doing so well and then get worse as time goes on? Also, why is it I seem to have reoccurring resolutions. I mean, everyone has the repeat "lose weight" goal but I seem to go in patterns. Two years ago I had a resolution to go to the Temple every other month, that year Colby and I did well and the beginning of this past year we did well but we haven't been since before we moved to Arizona.

This year's resolutions are as follows:
1- Go to the Temple at least every other month.
2-Get down to that size six.
3-Survive my first year of law school.
4-Finish the projects for the blog forwarding I posted last year and get them mailed to the individuals who posted. (I have two mostly finished so I am on my way.)
5-Keep track of the books I read so I know how much I really read.

Recap of 2009:
I decided to do a recap of the highlights of 2009. Getting into law school was the biggest for me. Moving to Phoenix, I'm not sure I would call moving a highlight but it definitely was a big deal. Passing all my classes in the first semester of law school. It is amazing how a person's standards can drop. I started law school with the intention of being in the top 10% of the class, having been to school and taken the finals, my intention is now to just pass the classes, regardless of what standing I have in the class. Colby was laid off two days before Thanksgiving and found a new job this year. Dad got married again and I obtained four great new siblings in addition to a great new step-mother. Life is good.

Hiking New Years Day

2010-01-02T21:37:00.001-08:00

New Years day it was 70 degrees so we decided to head out hiking with the Snows. A couple of weeks ago, Erika took some amazing photos of Colby and I at the Sonoran Preserve. It was incredible to see the many different types of cacti and to see the weird cactus. It was a great hike and the preserve is set up so you can hike as long or as short as you like. All of us enjoyed the hike but I think Haydn's favorite part was the Icee after the hike was over.
The boys were troopers until the very end and then they needed rides. (Of course, Wyatt got a ride for the entire hike and he enjoyed being outside with all of us.)
We have decided we all need to get outdoors more while the weather is so good (good in Phoenix being below 100 degrees).

Christmas

2010-01-02T20:27:00.001-08:00

This year was the first Christmas with the now combined Lamb-Schmutz (or is it Schmutz-Lamb?) family. All of us were there, and by all of us I mean the nine children Dad and Tia have between them, (Myself, Jocee, D.J., Josh, Jordanne, Courtney, Jillian, Taylor and Jaycee) the three in-laws (Colby, Zorn and Rachel), three grandchildren (Brejden, Amilya and new little Cartr) and Matt, our cousin who has basically lived at Dad's house since high school. (Impressed I can name everyone? I am!) Needless to say, chaos abounded, there definitely weren't enough beds and at one time it was hard to find a free bathroom. But we all had a good time. The tree looked insane with all the presents under it (as Jillian said, "This is what happens when you leave two presents unattended under the tree").

I don't think anyone was disappointed and it was great to see how excited the kids got. Brejden woke us all up at 7:00 a.m. by running down the hall shouting, "Wake up everyone, it's Christmas! It's Christmas!" Mily and Brejden made a killing since every single Aunt and Uncle got them each a present. Jocee and Zorn couldn't fit all the presents into their car to go home and DJ and Rachel had to take some of the presents up with them on their way to spend the New Year with Rachel's family in Wyoming.
Cartr got passed around a lot but Tia really liked to hold him and he loves his Grandma. After opening presents with my family, we headed over to Colby's for the traditional big breakfast (of course I forgot to pull out the camera for that) but the food was fabulous and the company even better. Grandma and Grandpa Squire came over and Bentley showed off his moves on the Big Wheels he got from Grandma and Grandpa Williams. (I couldn't decide who was more excited about the Big Wheel, Bentley or his Dad and Grandpa.)

Saturday, Kim, Lachelle, Sharlene and I all spent some quality time together getting pedicures and then met with the guys for lunch. Later we went to the Squire Family Christmas party and were able to get caught up with everyone. The entire group played Christmas Charades and here is Lachelle and Bentley acting theirs out. :)
After the party, we played games with Colby's family and we laughed so hard that Colby and Lyman cried.
We had a great time with both of our families and enjoyed the holidays. I hope you all did too!

Christmas Travel 2009

2010-01-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

Since moving to Phoenix, our usual travel method has been to go to St. George by way of Flagstaff and then through Fredonia. (Our drive would be much faster if they would just build a bridge over the Grand Canyon.) With the snowy weather, we decided to go over the Hoover Dam through Las Vegas. The last time we had been on the dam was well over a year ago and we were surprised by the progress they have made building the new bridge.

I have to admit I am nervous about actually driving on the new bridge, you can't tell from the photos we took from the moving car but it is built over the river side of the dam and is REALLY high up. The traffic on our drive to St. George wasn't bad but coming home we had about a 45 minute wait to get onto the dam. For those of you not familiar with traveling over the dam, thanks to 9-11 and the fear of a terrorist attack on the dam, all vehicles have to drive through a security check point and security may make you pull over so they can search your vehicle before allowing you onto the bridge. After being stuck in the security traffic, I was feeling more inclined to give the new bridge a chance so long as it doesn't add time to our drive.
When we moved from Salt Lake City our rental truck was too large for security to allow on the dam so we had to take an hour long detour (which added too much time on our already ridiculously long drive...but I digress...). Having lived in Salt Lake City for the last almost eight years and gotten used to a four hour drive to get home, the 7 1/2 hour drive from Phoenix seems to take FOREVER! I'm sure I will get used to it by the time I have finished law school and it won't seem so bad. But we made it to St. George and were able to enjoy the holiday with the families. I have to admit it was weird to have to pack warm clothes to go to SG. Phoenix has been about 20 degrees warmer so very different from going from Salt Lake City which always had snow and cold in December.

Family Chaos

2009-12-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend I was a complete slacker and forgot to pull out my camera for most of the weekend but I did get a few funny photos. This is a photo of Jordanne trying to watch a movie but both kids wanted to be on her lap and the cat refused to move out of the chair so they all shared.

Jocee and the two kids were staying at Dad's house while Jocee waited for the appearance of Cartr (yes, I spelled that correctly). Jocee and the kids shared Jordanne's room and Jordanne got the couch. Jocee was downstairs putting the bedding back on the bed and Jordanne was helping her. Jocee realized the box springs were off the frame a little bit so she lifted up the mattress and had Jordanne hold it while she adjusted the frame. This is what happens when we let Jordanne have control of anything.
Jocee thought Jordanne was holding up the mattress but the mattress fell and Jordanne couldn't get out. Of course, we wouldn't help her up until I had taken a picture.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

In honor of Thanksgiving I thought I would post several things I am thankful for:
1- My husband
2- My health
3- My family (crazy as they all are)
4- My religion
5- My freedom
6- Technology that allows me to stay in contact with everyone through the various methods (i.e. Cell phone, internet, etc.)
7- Good road system that allows me to travel a long distance to be with friends and family
8- Food (and all the yummy calories I now need to work off)

I could go on and on but I don't want to bore you all. This year was different for me because it is the first year in the last five that I have not cooked/been responsible for the Thanksgiving dinner. Ever since Mom got sick with cancer the second time I have been in charge of the meal and this year I got to sit back, relax, and enjoy all the good food. It sure made the day less stressful but it did feel a little weird.

We spent the morning and the meal with Colby's family. I forgot to pull out my camera because I was too busy stuffing my face. Later we went to my family's house and played card games. I would like to say that I was smart and went to bed early since I knew I was getting up WAY too early to go shopping the next day but Jordanne and I stayed up talking until about 1:30 am and then we were up at 4:00 am to hit the sales. Needless to say, I am tired!

Editor's Addition: Photos. These were taken by my mom or sister.

Thanksgiving 2009

Brandon Sanderson Book Signing

2009-11-17T14:56:00.000-08:00

One of Colby's favorite authors is Brandon Sanderson, an LDS science fiction author (who I also like). Several months ago he released his book Warbreaker and did a book signing tour in Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, it was the same weekend as my ten year class reunion and Colby couldn't go. (Believe me, I got to hear ALL about how upset he was over missing Brandon to have to go to an event he didn't want to be at.) Brandon has since released a book he co-wrote with the late great Robert Jordan and was here in Phoenix for that book tour.

We went to the signing and there were a ton of people there. Those of you familiar with the scifi/fantasy genre, Robert Jordan wrote the Wheel of Time series and passed away before completing the series, Brandon was contracted to finish the series. We were able to listen to Brandon talk about getting contacted to write the books and he read a section from the book. He was very personable and surprisingly entertaining to listen to. As you can imagine, most scifi/fantasy writers are pretty hermit like and not entertaining to meet in person. Brandon was definetely not the norm. We really enjoyed the presentation and then waited in line for a little over an hour to get our books signed.
I highly recommend reading his books, very well done and witty! You can also find a review I wrote of Elantris at my website Novelreaction.

Veterans Day

2009-11-11T09:32:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to take a second and remember the reason for Veteran's Day. Some of my earliest memories are of Mom keeping us out of school so we could go to St. George and watch Grandpa McArthur march in the parades with the rest of the veterans. I was always so proud to see him in his uniform with all his medals across his chest. I also gained a greater appreciation for my freedoms from listening to his stories about being on the frontline during the European Campaign during WWII. I am also grateful for my McArthur ancestors who fought in the American Revolution.
Colby and I were lucky enough to be able to visit several of the memorials that are located in Washington DC. The above photo is the WWII Memorial located on the Mall of America. I was so glad that they finally have a memorial to recognize all the sacrifices made by those who fought in WWII.

We also saw the Korean War Memorial, which was incredible and really hit home because Grandpa Squire was a part of that military campaign.
We also visited Arlington National Cemetery. It was humbling to see all those who fought to keep our country free. We also saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I am so grateful for all those who have fought and continue to fight to ensure my freedoms. I am also grateful for all the families of those who fight and the sacrifices they make to ensure our freedoms. Finally, my thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost family members in the Fort Hood shooting last week.

Halloween

2009-11-05T09:06:00.001-08:00

Colby and I attended our ward's Trunk or Treat as a way to support the ward (and to get rid of some of the candy I bought since Colby and I had been eating WAAYY too much of it ourselves, dang you Costco and your fabulously large bags of good candy!). All my attention has been on school lately so at the last minute I figured out to dress our car as a ghost. Unfortunately, that was the extent of my creativity so Colby and I went as ourselves to the party. I thought the car was cute and looking good until a van pulled up next to us and pulled out a strobe light and a fog machine, needless to say we were overshadowed.

On Halloween night we continued our yearly tradition of watching "Young Frankenstein", which is the best Halloween movie ever. We were visited by Riley and Erika and the two cute boys were dressed up as a fireman and a carpenter but I forgot to pull out my camera to get a picture. They were so cute! The following Monday I watched the boys for a couple of hours and Haydn wore his boots and fireman hat all day with his pjs. (He had informed me that it was a pj day and he didn't need to get dressed, how do you argue with that?!)

Things I have learned since moving to the desert

2009-10-29T11:34:00.001-07:00

We have been living in the desert for a couple of months now and I thought I would share some of the things I have learned since moving here. In the desert they try to save the large cacti. When I first moved here I thought the braces we saw were because they had just planted the cactus and were trying to get them "take". Wrong, the large cacti are over a hundred years old and they are trying to save them. The holes in the top are from birds who make their homes in the cactus. I have been told that every foot equals ten years and each arm adds another ten years each.

Grass is seasonal. During the hot summer months everyone grows crab grass (as it is about the only thing that will grow) and when it cools down everyone tears the crab grass out and puts in nice grass for the winter spring. Very weird!

60 degrees is cold. When it cools down to the 60s everyone pulls out coats and starts complaining about how cold it is! It makes me laugh right now but I am sure by this time next year I will be just like them. :)

Mom Second Anniversary

2009-10-20T23:17:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it has been two years since Mom passed away. In some ways it seems longer than the two years and in others it seems like yesterday. I was looking through some family photos and thought about putting together another slide show but this one just seems to say it all, so I have posted it again.

It does get easier after the first year for most things, the holidays aren't as hard and new traditions replace old. It is amazing how life goes on. Thank goodness I know I will see her again, I don't know how people do it who don't have my understanding of the here-after.

There are moments when I will always miss her, regardless of how much time has passed.

King of the House

2009-10-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I got Colby a laptop stand as a gift. After I got my laptop, I commandeered it and Colby doesn't get to use it much. A couple of nights ago I came into the living room and realized that it has been taken over by the king of the house. If you look closely it is supported only by the one center section so some minutes later it tilted to the right and he fell off (too bad I had put away the camera away when it happened). I righted it and the next night he climbed on it again, again eventually tilting off to the side. Last night night he climbed on it and didn't tilt off, I guess it now belongs to him. In most households it is whomever controls the remote control but in our house it is the laptop stand. :)

Phoenix Zoo

2009-10-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

For my birthday yesterday we finally made it to the Phoenix Zoo. The weather has finally cooled off and it was only 90 degrees (yes, I got sunburnt). The zoo is three times the size the one in Salt Lake City but not quite as nice. All the animal enclosures are outdoors with a large number of African animals (shocker, I know, since the climate is the same). It was nice to not have to deal with the urine smell the monkey and reptile houses had in Salt Lake City. They have several enclosures where different species of animals live, it was very

I was really impressed with the desert wolves (they have three) and the Gallapagos tortoises, they are HUGE!!

Novel Reaction.com

2009-09-25T15:25:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, I am a reader. By reader I mean someone who is constantly reading novels (I average three a week currently) and I own more books than most county libraries. (As those who helped us move can attest to.) While cataloging my books I started to think about clean romance novels, my favorite books, and how hard it can be to trust a romance novel when you don't know if the author is writing something clean or sexual. As I was mulling over this conundrum, my friend Susi came over to my house to borrow some books and commented on how she and her sister would really like a list of good authors from me that they could trust. This got me thinking further about who do you trust to recommend books and how what I might think is too graphic could be fine for someone else. Later that week my friend Michelle asked me to recommend an author that she could read as she had taken a book recommended by a librarian and found it to be more graphic than she really likes.

Me, being me, I thought how interesting it was that everyone should be having this same problem, who do you trust?! I started searching online for sources that I could recommend to them as I knew I was leaving and wouldn't be seeing them regularly anymore. To my surprise I found that there is one website out there that recommends clean romance novels. That's it, just one.

After discussing my findings with Colby and thinking about it further I decided to create a website where people can go for recommendations that have a rating attached that is clear and precise regarding the sexuality of a novel. Of course, it is always a good idea to start a large project while you are trying to move and start law school. ;) So, today I am unveiling my website...drum roll please... NovelReaction.com .

Please forgive me as I continue to work on it to make it better but at least we are up and running. Also, as a way to support my reading habit, if you are going to purchase a book I have recommended I would really appreciate it if you did so through one of the links on the website.

I am also open to suggestions for authors or books to read. I am going to be posting contemporary authors and authors that are older who are clean. Hopefully, I will be adding a new book at least every other week so check back often as it will be constantly updated.

Funhouse

2009-09-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Colby's sister Lachelle, sister-in-law Kim, and Kim's sister Ashley came and visited us for the weekend. Lachelle wanted to go to a mission farewell and Kim, brilliant woman that she is, figured out that P!nk was in concert, so us girls got tickets and went. It was an incredible concert including flying people, ballet and string quartets. I have to admit that I felt a little out of place by not having any pink in my hair. P!nk sings everything live, which always impresses me more than having a pre-recorded concert. I also really enjoy her encorporation of traditional musical instruments such as a cello and string bass with electric guitar and upbeat song. It was nice to have them visit us and to be forced to take a break from school.

It was great to have Kim visit and go shopping with her again. While living in Salt Lake, Kim and I used to leave the boys home and go shopping on the weekends. I have missed that, having good girl chats while perusing cute clothes. (In case you are wondering, I found a great suit for $40.00 so it was a succesful trip from my point of view ;) ).

Jillian Homecoming

2009-09-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Somehow, when I wasn't watching, Jillian started growing up. We drove to St. George this weekend so I could help her get ready. She looked fabulous!
She was super excited to go! Her date wasn't as excited when D.J. and Matt met him at the door with pistols in their waistbands and threats. Needless to say, she was home on time.

The dance was at Ford and one of the managers had to be there the whole time so Dad was a chaperon at her first dance. I know, scary thought!

September 11th

2009-09-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day, I pried Colby from the room that has become his cave and we went to the Firefighters Museum. It was fabulous! They have machines dating from 1700s that have been restored by the museum founder. In addition, there was a great tribute to the firefighters who lost their lives on September 11th. It was very fitting that we saw the memorial the week of the anniversary of such a travesty.
Yesterday, I had the unique opportunity to hear an attorney who represented 8 victims of the 9-11 attack in getting money for the victims. All his work was pro-bono, meaning he didn't get paid. Over 1,000 attorneys nationwide, in parts of Canada and in Mexico donated their time to represent victims free of charge. The fund was set up as a way to assist those who were injured in the rescue and recovery act. The stories were incredibly moving.

This is the remains of a statute that stood at the base of the Two Towers prior to their falling, this is what remains. It is an Art Deco representation of Atlas with the world on his shoulders. It seems very fitting that the world cracked after the towers fell. Colby and I saw it when we were in New York in 2005.

I am sure you are like me, and remember exactly where you were when you found out and how you spent the day (glued to the TV like me). Let us never forget the horrific events that occurred, changing our world forever and the men and women who worked so hard and lost so much!

Rag Rug

2009-09-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

I recently learned how to make rag rugs. This is a craft I have been wanting to learn for some time as it is a great use of fabric remnants. You connected the fabric pieces together and, using the largest crochet hook I have ever seen, crochet the rags together. The cream fabric was a set of sheets that were worn out and I had been keeping to use in a project of some sort. I think it turned out well and I now have a cushy rug placed in front of my kitchen sink.

Resolutions Revisited

2009-08-31T16:37:00.001-07:00

This weekend I was able to finally finish one of my UFOs (Unfinished Objects)! Hooray! This tablecloth was originally started by my Grandmother McArthur and she finished about half of it. She passed away when I was about fifteen so let's just say I have had this in my project pile for awhile. As I was thinking about how excited I was to finally finish a UFO I started to think about my New Years' Resolutions. I am always really good about setting them but, I have to admit, I usually forget them by about February so I decided now is a good time to review how I am doing.
Here they are:

Not kill my husband (the never ending battle) :)
Lose weight (my goal is a size six, I am almost there)
Finish some UFOs (hopefully by this time next year I will be ahead)
Be a better budgeter (I really like to go shopping)
Focus on spending more time with my husband (I have a tendency, a bad one, to schedule him last into my schedule when I should be putting him first)

So far:

I have not killed Colby
I have not lost any weight but I have not gained any and I am one week into the P90X program (let's just say every muscle in my body has hurt for the last week)
I have one UFO done and one almost completed (hopefully finished by next weekend)
I am a better budgeter since I have quit my job and we are living on a much smaller income, it is amazing what necessity will do for the learning curve ;)
I spend a lot of time with Colby now because he works from home and I am home studying more (and I don't have the huge group of friends and events I had in SLC to take me away)

I would have to say over all I am not doing too bad but I am resolved to work a little harder on some of them so I can have a good report come New Years next year.

New Home Foibles

2009-08-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

One fun (or not so fun) aspect of moving into a new home is adjusting to all its foibles. Our house is great for the most part but for the first three weeks we had a problem with the power in the back room that we are using as Colby's office. For those of you who don't know, we have been blessed to have Colby be able to telecommute from Phoenix, keeping the same job he had in Salt Lake City. This means that having the computer up and running is vital. We discovered that if we have the computer on in the room and the printer, it would cause a brown-out in the room and shut the computer down. This was a major problem for me with school going. Our temporary solution to the problem, while we waited for the landlord to come take a look at it, was to run an extension cord from the printer to another room in the house. The problem has now been resolved but it was funny to see for the first couple of weeks.

Poor Smokey Joe is having a hard time adjusting to the heat. Our living room is carpeted (our last house was hardwood floor) and he has not been happy with it, as a result he has taken over the bottom shelf of the bookcase in my living room and I haven't been able to convince myself make him stop. So my bookcase looks funny with all the other shelves completely full and the bottom left empty.

Jojo really struggled when we first got down here, he is getting old (he is now 17 years old) and doesn't handle change well anymore. About two weeks after we moved in I opened the blinds in the livingroom so he could look out by sitting on the back of the futon. This was the first time he had looked outside since we moved. He took one look out the window, looked at me in panic, meowed and then ran to spend the rest of the day under the bed. He's doing better now and tries to get outside to roll in the dirt everytime a door opens.

My laundry room is a room that was added onto the house later and is not insulated or air conditioned, this means that in this heat the tempature is about 100 degrees (without me running the machines). I have to keep reminding myself that I can't leave any food in it (even though it is right off the kitchen and would be very convenient for my Costco shopping), it is too hot and even canned goods will go bad in that heat. Oh well, at least I won't have to worry about scraping snow and ice off my car when winter comes.

Star Wars

2009-08-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Colby and I watched the boys so Riley and Erika could go out for their anniversary. Haydn, as those who know him are aware, is a HUGE Star Wars fan. The boys love it when Colby comes over because he plays light sabers with them.

At one point I looked over and Taite was laying down on the ground, dead from the fight, Colby had one arm up his sleeve, having "lost it in the fight" and Haydn was jumping up and down attacking Colby. Luckily, I am not expected to play and just get to cheer on whoever happens to be winning. (I have to admit, I usually can't tell who is winning but that doesn't stop me from cheering everyone on.)

Eighth Anniversary

2009-08-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

Today Colby and I celebrated our eighth anniversary. Hard to believe it was eight years ago today that I married my sweetheart.

There have been good times and trying times but he has always been there beside me (or behind me because I am dragging him to something he doesn't want to go to). ;)

Jillian kindly pointed out that Colby and I have been married for half her life. Nothing like a sister to make you feel old. :) It's been a great trip so far. I was going to post a wonderful slide show and music about my hubby but since I have done that the last couple of years I decided to just post some photos of the two of us instead.

And Here We Are. A posting by the Editor.

2009-08-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

We made it to Phoenix. We are here. The Eagle has landed, etc. Jessica is busy unpacking, making me move furniture, and worrying about law school so I am taking one more task off her shoulders and providing you, our Audience, with a brief update.

We did not get any photos of packing up the SLC house due to the failure of the truck rental company (okay, to be fair, the real fail belongs to the previous renter of the truck) and the resultant bad feelings. The reservation for the all-too-small 24' truck was for 0900 MDT Friday, 31 July 2009. We did not get the truck until 1400 MDT. Let's see, 14 - 9 = 5. Five hours wasted. Five hours we could have been loading the truck. We could have been on the road by 1400 MDT. Needless to say, there were some very angry customers. However, we do thank the members of the ward--you know who you are--who showed up to assist us, even if we couldn't find much for you to do.

Once we had the truck in our possession we wasted no time loading it. The two of us, my brother and his wife, and Jillian did the bulk of the loading in four hours. The Elders Quorum president and his wife showed up at just the right time to help us load our deep freeze full of meat and our washer and dryer. I was afraid my brother and I wouldn't be able to handle the freezer by ourselves, especially after busting our butts to get everything else loaded. The EQ president's timing was impecable, thank you.

Some time between 1800 and 1900 MDT we finally got on the road and headed south to St. George. I was by myself in the truck with Jessica and Jillian following in Excursion. The truck was governed at 70 MPH so the drive wasn't spectaculary fast, particularly when it could barely manage going up the mountain passes at 30 MPH. We finally arrived in St. George at 0100 MDT Saturday. We. Were. Tired.

And we slept.

Sometime around 1000 MDT Saturday (maybe later), we finally got our vehicles gassed up, volunteers from St. George loaded (we picked up my dad, Jordanne, and the strong man Matt to help out in Phoenix), and headed south. We arrived in Phoenix at 1800 MST (1900 MDT for you folks who need the conversion) and to the house at around 1840 MST. Yes, that's about nine hours of driving. Stewie showed up as well as Riley, Erika, and their two boys to help us unload the truck. With everyone's help we had the bulk of our junk unloaded and piled haphazardly in the house, behind the house, and some left in the truck for the next day. We. Were. Tired.

And we slept.

We finished unloading everything and got started organizing it all on Sunday. Monday morning we thanked everyone who came down from St. George and bid them farewell. Now it is Wednesday; most of the boxes are unpacked, furniture is where it will be for a while, and life is starting to settle down again.

The new chapter in our life has officially begun.

Now, some photos of the house that my dad took (we haven't taken any yet).

Dad and Tia's Wedding

2009-07-19T21:09:00.001-07:00

Colby and I traveled down to St. George and then out to Orderville to participate in Dad and Tia's wedding. The reception and the ceremony were held at the park, we were panicking at about 4:00 PM while the rain came down. Brejden, you can see in the background, had no concerns and enjoyed it. Luckily, the rain stopped and it turned into a beautiful evening.

Tons of people helped out and assisted with, but, as usual, Kay and Sheri were incredible. Kay, with help from Andee, made seven salads and cut up tons of fresh fruit. Sheri made two cakes, one for Dad and one for Tia.
Tia's cake was gorgeous, Sheri never ceases to amaze me. Dad's cake, as you can see, was very inspired.
Sheri did it as a surprise, and boy were they! Dad and Tia were both pleased and tickled. The paint job on the side, courtesy of Dacia, matches Dad's boat perfectly.
The ceremony itself was beautiful. All of us children walked down the aisle first, Mily was a flower girl with Jaycee's help.
Brejden was the ring bearer and Josh, Tia's son, walked her down the aisle.

They wrote their own vows, which I know caused Dad a lot of stress. They were beautiful and the entire ceremony was perfect.
Dad, surprisingly, was nice during the cake cutting and feeding. (I think it was the thought of being cut-off before the Honeymoon had even started that kept him well behaved.)

The motley crew has gotten larger. Tia gained five children, two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. Dad gained four children and a mother-in-law. This is the whole crew (sans Dad and Tia). Best Wishes to both!

Rock Band Party

2009-07-19T20:59:00.001-07:00

For the last five years I have been lucky enough to be involved with the Young Women's Program in our Ward. As a final hurrah, we held a Rock Band Party at my house. The girls were amazed at my incredible drumming skills and my inability to carry a tune in a bucket. Lucky for them, being raised in the family that I have, I have no inhibitions and belt out the songs at the top of my voice.

It also happened to be Sarah's birthday so we had a fabulous cake, made by Emlyn, to go along with our pizza and festivities.

Fourth of July

2009-07-19T20:48:00.001-07:00

For the Fourth of July, we held a final dutch oven event before we moved to Phoenix. We had friends over and enjoyed Colby's fabulous ribs, so tender they fall apart.
Colby, forgoing his usual smirk for the camera, decided to pose for the camera. He claims he was posing like I do for the camera but I deny that I ever do such a thing....

It is hard to leave behind all the friends and traditions we have created since we moved up here.

Phoenix Concert

2009-07-03T22:08:00.001-07:00

We spent last weekend in Phoenix looking for a place to live. While we were there, we went to an outdoor concert at this great train park in Scottsdale. I loved the heat, but even I have to admit it was a little warm while we there. Colby and I stayed with Colby's cousin, Riley, and his cute little family. We all had a great time! I was surprised by how many people were there, considering when we got there at 8:00 it had cooled down to a balmy 100 degrees.

We found a place to live and will be moving the end of this month. We are excited to be starting the next phase of our life but sad to be leaving all the friends we have made behind. Watch for future posts on what is going on.

Amazing Dessert

2009-07-03T22:04:00.001-07:00

Kim invited us over for an incredible dinner and for dessert she made these chocolate chip cookie sundae bowls. They were so yummy! I'm not going to says how many I ate but it was more than one and I am definitely going to make these in the future.

Airshow

2009-07-03T21:50:00.001-07:00

Hill Air Force Base did their first Airshow in years and I let Colby talk me into going, us and about 250,000 other people. It was incredible to see all the different types of planes and the amazing ticks they could do.
Colby was in seventh heaven (yep, totally geeking out). He enjoyed every minute of it and took alot of amazing photos of the planes in the air.
Having never been to an airshow before, I didn't quite know what to expect. I was shocked by the number of people who showed up to watch and the aerial acrobatics that were displayed by the pilots.
I have to admit that after about an hour of the show, I was bored. But, never fear...have book, will travel. I settled in and enjoyed being outdoors, even if I did get sunburnt. It was worth fighting the crowd to see it and I highly recommend, if you get the chance, that you go yourself.

Shawn's B-Day

2009-07-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

Things have been hectic lately and a lot of other things have taken up my time, so I'm going to try and get caught up on my postings. A couple of weeks ago (and I am embarrassed to say how long ago, so I won't) we went bowling for Shawn, Colby's best friend, B-day. I have to admit Wii bowling has given me a highly inaccurate perception of my bowling skills. That's right, I am an amazing Wii bowler, we won't talk about my real bowling skills.

We had a great time hanging out with the crowd and the kids were entertaining to watch bowl. Especially since they forgot which lane was theirs half the time.

Party Like It's 1999!

2009-06-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in St. George to attend my 10 year class reunion. It was great to see everyone and catch up on their lives. Although, I have to admit I found it interesting how technology has changed how we stay in touch. The reunion was planned by conversations that occurred on Facebook. Facebook has also changed who I stay in touch with. Before my account was created I really only stayed in touch with about five friends from high school, but since the creation of my account I stay in touch (and by in touch I mean snooping around on their pages and reading their comments) with easily 75 people. In addition, I have connected with people from high school who I had classes with but wasn't really close to and it was great to be able to speak with them. I don't think that I would have cared as much if it wasn't for the connection on-line. We have three women from my class who were there and are currently expecting twins, talk about crazy!

The other interesting thing for me was how many of us traveled some distance to come and others that I know live in St. George didn't bother to attend. It makes me wonder if it is because we don't the chance to see people from our class that we are much more willing to put the effort and time into coming to visit, or if it is because we are outside of our normal routine that makes it easier for us to attend. For those of you who weren't there, you missed out.

Engagement Surprise!

2009-06-11T22:00:00.001-07:00

Memorial weekend Dad proposed to Tia (finally)! Tia spent the weekend in California with her daughter for her daughter's grad trip. To surprise Tia, we drove the boat out to Orderville so Dad could attach the 35' sign to the boat and Excursion asking her to marry him. We set up the sign so it would greet the tour bus as it drove into to town.

Of course, the best laid plans of mice and men . . . the tour bus was about two hours late and the street into town saw more traffic than it ever had once word started to get out that some crazy man was waiting with a large sign. Dad was really nervous and got more nervous as time went by and the bus didn't arrive. He was afraid someone in town would call Tia to ask about the engagement and spoil the surprise. No one did and Tia came off the tour bus crying and completely surprised. Dad let Tia's daughter in on the secret and she asked the tour bus driver to slow down as he drove into town so Tia wouldn't miss the sign. (The beverage on the table is white grape juice, in case you were wondering.)
Tia was really surprised and obviously said "Yes!" All of us kids were there for the big question and Tia's four children and mother were also there. The event was even more special because Tia's son, Josh, was there with us. Josh was in a really bad skateboarding accident four weeks before the proposal and spent three weeks in the ICU in Salt Lake City. Josh has made an amazing recovery and we are so glad he could be there for this.
After we all toasted the newly engaged couple, Dad had Tia and him run through the sign like a football team. Tia is laughing so hard she can barely walk, let alone run. Congrats to both!

My Happy Place

2009-06-04T17:18:00.001-07:00

My reward to myself for sitting through the graduation ceremonies (have knitting, will travel) was to spend Friday on the lake. Right after we got there, this cute family of ducks came up to the boat begging food, I love how the mom is carrying the baby on her back. All my life, whenever anyone has said, "go to your happy place", I have pictured myself sitting in the bow of the boat, cruising across the lake. I don't have to get into the water or participate in the water sports to have a good time, I just like to be in the boat. I love the feel of the wind rushing through my hair and the sound of the water hitting the boat. As a general rule, and those of you who know me well can attest, I like to be productive and rarely sit without some kind of project in my hands, but there is something so calming about the lake that I feel at peace just riding around.
I spent the winter months lifting weights and working hard at the gym, determined to slalom ski this summer. (For those you non-boating types, that is one ski.) Due to the happy pounds I have put on since my marriage to Colby (thanks honey) I haven't been able to ski since my engagement (too fat to pull myself up). The big day arrived and I eagerly jumped in the water, determined to fulfill my goal. After the seventh power flush of my sinuses, I decided that almost getting up was good enough and next time I will really be able to ski.
I thought about lying and saying that this photo is of me skiing (can you tell who it is?) but dad and Colby would have ousted me. This is dad, looking incredibly graceful on the water, like usual.
Jillian came with us and had a good time (Jordanne was still recovering from staying up all night partying at grad night) but she wasn't allowed to sit next to me because she is too cute and tan. :)

Jordanne Graduation

2009-06-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

The second graduation we were privileged to attend was Jordanne's. She graduated with high honors and was a runner up for the Sterling Scholar Scholarship in science. (Runner up still got some money so she was okay with not winning first.)
Dad really enjoyed all the speeches and, as you can see, was waiting with bated breath for Jordanne to walk through the "PV".
He really is proud of her and was awake for the important parts. (The photo quality isn't very good because my camera battery was dying.) After the graduation ceremony Dad took us all out to dinner at Texas Road House for steak.
Jordanne will attend Dixie State College this fall to get her Associates Degree.

Lachelle Graduation

2009-05-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

We were able to go down to St. George to watch Lachelle and Jordanne graduate on the same day. (Yes, two graduation ceremonies in one day, not many are so lucky ;) ) We were only able to go to one of Lachelle's three graduation ceremonies, though. Lachelle has worked very hard through high school and graduated not only with her high school diploma but also with her Associates Degree from Dixie State College. Lyman, Kim, and Bentley were able to travel down to be there on this important day also. Bentley didn't like all the shouting that occurred when Lachelle went through the "D" and doesn't look very happy in this photo.

After the graduation we all went to IHOP to enjoy a celebratory brunch before Lachelle went on a charted bus with the other Seniors in her class to enjoy a grad night trip to Disneyland with 15,000 other seniors. Congrats Chelle!!

It lives!!

2009-05-27T21:51:00.001-07:00

We were given a daybed from my sister right after we moved out of our first teenie one-bedroom apartment. She wasn't the first owner but beggars can't be choosers and I am grateful to have a spare bed for guests. I have to admit that I haven't loved it since we were given it and have spent the last seven years looking for a replacement that I can afford. I finally realized that I can't afford what I want (I know, sometimes I struggle) so before we move I decided to refinish the daybed and hopefully make it look better. (I know you are all saying, "But Jessica, the tacky 80's brass is so attractive!") I took off the really tacky large broken round brass knobs (think Bedknobs and Broomsticks on steroids) before I remembered to take the before photo. With a little bit of sanding, filling in the knob holes, and several layers of paint it looks like a completely new bed.
Of course, no project that I ever undertake ever goes as easily as I anticipate. After getting it all painted, Colby and I started to put it back together and left a black mark on the wall. This required another trip to Home Depot and a lacquer layer but I am very pleased with how good it looks. This was my first refinishing project.

Law School or Bust!!

2009-05-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

Well, the decision has finally been reached. After much fasting and praying, we are moving to Phoenix Arizona so I can go to law school. I have to admit I am little nervous about moving after living in Salt Lake for eight years and having made so many friends. Also, when I moved up here everything I owned fit in a horse trailer, now we are having to get at least a 17' U-Haul to move it all. Amazing how much stuff you collect after eight years of marriage (and no jokes about the number of books I have :) ). I am happy to be leaving the snow behind and moving onto the next portion of our lives.

Jillian's First Date

2009-04-25T22:22:00.001-07:00

Jillian didn't get asked to Senior Ball, despite being 16 for almost two whole weeks before the dance. I think word didn't get out that she could finally date. Instead of sitting around bored while Jordanne was at the dance, Jillian asked a guy out and went on her first date. They had a really good time, according to Jillian's friend who spoke to the guy (aww, the high school communication chain).
While we were there she got asked out to her first dance, Tightwad. I didn't know that the post office would mail a shoe but apparently they will.
To answer him back she mailed a beach ball with the word "YES" written on it. So funny!

Senior Ball

2009-04-25T22:08:00.001-07:00

The Welcoming Committee! Jordanne's last formal dance of high school was Senior Ball. I traveled down to do her hair and to be there to see her off.
Dad, as you can tell, was just making sure her date understood the consequences of any actions he may choose to take that night. :)
Jordanne, of course, looked fabulous!
Jordanne's date picked her up in a sweet car that completely undid the hours of work I put into her hair. Just kidding, after he picked her up they transferred to a car with a top so it wouldn't ruin the girls' hair.

Colby's Easter Weekend

2009-04-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

Over the last year Colby has taken on a new hobby of marksmanship. With the recent changes in government, it is harder and more expensive to buy bullets so Colby spent most of last weekend and this weekend using his father's reloading equipment to reload bullets. (I have no idea if that is the correct terminology but I am sure Colby will correct me after he reads this post.)
I spent the weekend running errands and visiting family, Colby spent the weekend using the equipment and gaining new blisters.

Softball Games

2009-04-19T21:41:00.001-07:00

After watching Lachelle dance, we headed over the Pine View High School softball field to watch Jordanne and Jillian playing. I know it is hard to tell under all the gear but that is Jordanne under all that. She is the starting catcher for the Varsity team and didn't let any balls get past her.

Jillian had a long evening by playing in two games. She is the back-up catcher for the Junior Varsity and was put into the game half-way through. After the JV game ended she is the starting catcher for the Sophmore/Freshman team and played the entire game.
Jillian is great to watch on the base, once she gets there she is a bully to the other team's catcher. She will act like she is stealing a base and stare down the catcher, trying to make the catcher commit to one base and throw the ball. Jill has informed me that several of the other teams' catchers don't like her. The games were great to watch except it was colder than I anticipated and I didn't pack the appropriate clothes and spent most of the games freezing.

All That Jazz!

2009-04-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend we were able to go down to St. George early enough to watch Lachelle dance as the lead at the St. George's Art Festival. She was amazing and looked like she was having way too much fun acting slutty. :)
She also performed in two other dances but my favorite was the jazz piece. I never cease to be amazed at how graceful she is. Even while dancing as a slut (her word, not mine) she was graceful.

Crab Night

2009-04-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

I realize that I am late in posting so several will occur tonight. Part of the shopping spree resulted in a box of King Crab legs and claws. Since neither Colby nor I had ever cooked King Crab we watched a series of online videos outlining how to correctly steam and season the Crab. The video was great and our Crab turned out amazing! Colby also took the time to clarify 1.5 lbs. of butter. Yummy!
I have to admit I am not very good at cracking the shell and getting the meat out. I think it has to do with a lack of patience on my part to figure out the best way to get the meat out. I usually deteriorate to using the Ancient Egyptian method, sticking a stick into the shell, moving it around a lot and dumping the mashed meat out to eat. (Similar to the removal of the brain for mummification.) Kim, on the other hand, did a much better job of it than I. (I had a whole of bunch of inappropriate puns about crabs that Colby wouldn't let me post.) Anywho, you can tell by the picture that she was incredible! If you look closely you can see exactly where all the pokey parts of the shell are on the meat.

Bentley didn't appreciate the crab the same way the adults did so he had a good time playing with his trains on my hard floors.
The crab jokes didn't stop the entire evening we all had a really good evening together.

I WON! I WON! I WON!!!

2009-04-01T21:17:00.001-07:00

Okay, so really Rachel won and I got to help. If you opened a new account with US Bank you received a $75.00 gift certificate to Smith's Grocery Store and were entered to become a finalist. Rachel, D.J.'s wife, was a finalist which meant she got to choose one of the 22 bags on the table, each bag had a $250.00 Smith's gift certificate and one bag had a certificate for a 3 minute shopping spree in the Smith's. Rachel couldn't make it up here because of school so I went in her place with the understanding that I got half of what I won. I won the shopping spree!
The Rules were 3 minutes or 3 shopping carts full of food. Me, being the planner I am, had visited the grocery store where the event was occurring the night before to map out my plan of attack. I had to return one full cart before I could get the next one and unfortunately I only filled two.
Watch the Fox 13 news cast or the uncut mad dash (also courtesy of Fox 13). After the mad dash through the store, I ended up with $3,642.73 worth of meat.
Not only did they pay for my tab (which was nice I must admit) but they matched the amount I got and gave it to the Utah Food Bank. The person in Nevada who won only got $700.00 worth of groceries.
When everything was bagged it took seven shopping carts to haul it all out to my car. This is what the back seat of my car looked like. We managed to fill the trunk up as well.

Editor's note: I updated the video links to go straight to the Fox 13 website rather than through Facebook.

The Final Count Is In!

2009-03-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

Finally, one month later than I thought it would take to finish cataloging my books, I am finished! (I admitted to Colby I thought it would only take me three days and he laughed at me.) Because I am borderline OCD, not only did I catalog the books but I arranged them in bins alphabetically by author's last name. The grand total is....wait for it...4,058. (Colby estimated that I had 4,000 and he was right.) Now that number does not include the approximately 400 duplicate books that I had in my possession. I know what you all are wondering, and no, I have not read them all but I would estimate that I have read at least 85% of the books in my possession, if not more. The garage is now jokingly referred to as the "library" since that is where most of the books are stored.

Spring Continued...

2009-03-30T19:01:00.001-07:00

I know many of you enjoyed the beautiful picture I posted of my first flower of spring. This is what my flower bed looked like this morning. The small black spot in the front in the snow is one of my poor crocuses desperately trying to survive the snow. I have to admit this is one of my least favorite things about living in Salt Lake City, in the spring I have to watch the weather carefully to know how to dress. Last week we were in the 70s and it was warm and this week we are going to be lucky to top the 40s and are expected to get snowed on by three different storms. It has been known to snow in June here.

Scrapbook Expo

2009-03-21T20:19:00.001-07:00

For the past couple of years I have attended the Scrapbook USA Expo with several friends to get some great deals and great ideas for scrapbooking. This year we decided to do the "scrap till midnight" event. We all hauled our supplies to the Expo and scrapbooked from 6:00 p.m. until Midnight, after which we all went to a Wal-Mart at 12:15 to get copies of Twilight on DVD.
I would like to be able to report that I was incredibly productive and did an amazing number of pages but in reality I finished two pages but I did have a really good time and ate WAY too much crap. I think we all had fun and are hopefully going to be able to make this a yearly tradition. (Kim, I only have one photo of you from the Expo and I think you are going to be happy that I didn't post it.)

Spring has Sprung....kind of.....

2009-03-21T20:09:00.001-07:00

The first flowers of the year have sprung in our yard. This always gives me hope that summer will be here someday. Unfortunately for Colby, this means is I have finally emerged from the cocoon of blankets that is my standard place to be in the house and finally looked around at our house and am fully disgusted. Yep, that's right, Spring Cleaning begins. (It is capitalized because it is such a big event at our house.)

My favorite tool

2009-03-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, usually I don't tout products on my blog but if you don't use these yet you are missing out. As many of you know, about five months after Colby and I got married a candle was left burning while we were at work and it did some pretty extensive smoke damage. This weekend I took the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to my white vanity. Now understand, I have scrubbed the vanity several times since the fire and it looked okay but I have been debating about refinishing it lately because it just hasn't been looking that good. It looks fabulous now and there is no need for me to refinish it. I am going to replace the handles on it, hopefully next weekend, to give it a more updated look but I don't have to repaint the entire thing now (hurray!). If I had thought about it I would have taken a picture of the vanity before and after I cleaned it, but I will do before and after photos with the handles.

Neglected Blog and Family Chaos

2009-03-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

So I have been neglecting my blog lately in pursuit of getting my books cataloged. I didn't realize when I started the project that it would take me so long. I figured I would be finished, at longest, in three days...nope....almost three weeks later I just have four bookshelves to go. I have to admit that it has been nice to get them all organized and to realize how many books I really own. (I own more books than most people read in their lifetime.)

I was lucky enough to be able to go and tour the new Draper Temple twice, once at night so I got to see the Temple all lit up and once during the day.
It is absolutely beautiful, inside and out! The second time I went through with Jordanne, Jillian, Aunt Gwen, Uncle Dave, Wendy, Rob, Donnie, Paige, Robbie, Jett and Emery. (Yes, the McArthur clan descended en masse on the Temple and it remains standing.) Later that weekend Lana and Aros came down and we all played Rock Band 2 at Wendy and Rob's.

Paige and Emery did their own make-up (yes, the eighties are back) and posed for a picture. For some reason Jillian didn't want them doing her makeup....
She looked so pretty when they were done with her. The flecks on her face is glitter, they put so much glitter on her she was sneezing it out for a week.
Emery was having a good time playing with Jordanne's hair, as long as it didn't interrupt the game Jordanne was good with that.
Lana's youngest LOVED the music and was dancing like crazy! She kept at it song after song until Lana finally made her stop to go to bed and had to change her jammies because she had sweat through them. If you look in the background you can see Jordanne and Paige singing along.
We had a great time! It had been awhile since I had hung out with my family en masse like that and I have to admit it is something that I miss living so far away from them all.

From This Moment On

2009-02-18T21:29:00.000-08:00

1. Put your music library on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG TITLE DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing this. Post a comment on their blog that says "You've been tagged! See my blog for details."

1) IF SOMEONE SAYS, "IS THIS OKAY," YOU SAY? Tonight is the Night

2) WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Come Primavera

3) WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Na Laetha Geal Moige

4)HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Flowers on the Wall

5) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? Ellens Gesang3, Op.52/6Ave Maria

6) WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue

7) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? Bach, Tocata and Fegune in D Minor

8) WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Orchestra Suite3

9) WHAT IS 2+2? The More I see You

10) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? All This Time

11) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Storms in Africa

12) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Last Rose of Summer

13) WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? She's a Hottie (so true and I'm still working on it!)

14) WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Break It Down Again

15) WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Me Too

16) WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Tears of Pearls

17) WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? The World

18) WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Full of Grace

19) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Never There

20) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? End of the World

21) WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? From This Moment On

Okay... so this didn't work as great for me since I have so much music that is classical, celtic and opera. I tag anyone who wants to do this.

Hello, my name is Jessica and I have an addiction...

2009-02-14T22:06:00.001-08:00

My sweet husband got me software and a scanner for Valentine's Day so I could catalog my book collection. This, of course, led me to want to organize all of my books alphabetically by author so I pulled all my boxes and bins of books out and started organizing.
Hailey was nice enough to give up her Valentine's Day to come and help me with the organization. It would have taken me five times longer than it did she hadn't assisted me. (Of course, when she made the offer to help she didn't realize how many books I own.)
Smokey Joe kept helping by climbing into what ever bin or box I needed to fill at the moment. He also would occasionally wind his way through the stacks of books and manage to knock over at least one stack in the process. After one knock over I got fed up and put him in the time out box where he stayed for three minutes (I was surprised, I thought he would only stay a few seconds.)
Now the big debate Colby and I keep having is how many books I really own. Take a guess and I will publish in a later post how many I really have. (After I have cataloged them all). :)

Bentley is Two!

2009-02-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we got to help Bentley celebrate his second birthday. It is hard to believe that he is already two! He LOVES Thomas the Train and can identify all of the trains by looking at their faces. Bentley received lots of trains and once he opened the first one he wasn't interested in opening any other presents, he just wanted to play with the train.
Bentley received a Safari track with battery operated SUVs. Notice in the photos that Bentley isn't there and all the adults are putting the track together to play with. Bentley was behind me playing with his trains. When Bentley tried to play with his train on the track, all the boys (meaning men) grabbed him because he was going to make the SUVs crash. Later the boys were good and let Bentley play with his own toys. :)

My husband the handy-man :) Bentley received a tool set that required some assembly. Colby, instead of waiting for Lyman to grab the real hammer, just started putting it together using Bentley's new tools. (Yes, that is a plastic hammer in his hand) and he wonders why I don't let him do handy-man projects around the house unsupervised...
It's hard to believe that two years ago we were visiting Bentley in the NICU, praying that he would last long enough to get the surgery he so desperately needed. Bentley was born with a herniated diaphragm, in lay-man's terms he had a hole in his diaphragm that allowed is intestines and other organs to move up into his chest cavity, causing his heart to be shifted to the side and one of his lungs to be deflated. Within days of being born the doctors performed surgery to fix the hole and put everything back where it was supposed to be. Bentley did amazing and you would have no idea he had such a rough beginning except for his wicked cool scar on his chest. (Yep, he has cool scars to show the ladies when he gets older) He has been nicknamed Superman and it is very fitting. Happy Birthday Bentley!

Sisterly Help

2009-02-08T21:46:00.001-08:00

Jillian came and stayed with us for week just after Christmas. While she was here, she taught me how to make a rag quilt. For those of you who don't know me very well, I can do hand stitching with the best of them, I have created complex counted-cross stitch projects but, I can't sew a straight seam with a sewing machine to save my life. It is sad when your 15 year-old sister has to help you make a basic quilt, she is much more talented than I am. I bought the U of U fabric to make Colby a quilt about three years ago and just hadn't gotten around to making it. I think it turned out great thanks to Jill! I have realized that I don't enjoy sewing machine sewing so this will probably be the last rag quilt that I make but at least I finally finished Colby's gift (yes, I am a slacker wife).

Pay It Forward

2009-02-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

The Rules
1. Be one of the first Three (3) bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me.

2. Winners, you must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first 3 bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!
If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Please take the button and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

I will leave a list of names who were the first 3 on my blog as soon as I receive them!
I have no clue what it is I will make you, lets see who the winners are first!

Photo Contest

2009-02-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

Erika, who I have posted about before because she is incredible, is having a contest on her photo blog. For every comment on her blog or posting on your own blog that you do, she will enter your name into a drawing for 50% off her services. Check out her blog www.erikasnow.blogspot.com.

Jordanne on the front page

2009-02-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

Jordanne was on the front page of the Spectrum on Friday. This photo is incredible and just shows what great form she has while playing. [Editor's Note: It looks like The Daily Spectrum (Did I really use a proper pronoun? How generous of me.) removed the photo (or moved it).

Jordanne Junior Prom 2009

2009-01-24T20:38:00.001-08:00

Once again we traveled to St. George so I could help Jordanne get ready for Junior Prom. The thing sticking up on her head is a peacock with peacock feathers sticking out of the tail. Jordanne wanted to do something very different and I think we achieved it. It looked fabulous and Jordanne could pull it off. Her date thought it was awesome!

For Jordanne's day date she went up to Pine Valley and went snow tubing. I was surprised she agreed to go. About two weeks ago she went on a date snow tubing, she went down the hill a couple of times and caught a little bit of air and bruised her butt so she decided she was done but her date decided he wanted to go one more time. When he went down the hill he caught a lot of air in the same spot and landed on his neck, going into an immediate seizure. Jordanne had to call for an ambulance and keep her date awake while the ambulance got there. Her date was fine and Jordanne rode back to St. George in the ambulance with him. Needless to say, she was not in a hurry to go snow tubing any time soon.

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am late in posting for the New Year (yes, I do realize it is the 20th). Last year my resolutions were:

Not kill my husband (trust me, I have been tempted at times) :)
Lose weight
Finish some UFOs (Unfinished Objects, i.e. crafty projects)
Get my Bachelor's Degree
Get into law school

I always only set five goals so I can realistically achieve them. I have not killed my husband and love him as much as ever. Last January I was a size 14 and this January I am a size 8 so I am pretty happy with the weight loss. I finished a bunch of UFOs but I have an equal number that I have started and not finished this year so Colby says I have to call that one a draw. I graduated from the University of Utah in May of last year and I have been accepted into two law schools, however, I am waiting to hear back from fifteen other law schools so at this point in time I have been accepted but we don't know where we are going to be living in six months. (The not knowing is killing me, I am a planner and not being able to plan where we are going to be is really a challenge for me.)

This year I have made resolutions, I feel that writing them down makes me more accountable. Here they are:

Not kill my husband (the never ending battle) :)
Lose weight (my goal is a size six, I am almost there)
Finish some UFOs (hopefully by this time next year I will be ahead)
Be a better budgeter (I really like to go shopping)
Focus on spending more time with my husband (I have a tendency, a bad one, to schedule him last into my schedule when I should be putting him first)

Erika Photography

2009-01-12T23:26:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I posted some incredible photos of Jordanne. The photographer who took the photos has now launched a blog site for that photography, www.erikasnow.blogspot.com. She does a fabulous job and her prices, when you consider what you pay at Kiddie Kandids for a bunch of photos you don't need just so you can get more poses, are great. (Honestly, who really needs 132 wallet sized photos of your children?!) Colby and I are going to have her take our pictures come spring and I am excited (especially considering our last professional photos were taken at our wedding) so look for a future posting.

That Blog Place.com

2009-01-12T23:19:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, Tiffini, has launched a new project from home. She creates great backgrounds for blogs that don't mess up the layout when you use them. I haven't used any of her backgrounds on this blog but my other two blogs (McArthur Clan and Diet Breakers) both have backgrounds created by her. Also, for the time being she is offering free custom headers. She has a great selection and does an amazing job! You should check them out!

Rock On!!

2009-01-12T23:06:00.000-08:00

With the money we received for Christmas we decided to get Rockband 2 for the Wii. I have to admit I have enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It's great because four people can play at a time and you don't have to be a good singer to do well (thankfully enough since my family has not been blessed with good singing voices).

Since we have come back, Colby plays it all the time and has gotten really good. I have to admit I am not too bad on the bass. I really like it because it inspires groups to work together instead of always competing against each other. The only problem is that I am getting sick of listening to Colby play the same songs over and over. (and he does, Saturday he played it for over five hours) :)

Christmas 2008

2009-01-12T22:29:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas morning with my family before heading over to Colby's family for the traditional Christmas breakfast (I forgot to pull out my camera so no photos of that although it was fabulous, as usual). This year Jordanne got a digital camera and Jillian got a jazz mouthpiece for her saxophone.
Jocee and Zorn were down with their two kids. It is amazing how much small children add to the excitement of Christmas. Brejden enjoyed opening every present and got excited over everything. My favorite was his excited cry of "Look mom, I got socks!"

Milly was done opening presents once she opened up the binkis in her stocking. She then had to show them to each person individually. We finally got her interested in opening the presents and we lost her again when she opened a book. Then she went around and sat on each person's lap and had them read the book to her, it was so cute!
It was a toss up who appreciated their Christmas gift more, Jocee or me. Dad got Jocee (with some shopping help from me) the complete Friends and was so excited she almost started crying.

My cute husband surprised me this year, he called McArthur Jewelers in advance and arranged to buy a pair of earrings that I have been wanting. Jocee stopped by to pick them up and then wrapped them in a bigger box so I wouldn't know what they were (after selling jewelry for 12 years I recognize jewelry boxes). Jillian almost gave the secret away the night before by telling Colby (in front of me) that she went with Jocee to pick up my present. Jocee thought quick on her feet and said, "You know Colby, the scarf you had me get for Jessica from Beaver, we are buying local now." I bought the story and talked to Colby later that night about how I hoped it wasn't an ugly scarf because otherwise I wouldn't wear it. The earrings are beautiful and I love them. Colby did good!

Christmas Eve

2009-01-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we were able to arrange to spend time with both families. Unfortunately, I was so busy with other things at my families Christmas Eve party that I didn't take any photos. After spending time with my family we went to Colby's parents house to participate in the traditional opening of the Christmas Eve PJs. After we all changed into our PJs we went downstairs to watch old home videos.
The first videos we watched were on 8mm reel (picture but no sound) and it was great to see Colby at one year old. We then experienced technical difficulties and moved onto the more traditional home videos on the television. We were all entertained by the footage but towards the end the excitement of Christmas (and an early rising son) became too much for Kim and she fell asleep. (Okay, I was just excited that I wasn't the one to fall asleep for once.)

White Elephant

2009-01-08T21:43:00.001-08:00

For my work Christmas party this year we had a white elephant gift exchange. I made this white elephant out of two bath towels, two wash clothes and a hand towel. I thought it was cute and it got some laughs.

Quiliting

2009-01-08T21:30:00.001-08:00

I am way late in posting so there are going to be quite a few postings. Sorry, when you are a slacker it takes a bit to get caught up.

A couple of years ago Colby got me quilting frames. They are exactly the size of my living room. I was tying a quilt, which cut the tv exactly in half if you were sitting on the futon. I left the room to get a drink and came back to find Colby and Smokey Joe chilling under frames.

When we went to St. George for the Nutcracker, Sharlene was fostering this cute puppy. I am more of a cat person (obviously) but this puppy was so cute I wanted to take her home. Unfortunately, Jojo would have eaten the puppy in about two bites so she stayed in St. George.

Name Game!

2008-12-22T22:24:00.000-08:00

1) Rock Star Name.( First pet, Current car): Sierra Beetle

2)Your gangsta star name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Raspberry Rumble Stilleto

3) Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal): Black Panda

4) Your star wars name (first three letters of your last name, first two letters of your first name) : Wilje

5) Superhero name (2nd fave color, fave drink): Red Mountain Dew

6) Nascar name (the names of your grandfathers): Thomas Daniel

7) TV Weather Anchor name (5th grade teachers last name, major city starting with same letter:): Wilkey Willimington

8) Spy name (favorite season, favorite flower): Summer Rose

10) Cartoon name (favorite fruit, article of clothing you are wearing): Strawberry Thermal

11) Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, favorite tree): Bagel Willow

Nutcracker

2008-12-14T20:37:00.001-08:00

Lachelle, Colby's sister, was in the Nutcracker this weekend (and continuing on until Wednesday of next week, if you get a chance to go, you should do so!) This is Lachelle's last year dancing with Westside Studio as she is going to be graduating from high school and going off to college. I will be the first to admit that I usually struggle to watch an entire ballet (you trying watching with narcolepsy and see how well you do) but they did an amazing job! Lachelle was beautiful! She was in several of the dances including Arabian, Snow, Marzipan and she was the soloist in Waltz of the Flowers. (I am sure I have forgotten some of the dances she was in) It was very physically demanding on many of the dancers because they were in so many dances but it was incredible! The dancers were so graceful and made it look so easy but it takes years of hard work to make it look that easy. Those who live in St. George should take advantage of the opportunity to view the entire Nutcracker. It is not often a city the size of St. George has this type of performance available to them (and go see Lachelle because she is the best dancer there!).

Jordanne Baseketball

2008-12-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

We traveled to St. George this weekend to watch Colby's sister Lachelle (see next posting) dance in the Nutcracker and were lucky enough to watch Jordanne play basketball on Friday night. Jordanne pulled a muscle earlier this week and didn't play much because of it, but it was good to see her in action. The photo I have posted is from a previous game but it is such a good action shot that I couldn't resist. (No, I did not take the picture, I can only wish to be this good and have this nice of a camera.)

12 Days of Scriptural Christmas

2008-12-08T23:02:00.000-08:00

On Sunday one of my counselors gave a great lesson on the Nativity and she had this cute handout with the 12 days of Christmas.

December 14th: Luke 1: 26-38
December 15th: 4 Nephi 1:4-9
December 16th: Luke 1:39-45
December 17th: 2 Nephi 9:19-22
December 18th: Matthew 1:18-25
December 19th: 3 Nephi 1:12-21
December 20th: Matthew 2:1-12
December 21th: Helaman 14:2-6
December 22nd: Luke 2:1-7
December 23rd: Isaiah 9:6-7
December 24th: Luke 2:8-20
December 25th: Isaiah 7:14

Spaceman

2008-12-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

Last year for Christmas I got Colby a gift certificate to iFly in Ogden (an indoor wind-tunnel). We finally used the gift certificate today. I would have gotten him a gift certificate for sky diving, which is what he really wanted, if it was a little bit cheaper (and a little bit safer). He got to fly for four minutes and it was cool to watch. Colby says he enjoyed the experience but it was a lot harder than it looks.

The Lights at Temple Square

2008-12-06T21:03:00.001-08:00

For Young Womens this week we went to Temple Square to look at the lights and watch the Joseph Smith movie playing at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The lights were beautiful and the movie was fabulous! I knew I was in trouble when I started crying ten minutes into the movie. The Church has done an incredible job portraying the life of Joseph Smith and the path the saints made in the early days of the Church.

As usual the grounds were gorgeous with the lights and they have a life-sized nativity set up on the grounds with Mary, Joseph and the Christ child in the middle of the reflecting pool.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving weekend in St. George with family. It was great to be able to see Colby's cousins, aunts and uncles, and Grandparents as it has been a rough year for the family. The food was fabulous (I personally ate more than my fair share).

On Friday night my family gathered together to play games, which in Schmutz lingo means a lot of shouting, cheating, accusations of cheating, laughing, and Jillian hyperventilating. The high pitched sound you hear in the video is Jillian laughing, I have to admit I have never heard anything quite like it. You will notice that it has reached the point that the rest of us are ignoring her but it is funny to hear.

I am thankful for many things, I won't bore you with everything but I will list a few:

My husband
My family
Running water
Cell phones
My kitty, Smokey Joe
Books and the printing press
The internet
My job, for both the living it provides and the fact I enjoy what I do and the people I work with
My eyesight
Modern medicine

The Eternal Dinner Dilemma

2008-12-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had that problem where you don't want to make the same thing for dinner again but are unsure if the recipe in the cookbook is any good? I have come up with a solution for this dilemma. I have created a blog for all of us to look at and contribute to. This new blog is called "Diet Breakers" (only because all the other cute names were taken).

dietbreakers.blogspot.com/

Colby's Birthday

2008-11-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

I realize that I am late in posting this but I couldn't get the scanner to work with my computer so I had to wait for Colby to do it and for some reason he wasn't in a big hurry to scan these photos for me. :) My honey recently celebrated his 32nd birthday.

We spent the day together and attended Body Worlds at The Leonardo in Salt Lake City. It was incredible! If you get the chance to attend it you should. It gave me a greater appreciation for the amazing complexity that is our body. (It also gave me a greater desire to lose weight after seeing what happens to the body that has too much fat.)

I have to admit I love this photo of Colby with Princess Leia from his mission. I was going to wax poetical about how great my husband is but I believe that I said everything that needs to be said on our anniversary in August, so please see my previous posting. I will say I love my husband a lot and appreciate all he does for me!

Thanksgiving Kick-Off

2008-11-13T23:21:00.000-08:00

We started the tradition about one year after we moved to Salt Lake City of having a Thanksgiving Kick-Off Meal about two weeks before Thanksgiving. It started because I wanted to cook the full meal and, at the time, mom was doing all the cooking and I was only occasionally helping. (It was good practice for me, once mom got sick with her cancer I have been cooking the meal for my family.) We invited the few friends we had in Salt Lake over to eat with us and a tradition was born. I love it because I get to eat all my favorite foods twice and I have found that I gorge myself less because I know that I am getting all my favorite things more than once. This year Colby's brother, Lyman, and his wife, Kim, held the dinner at their house. Bentley, their cute son, LOVES shoes. He got a hold of my high heels and kept walking around the house with them on. The food was fabulous.!
I forgot to post one of my absolute favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Thanks to Dacia for reminding me. My grandmother Schmutz used to make this every year for Thanksgiving and we learned quickly to grab some before Danielle's husband, Jason, came through the line because regardless of how much was left he would take it all. :)

Sweet Potato Casserole
3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes (sweet potatoes are yellow and yams are orange, it must be sweet potatoes)
2 eggs (well beaten)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

-Beat together sweet potatoes until mashed. Add rest of ingredients. Spread topping and bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes.

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 butter (melted)
1 cup finely chopped pecans
-Mix together until crumbly

Nothing about this casserole is healthy but it is one of the best foods I have ever eaten!

Holiday Traditions

2008-11-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing about the holidays (besides spending time with family) is the traditions. There is something about the continuation of traditions that I find so comforting. Of course, a lot of those traditions involve food. One of my favorite memories of my Grandma McArthur is of her sitting in her big rocking recliner breaking bread into little pieces to make a pan of dressing for everyone in the family. She had this HUGE stainless steel bowl that she would use to break the bread into that sat on her lap and she would watch episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" when no one was there to talk to her. The recipe is one of those family recipes that Grandma would just make and was never written down. Grandma passed away several years ago and I had to beg and beg to get my mom to sit down and write the recipe out for me. I am so glad that I was a such a nag. So, for all my cousins who want this recipe (and those others who just want a good recipe)

Dressing by Fae McArthur

1 1/2-2 Stalks of Celery (chopped)
1/2 medium onion (chopped)
3 loaves of bread (broken into small pieces)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 large can Cream of Chicken Soup (condensed, not mixed)
1/2 lb. bulk sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef

-Brown the meat, add all liquids together, stir together all other ingredients until well mixed.
-Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (until crust is browned)
-makes 2 13x9 pans

One of my other favorite fall foods is pine nuts. I haven't been able to find them in Salt Lake but I happened to be in St.George last weekend and brought some home to share with Colby. In the fall my mother would always make "Old Witches Magic Pumpkin Cake". She would only make this around Halloween and Thanksgiving so I have found myself doing the same. Here is that recipe:

Old Witches Magic Pumpkin Cake

-Beat together 3 eggs, 1 lb. canned pumpkin (I always use the whole can), 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup water.
-Add 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 tsp nutmeg, 3/4 tsp cinnamon and 1 cup raisins.
-Bake in a greased and floured bunt pan at 350 for 60-75 minutes. Frost after cake cools.

Frosting

4 oz. softened cream cheese
3 tbs. softened margarine
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Finally, my favorite cookies that mom would make are Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. I don't remember mom making many other kinds of cookies, usually these were what she made. When I make these cookies only about half of the cookies actually get cooked because this is the best cookie dough I have ever had. :)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup shortening (butter flavored is better)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3 cups oats (uncooked)
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 pkg. chocolate chips (can use raisins but why when you can have chocolate?!)
-Cream shortening, egg, sugar, vanilla and water; add dry ingredients; add chocolate chips.
-Bake on 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Jordanne's Senior Pictures

2008-11-03T22:22:00.001-08:00

This weekend I traveled down to St. George and Erika Snow (Riley, Colby's cousin's wife) took Jordanne's senior pictures. She picked out several locations in St. George that we went to and Jordanne had several outfit changes. At one point Jordanne was changing behind the open door with me blocking the other side from view and Jordanne mentioned that she felt like a real model changing outside. Erika made fun of us because not only did we have several wardrobe changes but each wardrobe change required a jewelry change. What most people never see is what the photographer goes through to get the shot (and no, the excursion did not belong to any of us). Make sure you check out her blog to see the rest of the photos she has posted. http://rileyanderika.blogspot.com/