holy wow

20.5 weeks

2012-01-10T18:21:00.004-07:00

I think this one was taken at 19 weeks.

I am halfway through my first pregnancy! That is both horrifying and exciting. In case you didn't hear, we're having a boy. I was a lot more disappointed than I thought I would be. For some reason I just thought that I would have a girl. I didn't like tear up or anything, but I was sad for about 20 minutes. Monte wasn't sad at all, surprisingly. He's super excited to have a boy. Perhaps in like 5 years I'll try again for a girl, but no promises.

17 weeks

2011-12-15T21:05:00.002-07:00

I have been horrible at taking pictures of my pregnant self. Here's the first one I've taken (sorry it's such a bad one). I would have had Monte take it but he was taking a nap. Poor thing just finished finals and was wasted. Anyway, I'll try to be better at taking pictures- mostly for myself so I can remember how awkward I looked!

some news

2011-11-11T12:56:00.002-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted on here. Probably because my body has been working extra hard
MAKING A BABY!

That's right. I'm 12 weeks pregnant. Heard the heartbeat last week. Crazy.

I'm mostly still freaking out and nervous about it. Monte is beyond excited and wants to tell everyone he meets. It was REALLY hard to make him keep it a secret for 12 weeks, but he did very well (with some minor slip-ups a few days ago).

Gender? We will probably wait until about 19 weeks to find out. Monte will die if it's not a girl. I will be fine with either, but I'm leaning slightly toward wanting a girl more.

My first trimester was okay, not too rough. I felt nauseous everyday, but I only threw up twice (once at 7 week, once at 11 weeks). If I have small snacks throughout the day I tend to feel a lot better. Besides feeling sick, exhaustion was the hardest thing for me. I've never felt so tired in my life!

Oh, and I should probably tell you the due date: May 26, 2012.

circus

2011-09-27T22:35:00.000-06:00

The Lion Tamer. I wish I had a better picture.

Monte took me to my first ever circus on Saturday! It was fun. The ringmaster sang way too much and very off key. That's the only part I didn't like.

There wasn't a trapeze act (which was disappointing), just these rope dancer people.

These elephants aren't dead, they were just laying down because someone told them to. Don't worry.

Crazy jumpy dancers.

homemade shakes

2011-09-07T22:21:00.002-06:00

Monte is pretty awesome at making homemake milkshakes. I provide the candy bars and ice cream and he produces a very unhealthy, delicious snack for me! I had a Snickers shake, he had a Reese's shake.

Our blender broke, so he actually used a food processor this time (successful!). The only part that was not successful was when Monte tried to put the lid on by himself. Very funny.

Thanks for being awesome, Monte.

front-loader

2011-08-22T22:16:00.002-06:00

My parents' washer and dryer just broke. Both. At the same time. Bummer.

But now we get to try these fancy new ones! They're being delivered tomorrow and I am SO excited! Of course, these aren't the fanciest of the fanciest (at all) but they're way nicer than what I'm used to, so I'm thrilled. I need to do laundry pretty bad...on Saturday we washed our whites, then had to lay them everywhere in the basement to dry. Not so nice.

Puerto Aventuras, Mexico

2011-07-17T18:52:00.008-06:00

The beach we went to everyday (this was a more rugged portion than we normally went to). This is where my iPod was stolen (broke my heart).

Iguanas everywhere! And Geckos. We also saw a little black monkey from our condo balcony!

(don't judge me--I didn't put on makeup or do my hair for the entire week)

K, guys, Monte and I have been back from our crazy Mexico vacation for a few weeks now. I guess I should post about it.

Bad things about the trip:
- Everyone but me got Montezuma's revenge! Seriously, everyone got sick for at least a couple of days. Sad.
- Our condo was brand new, but not quite ready for us. Leaky showers, leaky air conditioners, etc.
- The worst part about our condo: the water wasn't turned on when we got there! After traveling ALL day, we couldn't use the toilet or even wash our hands! The owner of the condo gave the Menas more than half the money back because of all of the issues we had, but Monte and I didn't pay for the condo...so it was just crappy for us.
- The golf cart batteries had to be charged after every single tiny trip to the marina during the last half of our trip! That golf cart needs some new batteries, for sure.
- Mosquitoes. Everywhere.

Good things about the trip:
- Going to the beach everyday! It was super warm water, but breezy weather, so you felt all cooled off when you'd get out of the water and just lounge in your wet swimsuit.
- Seeing dolphins, manatees, and sea lions at the marina everyday. They were super awesome.
- Getting slightly tanner (Monte got MUCH tanner after his severe sunburn--never thought he'd get burned like THAT).
- Getting my first stamp in my passport.
- Learning to appreciate free water that you can actually drink. I love living in the United States!
- Getting really good at converting from USD to Pesos.
- The golf cart that came with the condo was super fun to drive! I want one.

- I finally got to see some Mayan ruins, something I've always wanted to do (see pictures below).The Caribbean, seen from the Tulum (that's where these ruins are).

That's not sweat, it's water- we poured it on ourselves to keep cool.

a post by monte (trying to sound like me)

2011-06-20T14:06:00.000-06:00

So as most of you already know I am super stoked about my impending trip to Cancun Mexico in a week from Tuesday. However, for those that are not in the constant know, my wonderful husband Monte and I are heading to Cancun Mexico where we are going to stay in a condo by the small suburb/neighboring resort town of Puerto Aventuras for a whole week! Basically, we are just going to take a long needed break from all things school and work. I am a little nervous because I don't speak Spanish super well but everyone else that is going are all completely bilingual and one is multilingual so it will be like traveling with 4 interpreters! Some activities we have planned are snorkeling, cave diving, eating at sketchy taco stands, shopping, exploring old Mayan ruins, and avoiding getting Montezuma's revenge! More about this awesome event and pictures coming soon so stay tuned!

Easters

2011-05-04T21:40:00.003-06:00

My first ponytail in a year! Most exciting thing since...my graduation.

We painted eggs instead of dipping them in dyes. It would have been awesome, but the paint washed off completely with water. LAME. We'll never get that kind again.

My mom and I are sprouting vegetables for our garden! She does most of the work, but sprouting seeds was totally my idea and I helped her buy a bunch of stuff. I think watching seeds grow is so fun and fascinating.

Since I'm always the one that "does" holidays, Monte and I decided that this year he would do Easter. He got me this amazing Easter basket! I thought it was the cutest thing ever. EVER. I think he'll be in charge of holidays for a while now because he is clearly quite good at it.

I guess I should start acting like an adult now...

2011-04-23T13:13:00.003-06:00

(the new dress that Monte bought me for graduation)

(Monte gave me this flower lei--I loved it!)

(yep, that's right--my dad has keys to the football stadium)

(at the Geography graduate luncheon a couple hours before the ceremony)

As you can tell from the pictures above, I decided to walk after all. I'm glad I did. It felt momentous. And I got a flower lei out of it--totally worth it.

Thanks to all of you who helped me get to this point: mom and dad for letting me live at their house when I ran out of rent money (and for raising me, of course); friends/roommates for listening to me complain about classes; everyone for helping me brainstorm the "perfect" major for me; and everyone else who made a difference to me during my college career.

I'm kind of sad to not be in college anymore. I hope I don't just turn in to a lazy bum. I could see myself doing that. Perhaps I'll volunteer at the temple, or something. Or hang out with all of you more! Or both.

Now I don't have an excuse about not exercising--before it was always "I'm too busy to exercise," but now I really DO have time, so everyone ask me how that's going for me and hopefully you'll all guilt me into doing it.

more thoughts

2011-04-13T22:19:00.002-06:00

While we're on the subject of Harry Potter, here are a few more tidbits:

- my 6 year old niece is reading #7 right now.

- sometimes I want to get this-- it's as close as I can get to being a witch for reals

- I love this movie

Nymphadora Tonks

2011-04-13T15:23:00.003-06:00

Remember a few months ago when I looked exactly like Harry Potter? If not, here's a reminder:
WELL, my hair has grown out quite a bit (it's almost shoulder length) so I can't dress up as Harry for the next movie. I wanted to be Madam Hooch and get cat contacts and everything, but then I wouldn't be able to see unless I wore my glasses (and then I wouldn't look like her). SOOOO, I have decided to dress up as Tonks (seen here with Mad Eye):
Does anyone have a black womanly/goth trench coat I can borrow?

My Graduation Plans

2011-04-07T20:29:00.003-06:00

I have decided not to walk. Here's why:
- caps and gowns are expensive, worthless, and hideous
- I am in one of the largest colleges on campus so my convocation will last 2.5-3 hours
- said convocation will be in the Marriott Center, which means anyone in the audience would be too far away from me to even see me as I tromp across the stage
- I don't like walking across a stage and getting my picture taken in from of thousands of people
- it was stressing me out way too much when I was planning on walking, so now I just decided not to

I WILL, however:
- gladly accept graduation gifts (mostly kidding)
- be taking pictures of myself in a cap/gown for posterity
- be happy when my parents take me to Tucanos for my graduation dinner
- be going on a graduation trip this summer! Shaylee and Tye, get super excited to see me and Monte!

Our New(ish) Car!

2011-03-15T19:57:00.004-06:00

(I pruned that tree on the right...my mom said that's really what it's supposed to look like, but it just looks weird to me. Maecy, please come prune the rest of her trees as I am a weakling and cannot do it myself)

Monte and I finally bought a car of our own back in November. When we got married, I thought the Mena's just gave us their old Camry, but apparently we are just borrowing it (we still have it). They'd like us to give it back this summer so their other sons can use it.

SO, Monte and I decided to get this beauty. It's a 2008 Hyundai Sonata. And I love it. Plus, it's super nice to have 2 cars right now since Monte and I have opposite crazy schedules.It is a very spoiled car--we baby it and keep it in the garage a lot.

this is disgusting

2011-03-04T15:56:00.006-07:00

Litter boxes are gross enough, but this? It's just wrong.

Cleaning up poop wouldn't be that bad because you'd just scoop it up and throw it away (like you have to when dogs poop on the lawn).

HOWEVER, cleaning up the pee sounds very messy. It can hold 2 GALLONS of pee! Can you imagine if you accidentally dumped it out on your carpet, or on yourself, or on your laptop? Imagine the possibilities.

How often do you think that replacement mats (the "grass" part) should be replaced?

To learn more about this disgusting contraption, go HERE.

baby shoes

2011-02-05T18:41:00.005-07:00

I promise I am not pregnant and am not even thinking about getting pregnant. BUT, if I were thinking about having babies I would want to buy these shoes:

All of these are available to purchase online, currently. They're also all ridiculously expensive for such tiny things.

I have always been very fond of itty bitty shoes. AND adult women's shoes, but that's for another post.

why this weekend will be a doozy AND some things that are funny about monte

2011-01-27T19:57:00.006-07:00

Monte and I are dreading this Sunday- we have to give talks in sacrament meeting. Our topic is "Treasures in Heaven." My first reaction was "what the crap does that even mean?" I'm glad that some other people have had the same reaction when I told them what my topic was. I believe it's referring to the fact that you can't take worldly "treasures" or possession with you when you die- you need to have eternal perspective and focus on the things that really matter: your testimony of the gospel, your temple covenants, your family, etc. Nothing we do in this life really matters if we don't lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Does anyone have any awesome ideas for my talk?

I don't get all lovey-dovey on here very often, but Monte has been hilarious lately and I want to show you some ridiculous pictures of him. He takes naps a LOT. One time he decided to just doze off on the floor with his head popping out of a room:He sleeps on the couch a lot. His mouth is pretty much always open this wide when he lays on his back. 'Tis funny:
This was on Christmas day at Maecy's house in Ogden. He's pretty good at making mischievous faces because he's always into mischief.
Creepy, eh? Yeah, but he's still my most favorite person in the world. Perhaps I'll show some decent-looking pictures of him some other time. Maybe.

Here are some pictures to tide you over:

2011-01-05T19:19:00.008-07:00

I guess some people really DO read my blog. I had no idea.

In case you didn't hear already, I finally got to go on my Mexican cruise that I paid for two years ago (that the Swine Flu foiled). This time the Mena's paid and I went...without Monte. That was the sad part, but it was still really fun and I got to fully relax for a full week. And go to some awesome beaches. And get hit on by a lot of Mexican men.

This is proof that I tried to eat fish and like it (that's tilapia). It was gross. I just can't like fish, no matter how hard I try.

Jlene and I got to know each other very well. We were roommates for a whole week! She's really nice and patient.
This is the only time I ever went swimming in the pool on the ship. This was after a long day of walking around Puerto Vallarta and riding the crazy city bus.
This is just a couple of minutes after the above picture was taken. See Walmart in the background? It's taking over the world.
This is Monte's youngest brother, Danny, with some random military men that are everywhere in Mexico (at least the coastal places I went to). That's our ship in the background.
The beach on Stone Island (in Mazatlan). I look insane.
My favorite port BY FAR was Cabo San Lucas. We went on a glass-bottom boat tour to a couple of beaches, saw some pretty, colorful fish, and went past this famous arch. Later that day Danny and Sam (Monte's brothers) went parasailing, which I think I want to do someday.
This is a wound that I got in Cabo whilst climbing upon some rock on the beach. It reminded me of Debbie's Hawaii beach wound, but way less severe.

klutz

2011-01-03T12:53:00.003-07:00

I start the last semester I'll ever attend at BYU on Wednesday!

In other news, last night I was in bed, all the lights were off, Monte was drifting off to sleep, etc. I went to grab a tissue on my dresser (because of a slight cold I'm suffering from) and, bumbling around in the dark, knocked the massive Maglight off. It landed on my foot. I started crying because it hurt so bad. I don't remember the last time I cried over physical pain.
I think it was the size just slightly bigger than the one shown in the picture above (retrieved from Google images, of course). My two outside toes on my left foot are still very bruised.

Perhaps I should put a lamp on my side of the bed...

das auto

2010-11-07T11:39:00.004-07:00

Monte and I (and Hayley, that wonderful woman) went car shopping from about 10:45 til 4:45 yesterday (we took about an hour break for lunch). MY HEAVENS, it was stressful, but very fun and informative. We were mostly at the Auto Mall in Sandy (off 10600).

After much test driving and looking at prices/miles/options/colors/everything else, we decided that we want a Hyundai Sonata (2006-2009 version). Hyundais are getting great reviews lately and I've always been particularly attracted to the Sonata (although it can look a bit old-personish compared to other vehicles). We would want it in Steel Grey, Dark Red, Blue, or BLACK (my favorite). Here are some pictures (I just got them off of Google Images):
The other car that we were seriously considering (which took us by surprise) was the 2007 Saturn Aura. I had never heard or read anything about it, but here's what it looks like. It got pretty good reviews (I couldn't find anything online that was really bad about it at all).We were looking at a black one, in particular (it's the only one we saw all day).
This vehicle was made after the GM takeover of Saturn, so it has GM backing it up (however reliable THAT is). We just worry that since Saturn is basically gone to the world that it would be hard to find parts to repair it later (the salesman assured us that GM would have all of the parts we would ever need, but I don't trust salesmen).

ANYway, that's what we came up with. We'll probably end up getting a Sonata within the next few weeks, we just want to find the best deal (obviously). And we really need a second car. Any comments or suggestions?

No matter how long I live, these will always be hilarious to me

2010-10-19T22:42:00.001-06:00

8 Qs--I been tagged!

2010-10-06T21:45:00.005-06:00

Stephanie tagged me to answer the following questions:
1. What's one thing you're really glad happened in the past week?
I got good scores on my first midterms in both of my classes! Quite the accomplishment since I didn't really have time to study...those are my favorite kinds of tests--I'm bad at studying.

2. What are you favorite things to wear?My new dress from Shade (like the one above, but a bright pinkish/orangish color). It was $12. It's super comfortable because it feels like a really long T-shirt. It's also super cute (I think--my coworkers and family agree). I would post of picture of it if I had one.

3. Where do you want to be in 5 years?
Monte and I should write down a 5-year plan like Tim and Dani did! Off the top of my head, though, it would be nice if Monte was starting residency, I had a kid, stayed at home, and worked part time. It would be ideal if I could also complete my MLS degree by that time.

4. What's your most relaxing pastime?Playing Words With Friends on my iPod. I know it sounds lame, but it's the way I relax at night time. If you have an iPod touch or iPhone you should get the FREE app and start a game with me (spixters).

5. Have you read any good books lately that you wish to share?Beatrice and Virgil. It's by the same author as Life of Pi (Yann Martel) which is also phenomenal. Mostly I just want someone to read B&J so I can talk to them about it--I'm still kind of confused, but it was good.

6. What's one of your favorite dinners to make?I don't really like to cook anymore because I don't have time, but I like to make Barbecups because smashing those canned biscuits into muffin tins is a joy. I feel like a kid again.

7. Where do you wish you were right now (time or place) or why are you happy where you're at?
I wish I were in April 2011. Graduated and on my way to the Caribbean for my graduation present (a cruise). I find myself wishing the next 6 months would speed up so I can just be done already! I need to try to enjoy everyday. It's hard.

8. When are you going to call me next?
When I have time....so probably in December. ;) Hopefully sooner, though, Steph.

I'm gettin' married in da mornin'

2010-09-27T18:14:00.004-06:00

Just kidding. I'm already married. To Monte. He's awesome.

Anyways. We moved in to my parents' basement last week. I think it was probably the most stressful week of my life. Here's why:
1. The new receptionist I hired started on Monday and then quit on Tuesday. Had to start interviewing again.
2. Midterms. Bleh.
3. Moving. More moving than I've ever experienced before (FURNITURE!).

Everything is mostly back to normal now. I am almost decided on who to hire as the new receptionist, one midterm down and one more to go on Friday, and everything is moved into my parent's (my back is still killing me, however).

Now I just have to find time to organize all of our belongings and create a semblance of order again. Please pray that I can receive some motivation to do so!

Here's a question for all of you busy people (so, pretty much everyone who read this blog):
How do you find time to exercise? I get home around 6:30 or 7 every night, do homework, eat dinner, etc. It doesn't even occur to me most of the time that exercising is an option. It just doesn't seem to fit into my schedule. I ran in the mornings for a while, but now I have to be to work by 8am and that's too early to run, shower, and get ready. BUT I really need to exercise. Please advise.

Real Soccer Game

2010-09-26T16:10:00.003-06:00

For one of Monte's birthday presents I gave him tickets to a Real Salt Lake soccer game! We went on September 18th and had a pretty good time (despite the intense heat). Here are some pictures.

Mia Shalom

2010-07-31T12:56:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures from girls' camp (about a month ago). I only slept over for one night, but it was nice to up there again. It was beautiful!

full day of fun plans!

2010-07-21T17:57:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow after work is going to be a doozy. But the absolute best kind.

5pm: dinner at Chuck-A-Grandma with the fam. TYE and her two wonderful children just flew into town today--time for a celebrate at ol' Chuck.

6-7:30pm: attend Danielle's reception for her art show in the HFAC. I'm almost certain there will be delicious refreshments. I'm 100% sure there will be fantastic art to view. Come if you want either or both of those things.

8-10pm: Spanish Fork Rodeo! It happens every year, folks, as a part of their Fiesta Days. Boy howdy, I'm excited. Can't wait for the mutton bustin'! A whole bunch of people from my office are all going together. We're going to make quite the ruckuss.

Monte and I will probably go to bed around midnight, then wake up at 7:30am to drive to Idaho for the weekend. Hopefully we'll make it up to Boise on Saturday so I can try out their version of Seven Peaks!

pyromaniacs

2010-06-19T11:27:00.008-06:00

Monte and I went camping together for the first time EVER a couple of weeks ago. I know, it seems weird that we just barely got around to going, especially considering that Monte and I both loved camping before we ever starting dating. Last summer we tried to go a few times but then ended up being too lazy. Also, it's annoying to have to borrow all of the equipment every single time. Thus, we decided to bite the bullet and buy all of the essentials: tent, tarp, cooler, hatchet, camp chairs, and a sandwich roaster, as a few examples.

Holy cow, we had fun. Here are some pictures of our adventures. Don't mind my greasy hair. And crazy face.

SURPRISE!

2010-05-22T20:01:00.005-06:00

Let me just start out by showing some long overdue pictures of Monte's Cinco de Mayo mustache. It's pretty incredible:
Out to lunch at Los Carporales:I think it's funny that there are some of Monte's fellow kinsmen behind us...and they have mustaches all year round.

Now, for the grand surprise you've all been waiting for. I have been doing the BYU aerobics classes (SO fun) and have been getting headaches because my hair is so heavy and long. Thus, I decided to make a hair appointment with my favorite hair stylist, Amy. She really is awesome (in all aspects of life).

I thought I was just going to cut off about 5 inches to get rid of some of the weight (and split ends, of course). I came out looking like this:
(me a bit crazy-eyed, Amy with a fake smile)

So, what do you think? Oh, I was also able to barely donate 10 inches of hair. Who knew my hair was that long? I certainly didn't.

weepy

2010-05-13T21:29:00.003-06:00

I have this bad habit of crying during almost every TV show or movie. Seriously. If there's just one tiny ounce of deep emotion portrayed on film I can't help but tearing up (side note: it drives me crazy that there are words that are spelled the same but that can be pronounced differently to mean totally different things, i.e. tearing, read, etc).

Tonight I watched the most recent episode of Glee (delightful use of my time) and totally almost starting bawling at the end when Rachel was singing "One" with that quadriplegic guy (sorry for sounding so insensitive, I just really can't remember his name). It could have been either because I felt so sorry for the paralyzed guy or because I already have an emotional connection with that song (especially the Mary J Blige version). Either way, I felt like an idiot.

Kind of like that time that my coworker was driving in her car and heard Miley's song "The Climb" and started crying. She was pretty embarrassed. And we still make fun of her.

Anyway, I am a wuss pants and cry about everything, whether happy or sad. Perhaps this is a good thing because it makes me feel like I still have a soul. Maybe I'm not as desensitized as I thought.

Girls Camp, here we come!

2010-05-02T20:03:00.003-06:00

I have a new calling: Mia Maid advisor!
This means I will be attending Girls' Camp at MIA SHALOM! That's where I went to girls' camp growing up. Remember when I jumped in the lake? And got banned? And had to clean canoes? Totally worth it.
Here's a picture I found on Google Images of one of the A-frame cabins:
I'm not really sure who that cut-out man is--maybe their bishop? Kind of creepy.
But, yes, we really do decorate our cabins according to the year's theme. I don't know what our theme is for this year, but I'm super excited.

Unfortunately, I'll only be able to go for part of the week because I don't have any vacation hours yet at my job. Poopy, but at least I still get to go for a bit.

I'll have to find my old pictures from camp and post some, yes?

I am now the sole occupant of a spacious office with two giant windows

2010-03-21T19:13:00.004-06:00

It's true. I got the Office Manager job at Chrysalis. It is a dream come true. I get to work with my good friends, I get a huge office to myself, I get a pretty large raise (SO happy), I'll get full benefits for me and Monte in a few months, and they'll work with me in finishing up my classes for graduation. I just love working in that office. It's so great that I can joke around with my boss and be friends with everyone, no matter if they're "above" me or not.

Hopefully I'll look this professional some day, with lots of practice:
However, I will NEVER part my hair in the middle. Eww.

Valentine's Day

2010-03-14T13:35:00.003-06:00

Exactly one month ago it was Valentine's Day. I am just now going to post about it. I hope that's okay with you, because I'm not going to stop this post just because of petty complaints.

I made cinnamon rolls from scratch for the first time ever. Here are some pictures of the messy occasion:
Just some of the dishes that needed to be washed

The little buns rising in the warm oven

The icing I made (I didn't have cream cheese so I added sour cream instead--pretty good!). Pretend it's dripping down instead of to the left.

And this is why I made them. So I could cheesily ask Monte to go to a Valentine's dance with me. Just like in high school. I can't really draw dump trucks this well--I traced it. Pretend the buns are inside of the dump truck.
Maybe sometime this week I'll have time to post a picture of how Monte responded to me. Hopefully all of you will aspire to be as cool as me and Monte from now on.

Important Information

2010-03-01T21:19:00.005-07:00

In case anyone was dying to know, Monte has to work this Saturday (MY BIRTHDAY) from 9-5. So. It is the obligation of all of my friends to entertain me during that time. Let your imaginations run wild. Who knows what kind of havoc we could wreak (sp?).Side Note: I love them.

BIG decision

2010-02-26T17:00:00.005-07:00

I have about 15 minutes until my bus comes so I thought I'd let all (3) of my readers know what's going on right now. As many of you already know, Monte wants to go to med school. I totally support him in that desire because he really does love the medical field. When he thought he was going to be a clinical psychologist for the rest of his life he just wasn't excited about life. Now that he's back on the medical track he is so excited about EVERYthing. It's great.

Anyways, medical school is pretty darn expensive. Like, I've heard it's typical to come out of residency with like $250,000 worth of debt. That's the cost of a house, my friends. And we'll probably already have a house payment by then. Pretty stressful, but I know people get out of it, especially since doctors tend to make a lot of money.

To avoid huge amounts of debt Monte has been looking into joining the Air Force. They pay for school, help you choose medical schools, and are basically awesome about you getting an education. The downside is that Monte would have to go to Officer's Training next summer back east for a WHOLE MONTH. Now, as you people probably know, I have a hard time even if Monte has to work til midnight. Going to sleep without him is the worst thing ever. SO, if he were to join the military and have to be gone for huge amounts of time like that I've decided that I would just take a long trip (not the whole month, of course) with my family/friends to distract myself from the fact that he's gone. Hopefully....that would help missing him.

Another downside is that Monte would have to work for the Air Force for 4-6 years after residency. That's a long time. BUT at least he would have a secure job and gain lots of experience. During that time the Air Force could send us to live pretty much anywhere (as far as I know). Shaylee and Shawn were stationed in the craphole of New Mexico (Alamogordo) when they were in the Air Force. But then, we could be sent to Europe. I've heard of a lot of people who are stationed in Germany and Italy.

While it's kind of downside that we'd have to live where they told us to, it would be a GREAT opportunity to share the gospel. Which is scary. Because I am not the best at it. But I think that I would be fine and have a good time with all of the other wives on base.

So. What do you guys think? Is it worth it? We're not sure. We've been praying about it and we're going to the temple tonight. Hopefully we are receptive to the spirit, but we'd love advice from all of you, as well.

Angus, Thongs, and PERFECT Snogging

2010-01-10T16:26:00.002-07:00

It has arrived, ladies. The movie about some of our favorite books on the planet. Yeah, they changed the name a bit, but not a TON else. Here are my pros and cons after watching it:

CONS:
- it's not a book, it's a movie
- they combined the first two books into this first movie and skipped a lot of my favorite parts (like the part when Georgia's grandpa farts in public)
- Georgia (or any of the characters, for that matter) didn't act like I imagined she would
- it was even sadder to actually SEE Dave the Laugh's heart get broken
- when doing the "pencil test" on screen, they put the pencil vertically between the basoomas. That is clearly not how it was performed in the book (should have been horizontal, underneath)
- The movie focused on the big things that happened in the book (like when Georgia's actually doing something) instead of her hilarious ramblings when she's just sitting in her room, cutting out some of the most hilarious material they could have worked with.
- Libby wasn't really funny at all in the movie

PROS:
- it was set in England, with English actors/actresses
- they got a pretty decent cat to play Angus
- Dave the Laugh was a cutie
- in fact, I thought he was cuter than The Sex God (Robbie)
- it was a good laugh

Anyways, I know not all of you have read these hilarious books, but you should give them a try if you have some extra time and would like to laugh at the insane ramblings of a 14 year old.

If any of you fellow fans of the books see the movie, let me know what you think of it. I'd even be willing to watch it again if it meant watching it with you. It's in the Redbox.

I know you want to know what I got for Christmas

2009-12-26T12:08:00.002-07:00

So I'll tell you.

- a pearl necklace (from monte)
- a new swimsuit, pink (from monte)
- two necklaces (from my mom)
- a homemade denim quilt (from my mom)
- a frilly shirt (from monte)
- an argyle sweater (from monte)
- a down comforter, queen size (from my in-laws)
- some monies (from my in-laws)
- a cheesy Jack Weyland novel (from micquel)
... and I can't think of anything else. I think that's it. I was completely satisfied. I got more than I could ever want. It was fun to give gifts to Monte and Maecy & Kenneth. It's been pretty crazy with the whole Mena family down here sleeping at my and Chris's apartments. What a doozy. But it's been fun, too. They're going home tomorrow sometime.

I guess I should mention how awesome our anniversary vacation was. Here's a brief description of our adventures:
Saturday: flew into San Diego airport at 10:30pm. Took the shuttle to the rental car place; got ripped off by rental car place. Drove away with a 2010 red Toyota Corolla. Monte proceeded to be paranoid the entire trip that something would happen to it. We went to bed at about 1:30am after finally locating our hotel.
Sunday: Slept in, watched some TV, went to a singles ward (it's the only one we could find), walked around on the beach/pier. Had a good time.
Monday: Went to the ZOO! We decided that was what we really wanted to do. The highlight was when a jaguar shoved her paw through the fenced and swatted an asian girl. Twice, about 5 minutes apart. Yeah, don't ask me where the girl's parents were. We left the zoo for lunch and to wander around Balboa Park. We went back to the zoo at nighttime so we could ride the sky tram and see all the Christmas lights. They weren't that cool, though, and it was getting a bit chilly, so we left right after that.
Tuesday: We went and did a session at the San Diego temple. It was so beautiful. The Celestial Room is insane. I've never seen anything like it. Multi-level and multi-rooms. You feel like you're in a perfect palace. After that we went and met Monte's friend Stephanie and her boyfriend and had lunch. We also had to purchase some flip-flops for Monte because he left his at the hotel and was wearing black shoes and socks with shorts and a t-shirt at this point. Thank goodness for Old Navy. We just relaxed the rest of the night at our hotel and went to the hot tub. We would have stayed in the hot tub for longer, but there were two unattended children under the age of 8 who would not stop talking to us. Good thing we weren't pedophiles or kidnappers.
Wednesday: Woke up at 5 am to make sure we had time to fill up the car with gas, drop it off, take the shuttle to the airport, and make our flight. We barely made it. It's so hard to find a gas station in downtown San Diego.

All in all we had a fantastic vacation and got to spend some quality time together. Happy anniversary, Monte. I love you and can't wait for our next year together.

missed the bus

2009-12-14T18:00:00.002-07:00

so I'm sitting in the Open Access computer lab appeasing the 2-3 readers of my blog. I hope you two are happy.

I took my third final today. I only got an 87 (I should have gotten at least 90 because it's an easy religion class) because the test was very poorly written. Even Monte, who usually never gets below like a 92 on any test (it's disturbing, really) only got an 89 on it. I think we're going to email the teacher to complain about a few questions that made NO sense.

On the bright side, work went by super fast today. I worked from 1-5 at Women's Services. I looked up at the clock at 3 and was amazed because it felt like I'd only been there for a half hour! It was amazing. That's what happens when 4 girls get together to brainstorm ideas.

I'm so excited to go to San Diego on Saturday! I'm also really excited for Debbie and Jared to get married. I can't believe I've been married for a year. So bizarre. It seems like it's only been a couple of months since we tied the knot and now we're gallivanting off on our first anniversary. Who'd have thought that I would get married as a wee 21 year old. I sure didn't. But it's been great, besides the fact that I hardly ever see any of my friends anymore. I'm just too busy with working 28+ hours per week and going to school full time. Oh well. I graduate in a year!

Tye (and her 2 adorable girls) are flying in from Florida tomorrow. That should be fun. Kyle will be here in about week, I think. Also, SHAWN and Shaylee (with Ian) are flying in on Christmas Eve from South Carolina. Shawn hasn't visited us since they got married, I think, so this is quite a big deal. Hopefully we won't scare/annoy him too much. All in all, this holiday season is looking like it will be fantastic.

Another piece of good news: my books for next semester only cost $138. That's a lot better than $300 last semester. I was really excited.

Bigfoot Caught on Tape! Amazing Footage!

2009-12-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

the beginning of awesomeness

2009-11-25T11:19:00.002-07:00

So, I finished Chuck season 2 the other night. It was fantastic. If any of you are ever looking for an entertaining show to watch in your spare time the first two seasons are on hulu.com. I believe season 3 will begin in February.

In other news, it's Thanksgiving Break! I've been waiting for this week for 2.5 months. It is upon us. And, boy, am I going to take advantage of it. Here are some of the things I'll be doing that I haven't been able to do for awhile because of school/work/no time:

- shooting (guns, that is)
- shopping (Christmas is coming soon)
- sleeping in (only a little bit)
- baking and cooking for Thanksgiving (I'm in charge of the rolls and the cranberry salad)
- relaxing and reading good books (currently, Three Cups of Tea)
- seeing "expensive" movies in the "real" theaters (I have gift certificates--any movie suggestions?)
- attending my cousins' baby showers on Saturday
- watching the rest of Glee online--I'm getting more caught up!
- writing a 3 page religion paper (bleh, but not horrible)
- and other cool stuff, like spending a lot of time with my family

Are you guys as excited about the break as I am? I guess for those of you who aren't in school it's probably not very exciting. But be happy for me, I guess.

Debbie is cool.

2009-11-03T10:00:00.003-07:00

Here are some of my favorite things about Debbie. It's her birthday today.

1. She is adorable. She can't help it. Even though she makes the rest of us seem non-cute, we still love her.
2. She is nice to everyone. I can barely think of a single time that I've heard her say something bad about someone else.
3. She bought the same glasses frames as me. Those were good times. We looked hot.
4. She has the best laugh. And it's quite contagious, especially for Haybot.
5. She will watch awesome TV shows with me (Outback Jack, Instant Star, Laguna Beach, etc).
6. She is always snuggly and warm. I know this because I slept right next to her (we pushed our twin beds together) for 4 months. She wouldn't get mad when I'd accidentally hold her hand in my sleep.
7. She is always up for a shopping trip to the outlets in Park City. And sometimes we actually take the right exit instead of heading towards Cheyenne.
8. She is engaged to Jared VanH. She'll have his last name in less than 2 months. Well done, ole chap. Good catch.
9. She is the only person on this planet who can flat iron my hair into perfectly straight submission. She's talented.
10. She tries to be a good friend. Always.

embarrassing, but hilarious

2009-11-02T16:41:00.001-07:00

Want to see me in a a bright teal jumpsuit, plus witch hat and boots? Go here. Thank you very much.

We had to work for candy when I was a kid.

2009-11-01T14:18:00.004-07:00

What's up with Trunk or Treats? Is the world getting too scary, enough that we need to have trick-or-treating in our church parking lots? Sad news, guys. I remember when there would be hoards of kids on the streets on Halloween--sometimes we had to wait in line at doors to get the candy! We spent hours working for our pillow cases to get about 1/3 of the way full. I loved it. I got to roam the neighborhood and ask everyone for candy. It was my dream come true.

Monte and I decided to be supportive and go to our ward's trunk-or-treat, held in our church parking lot. Gift certificates were given to the three people with the spookiest trunks (or really, just best decorated). One person even created a mini spook alley in their back seat that the children had to crawl through. Monte and I weren't cool enough to even clean out our trunk so we just stood next to our closed trunk with a huge bowl of candy (which we abundantly gave out--we didn't want to take any home). Man, those children had it good. The ward provided donuts and hot chocolate for everyone and some people in the ward brought bakes goods to give away.

Here are some pictures of the event/evening for your viewing pleasure.I'd like you to notice the boots. The went to above my knees. The heels are about4.5 inches tall. Tallest heels I've ever worn. My feet were KILLing me after about 20 minutes, but it was totally worth it. Oh, they were only $7 at Charlotte Russe last Christmas.Monte was really just a doctor, but after he put my hat on he became a witch doctor.The backseat spook alley

alone on a saturday

2009-10-24T13:03:00.002-06:00

So, today I worked from 8:30-9:30 putting up signs and manning the registration table for the Women's Self Defense event. Pretty boring and way too early for a Saturday.

After that I came home, did the dishes, picked up the used tissues in our apartment and generally just clean up a bit. Nothing too in depth because I'm too lazy.

At 10:30 I went to the church for our primary program practice. The program's tomorrow and we just had to do a little run through to see how long it would take and make sure everyone knew what they were supposed to do. I think it will be a success tomorrow. Morgan and her counselors are awesome and have planned it to the "T".

After that I made Monte the most random lunch you've ever heard of (a hamburger, a slice of pizza, a lunch meat sandwich, and some potato chips--yes, he'll really eat it all). I ate a pb&j for myself. Now I'm writing this. I think I'll try to go give plasma so I can have some extra monies this week. Possible to use on going to see this gem of a movie.

Why I haven't been posting lately

2009-10-06T21:56:00.002-06:00

So, I know you're all mad at me for never posting on here anymore (perhaps most of you don't care and I'm just being optimistic?) so I guess I write a little something. Which is asking a LOT considering I just frantically typed out a 5 page paper in about an hour and a half. For those of you who have seen me write papers in my ADD manner, you will understand what an accomplishment this was.
My day has been non stop! Here's how it went:
7-7:45 Get ready for school and eat delicious Life cereal that was so cheap this week
7:45-8 Ride bus to campus
8-11 Work at WSR
11-12 Finish GIS assignment that I really should have spent 2 hours on
12-12:45 Ride bus to other job in Orem (yes, it really takes that long)
12:45-5 Work at Chrysalis (the office smelled SO bad--those clients need to take showers more)
5-5:45 Walk to bus stop and ride to plasma center
5:45-6 Wait for plasma appointment
6-7:15 Be screened and give plasma
7:15-7:30 Walk home
7:30-9 Write 5 page paper in record time
9-9:30 Write 1/2 page paper for awesome etiquette class
9:30-now Read/comment on blogs, check Facebook, be lazy

I am super tired. And you're probably super tired about hearing about my day. But the schedule above is why I can never blog, people. I just don't have TIME. But I still love you all and will try to post more often when I have a few spare minutes (even now I should be writing my journal for my religion class and doing that reading, as well). No spare time, people.

Plug for that one blog that you're all sick of...

2009-09-10T10:33:00.002-06:00

Since I'm back working at Women's Services at BYU I post to their blog once a week now! So, if you're complaining about how I never blog anymore, it's not true! I just don't post on THIS blog. So, pretty much, if you want to hear from me in blog form you'll just have to head on over to the Women's Services blog. My latest post was on Tuesday and I rambled on about my college career. If you wanted to know. You should comment. A lot.

kapow

2009-08-08T20:14:00.003-06:00

We finally found a spot to go shooting! Granted, it's about 25-30 minutes away, but we're just glad that we have a sure place. We just drove around Utah Lake going through Springville and SF instead of all the way to Lehi/Eagle Mt. It was grand. I finally got to shoot the pistol outdoors. I'm the worst shot ever with that thing. However, despite how silly I look with the .22 rifle below, I'm quite the excellent marksman with THAT weapon.
Quinn just bought a handgun yesterday. It's pretty much the same as ours, but it's army green. He LOVES it. Wouldn't stop exclaiming how fun it was to go shooting. Enjoy the pictures of our adventures.

P.S. Monte just found out about 30 minutes ago that he also got a grant for the school year. That's right--we don't have to pay for school this year...at all. We're so happy. We'll probably just spend all of our saved monies on a trip to Florida/South Carolina to visit my sistahs. Who knows when, though.

So many blessings! Is something bad going to happen soon?

2009-07-30T17:43:00.003-06:00

I am just overwhelmed lately with blessings. Here are a few of them:
1. Monte is awesome and got a half scholarship. There's $2000 we thought we'd have to have for school this year that just got handed to us.
2. I received grants totaling around $7800. What the? I really only needed like $2000, but whatev. Maybe they'll let me use it Spring and Summer, too.
3. I got offered my old job at Women's Services on campus. This was much needed considering I was stressed out about the car situation during school. Monte and I only have one car and since we both work at differing times in Orem we weren't sure how it was going to work out. Now I'll just ride the bus to BYU everyday and stay from 9-5. Easy.

Monte and I are joking (mostly) that all of these blessings are happening because something really bad is going to happen soon. We're kind of scared. Perhaps we should be more optimistic?

I just bought this gun

2009-07-22T21:37:00.002-06:00

Don't give me any lip. Or else.

For those who care, it's a 9mm Ruger P95. It's really loud.

Fifth Water Hot Springs

2009-07-11T21:44:00.002-06:00

So my coworker, Kjirsten, hikes a lot these days. I informed her that I like hiking and that I need to do it more often so I'll get out of the house more. She was kind enough to invite me to hike the Y with her on Thursday. It was freaking hot with the little shade that those pathetic bushes provide, but it was still fun. It was her first time making it to the Y, so it was pretty exciting.

We decided to do a hike today that was a bit more (a LOT more) scenic and shady: Fifth Water Hot Springs. They're up SF canyon (Diamond Fork). It was SO fun. Everything is beautiful up there. Plus, the trail goes right by the river the entire time. Once you get to the hot springs it's kind of stinky, but you get over it pretty quickly.

One time, on the worst (blind) date of my life, a group of us tried to hike to these hot springs from the "back door" (yes, it's really called that). Apparently the back door trail is half as long as the front door one. Good idea, since we were starting the hike at 10 p.m. BAD idea since we were starting the hike at 10 p.m.--it was dark! And we couldn't even be sure that we'd found the trailhead! Consequently, we never found the hot springs (although we could smell them). To make things worse, once we got back to the car we discovered that it had a flat tire. Awesome. OH. And I didn't get home til about 3 in the morning. On a Sunday. Nightmare, I tell you. Luckily, Micquel was there to make it a little better. Remember that time, Micquel?

I'm pretty bushed from the hike. It's not too difficult, but it was just kind of long...okay, it was only an hour each way, but when you're as out of shape as I am it seems like forever. Remember when I hiked Timp 2 summers ago and didn't find it to be unbearable? Oh yeah, I actually exercised back then. Dang, I need to start that again.

It was worth it though. Beautiful scenery and a cool river to relax in once we got to the hot springs. There was no way I was going to sit in those things when my forehead was sweating like crazy. I hear it's an even better winter/fall/cold weather hike. Perhaps I'll try it in the fall when all the leaves are changing. Who wants to come?

As Easy As 1 2 3

2009-06-12T13:56:00.005-06:00

A- Attached or single: Attached. Good ol' Monte. I like him. A lot.
B- Best Friend: Monte. And all my girls. I have many.
C- Cake or Pie: Hummingbird Cake with cream cheese frosting! Strawberry rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream is also fabulous.
D- Day of choice: Saturday. I get to spend the whole day with Monte doing random stuff. It's great.
E- Essential Item: The Pill. If you know what I mean.
F- Favorite Color: I'm starting to like red more and more.
G- Gummi Bears or Gummi Worms: Squirmy worms, please.
H- Hometown: P-Town
I- Indulgence(s): Dr. Pepper
J- January or July: I agree with Dani--who the heck chooses gloomy, slushy, brown, dead January?
K- Kids: 3. Monte and I agree this has to be the absolute most. I'm a wuss. And he has always wanted a small family. There were 6 kids in his family and I think he resents that.
L- Life is Incomplete Without: rainbows, bike rides, family, music, The Word, cuddling...
M- Marriage Date: December 20, 2008. It was cold, folks.
N- Number of Siblings: 4. 3 sisters, 1 brother.
O- Oranges or Apples: Oranges, but only if they're the good ones.
P- Phobias or Fears: Monte dying before we grow old together. I know, I'm insane.
Q- Quotes: "Anaconda squeeeeeeeze!" -Nacho
R- Reason To Smile: The sun is out! And I'm not in school right now, so no homework!
S- Season: Spring. Those daffodils get me every time.
T- Tag Three: Tyree Der (my sis), Micquel (my cuz), Melanie (my cuz), and anyone else who wants to.
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I like doing the dishes. Unless my back hurts, then not so much.
V- Vegetarian or Meat Eater: I enjoy poultry and beef if they're well done. I also enjoy a good Gardenburger. Yum!
W- Worst Habit: Touching my mouth during conversations that make me nervous. I know, this is strange. Consequently, I am almost always touching my mouth when talking to my boss. Don't get me wrong, he's a really nice guy. It's just the fact that he's my boss that makes me nervous.
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: I'm not answering this stupid question.
Y- Your Favorite Food: Here are a few: quesadillas, mashed potatoes & gravy, grilled chicken, caesar salad, fresh tomatoes from the garden, and homemade pizza.
Z- Zodiac: Pisces. Don't let that fool you. I'm terrified of large bodies of water and I can't really swim.

glimpses of the last few weeks

2009-05-27T18:32:00.004-06:00

Memorial Day at Canyon View Park up Provo Canyon. That's where Monte proposed to me (the first time...); we went with my family.

Monte workin' the grill on Memorial Day. Man, those burgers were tasty.

Provo Farmer's Market at Pioneer Park on Center and 500 W. It's really great--I recommend going on Saturday morning/early afternoon. I think they shut down around 4 or 5 p.m.

Hiking the Y with Charlotte. Monte started to feel nauseous and I felt dizzy, so we only made it halfway up. Wussies.

Tomato plants in my garden!!!!

Poster of Dale that we shot with the .22 (note the shot right between the eyeballs).

Some (better) parts of the cruise

2009-05-05T21:22:00.004-06:00

Enjoying the one sunny day...and Monte's huge sunglasses on me!
Being with my sweetie.
Cheesy formal nights (we had two).
Taking funny pictures while we were bored and just chillin' in our cabin.
Touring the oldest sailing ship in the world! This was in San Diego right next to Seaport Village and our ship (in the background).
Squishing ourselves through the tiny doorways of a WWII Russian submarine.
Trying to enjoy the cloudy/overcast day on Catalina Island.

The Bad News

2009-05-05T21:11:00.002-06:00

Silly Mexicans and their pigs. Ruined our whole honeymoon. I'm selfish, aren't I? All I can think about is that our trip was ruined--of course, I don't care at all about the sick people. Typical Nikki. But really, it's just a flu. Get a shot and you're on your way to being better. It just seems like everyone has overreacted a bit.

Cruise itinerary due to the Swine Flu:

Day 1: at sea
Day 2: at sea (got all the way down to Cabo...already getting anxious to get off the stupid boat)
Day 3: at sea (Princess decides to turn around and not stop at all in Mexico because of the flu)
Day 4: at sea (find out that we will be stopping in San Diego as one of our ports...me thinking this is not what I paid for)
Day 5: at sea (they stopped in Ensenada for fuel and other crap, but wouldn't let us get off)
Day 6:San Diego (for about 7 hours...what the crap were we supposed to do? we'd already been there lots of times...just walked around and toured old boats)
Day 7: Catalina Island (this is an island, but it doesn't have ANY beaches. that's right: we never got to go to the beach...on our CRUISE!!!)

To top off this fine itinerary, the weather was crap and almost never sunny enough to swim outdoors. I guess that's my fault since I booked the cruise for the end of April, but it just added to the AWEsomeness of the whole week.

2009-04-22T15:34:00.002-06:00

So, as most of you know I took Winter semester off because I was a crazy stressed out person and we also needed the extra money working full-time would provide us. I deferred Winter and planned to go back Spring term, which I thought started on Monday May 4th. HA.

Thinking we had between April 23rd and May 4th to go on our real honeymoon I planned our cruise for the 25th through the 2nd. Totally made sense to me. I even checked the BYU website and was really responsible. I guess that doesn't account for my lack of reading ability. Apparently Spring term starts THIS Tuesday, the 28th. What in the? Not even a week between finals and the beginning of the next classes. Lame.

Since it is pretty much impossible to cancel our flights and cruise, I decided I'm just going to go back to school Fall semester. Which is so like me, putting things (Calculus) off for as long as possible. But this means I can have the whole summer to work a lot and PARTY! I'm so relieved. I've been starting to have biweekly nightmares about that Spring Calculus class I was signed up for. Who wants to take a block Calculus class when the weather's great? Not me.

So here's what my spring/summer is going to consist of:

-CRUISE!
-going shooting every weekend
-going shopping with Hayley (she doesn't know this yet)
-going to Steph's reception in Idaho Falls
-hopefully going to Lava Hot Springs again with the Mena clan
-Lagoon (I'll have to talk Monte into this)
-working 40 hours/week and getting benefits!
-saving money for (stupid) tuition
-missing Debbie, Ali, Steph, Dani, and Missy
-hanging out with MEG
-camping at LEAST once a month

That's all I can think of for now, but you can see how amazing it is, I'm sure. Let me know if you have anymore ideas.

don't forget earplugs

2009-04-15T13:14:00.002-06:00

So, Monte thinks we’re made of money or something. That’s the only excuse I can think of. And here’s why. He bought two guns. Not one, but TWO. That’s right.

Mind you, these aren’t little pistols. These are rifles. And he bought me my “own” gun, too. I did not ask for this. I think he just wanted to get me something easy to use so I’d be entertained when he wanted to go shooting (which he now wants to do almost every week).

Now, don’t get me wrong. I think going shooting is great fun. I really like doing it. I’m the worst shot ever, just so you know. I’m even worse now that we put a scope on my gun. I don’t think it’s sighted in correctly. That’s the excuse I’m using, at least.

Here are some sample pictures that Google helped me find since I’m too lazy to upload pictures to my computer.

Exhibit A: My .22 (the black one at the top; I sometimes fantasize about having the pink one...)

I think it’s like a semi-automatic, or something like that, because you just load the clip with like 15 bullets and then you just shoot, shoot, shoot until they’re all gone. I think this is a good feature since I’m too impatient to reload after every shot. It’s really quite awesome. I like it a lot.

Exhibit B: Monte’s Soviet rifle

So, I guess the USSR, after WWII, had about a zillion of these laying around in warehouses, never having been used. They were a bit paranoid. Monte really likes the history around this gun, I think. The ammo’s kind of expensive, though, so he only shoots it like 4 times every time we go shooting. It has QUITE the kick to it. I have only shot it once and it almost took my arm out of it’s socket. That might be a slight exaggeration.

After the guns and ammo have been purchased and used multiple times, I really don’t have many complaints. It’s a fun activity that Monte and I like to do together and it gets us out into the middle of nowhere. My only complaints are 1) the bad weather and 2) the fact that we live so far away from areas where shooting is allowed. The weather issue will take care of itself in a few weeks, but we are getting so frustrated about finding places to go! If any of you have any suggestions (besides on the west side of the Lake, Provo rifle range, and Hobble Creek canyon), then please let us know. We heard there’s an okay place to go up by the entrance to American Fork canyon, but don’t know where it is. Maybe someone out there can enlighten us hick-folk. Ha.

HONEYMOON!

2009-03-03T15:25:00.005-07:00

Monte and I are going on our honeymoon in April, finally. School always gets in the way of having fun. But we are going to have tons of fun April 25 - May 2. You bet your boots.

We're going on a cruise!!!

Itinerary

Departure Port	Date	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Los Angeles, California	04-25-2009		04:00 PM
AT SEA	04-26-2009
AT SEA	04-27-2009
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico	04-28-2009	10:00 AM	08:00 PM
Mazatlan, Mexico	04-29-2009	07:00 AM	05:00 PM
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico	04-30-2009	07:00 AM	02:00 PM
AT SEA	05-01-2009
Los Angeles, California	05-02-2009	07:00 AM

Doesn't that look like fun? We were planning on going to the Caribbean, but this one was cheaper, longer, and had a shorter/cheaper flight. We're super excited. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure/envy.

PUERTO VALLARTA:
MAZATLAN:CABO san LUCAS

Watch out!

2009-02-16T20:04:00.001-07:00

My sister Tye is doing this, and I took the challenge. Hopefully some of my faithful readers will be brave enough to comment!

The first five people to respond to this post will get something handmade by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year.
4- You have no clue what it's going to be. But I promise that I will take time to think of something that seems right for me to send you! :)
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

Me & Monte

2009-01-10T19:39:00.004-07:00

How long did you date?
3 months, engaged for another 3 months.

Who eats more?
MONTE!

Who is taller?
Monte. He's got me by at least 3 inches.

Who is smarter?
We are both S-M-R-T in our own ways.

Whose temper is worse?
Usually mine. But man. He gets really quiet when he's mad and that can feel pretty harsh.

Who does the laundry?
Mostly me. I'm quicker.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
If you're looking at it from the bottom, Monte sleeps on the right.

Who pays the bills?
So far, I do. But Monte helps me remember.

Who cooks dinner?
Most times me. But Monte is really cute. He makes me dinner a lot. And sandwiches for lunch.

Who drives when you are together?
Definitely Monte. He doesn't like it when I drive. It scares him.

Who kissed who first?
Monte kissed me first. It was great. We were up Provo canyon looking at the stars and cuddling. He just went for it.

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong?
I'm always right, so Monte.

Whose parents do you see the most?
Mine. They live about 7 minutes away. Monte's live about 4 hours away.

Who proposed?
Monte. Twice.

Who is more sensitive?
Me. I blame the birth control. Stupid hormones.

Who has more friends?
I have more close friends, Monte has more...friend friends. That he plays soccer with and stuff.

Who has more siblings?
Monte. He has 5, I have 4.

Who wears the pants in the family?
We usually both wear pants. Monte loves to wear shorts, though.

Do you have a song?
No. We've discussed this oddity before and decided we don't care.

melt in my mouth

2008-12-31T12:52:00.004-07:00

I love all of the treats during the holiday season! Usually I'm baking up a storm during these months, but I was a bit busy this year. You know. With the wedding and stuff. Yeah.

So I finally got around to looking at some of the awesome recipes Becca emailed me a few weeks ago. Now all I want to do is bake! I love trying new cookie recipes. Perhaps I'll have time to try this tasty looking yumminesses before school starts.

Peppermint Snow Balls

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
10 starlight mints, crushed (heaping 1/4 cup)
Red food coloring
Confectioners' sugar for rolling

Directions

1.Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, with mixer on high, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Reduce mixer speed to low, and beat in flour (dough will be very dry). Beat in oats, mints, and 12 drops of red food coloring. Shape heaping teaspoons of dough into balls, place on ungreased baking sheets 1/2 inch apart, and bake 15 to 18 minutes per batch.

2. Place confectioners' sugar in large bowl. Roll hot cookies in confectioners' sugar, let cool completely, and repeat.

Oh, and don't fret. I'll post a zillion wedding pictures later. When I have internet at my apartment. I'm gonna talk the neighbors into letting me use their wireless! Perhaps with a small fee... but at least I wouldn't have to get someone to come install it. All those fees! Pooey.

Also, sorry I got so busy I didn't post something everyday for the wedding countdown. There just wasn't time. Fun while it lasted.

All I want FOUR Christmas is you!

2008-12-16T21:02:00.003-07:00

4 days to go

This is a picture of a four-legged duck. Scares me a little bit. I also don't like how the man (of course it's a man) in the background is holding it's neck. Be nice!
Here's a less in-yo-face picture. I love Connect Four. You never know what's going to happen. There are so many possibilities! And I always miss something important and lose. But it's still fun. Monte and I have played before and had a blast.

on the fifth day before my wedding I give you this image

2008-12-15T15:56:00.002-07:00

I don't know if I agree with all of these, but I do agree that I'd rather do a lot of things before going to grad school. I'm just not motivated enough. Or smart enough. Perhaps I'll just work on my undergrad and then have some kids? Ha haha.

Six days and counting...

2008-12-14T22:42:00.004-07:00

The hitchin' will take place THIS Saturday. Does that blow your mind? Kind of blows mine. This engagement went so fast, but so slow. It's been great, but I'll be honest and say that I'm definitely excited to move onto this next part of my life.

I'm also SO excited about all of the fun people who are coming to town this week! Tye comes in on Monday night, Shay will be here on Thursday, and tons of aunts and cousins will be over at my parents house on Thursday night for a family bridal shower. I'm pretty much bursting with joy!

So, for this last week I'm going to count down the days til the wedding by doing a google image search for the number of days left. For example, tonight I'll type "six" into the search box and see what it comes up with. Here goes:

This one's pretty typical, just a Roman numeral six.

I couldn't resist posting this one, however.
Apparently this is someone named Mr. Six? Whatev. It's better than all of the pictures of six-packs that showed up... awkward.

Don't you love the holidays?

2008-11-28T09:12:00.003-07:00

So. Yesterday was Thanksgiving. I woke up at 6:30 a.m. to go to Kmart (why are they open on Thanksgiving? Do they hate their employees? Greedy retail stores...) to get Debbie's birthday present (you can bet it's the best thing you've ever seen), some oversize fleece blankets (I need blankets when I become independent/married!), and picture frames for the reception. Luckily my mother was awake putting the turkey in the oven and she happily agreed to accompany me, otherwise I'd be scared out of my mind by those crazy Kmart-goers...am I one of those now? Also, good thing she came because she bought be a really cool ring! I can't describe it--you'll just have to see it. Or I could post a picture of it later.

Besides early morning shopping Thanksgiving was pretty great. Until Monte had to work from 6 p.m. to midnight! Stupid. But at least he got paid time and a half. That's excellent news. I went in and filed...for an hour. I would have stayed longer but Regan and I decided we needed to watch August Rush, which I had never seen. Also, she's moving back to Oklahoma in like a week and I won't see her for a long, long time. And...I got some music from her. Which took about 2 hours to transfer over because her burner wasn't working and we only had a 512MB flash drive. Funny.

Anyways. This morning Monte was such a champ and he got up with me at 6:30 to go hit the Office Depot doorbuster sale. In which I bought an 8GB flash drive so none of those music fiascoes, like the one complained about above, will ever happen again! Yay!

Now I'm at work. That's right. I had to work at 8 a.m. on the day after Thanksgiving. And no one has called or come into the office. Seems like a waste of time for me and a waste of money for Chrysalis. Whatev. I'm just writing this blog and making copies. Oh, AND listening to Christmas music since it's no longer before Thanksgiving. Bring on the Christmas cheer.

BEST NEWS OF THE DAY/WEEK/MONTH:
I have an apartment! After weeks and weeks of searching, filling out applications, going to see disgusting apartments, Maecy's old landlord called her back and we get to have her old apartment! The one next to the Cannon's house! And it's pretty cheap, which is marvelous. Also, it has two bedrooms. And is right next to a bus stop. I'm so grateful! All those hours of searching and praying paid off, I'm telling you. The gospel is true.

2008-11-14T10:45:00.005-07:00

Sorry I've been away for like a month. Planning a wedding really is the most time consuming thing I've ever experienced. Only 5 more weeks to go! And only 4 til I get my endowments. ;)

So, just finished writing this stats term paper for Stat 332 and I think I'll probably get a C on it. That's pretty good for an engaged person, right? Here's a graph I included in it.Doesn't that just look fantastic? No, it doesn't. Whatev. We were doing an experiment with launching rubber balls from wooden catapults. Yeah, pretty awesome. I love stats because of all the random experiments we get to do. I hope I can afford to go to school next semester so I can take that 6 credit stats class... should be a lot of work, but hopefully fun, too!

I won't bore you with talk of wedding stuff, so I pretty much don't have anything left to say. Welp.

We'll get through it somehow...

2008-10-22T17:59:00.003-06:00

Last night I was reading in 2 Nephi 19 (in the Book of Mormon) where Jacob is quoting Isaiah 9 and I was struck by this verse:

16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

This verse seems so applicable to the time we're living in right now, especially with the upcoming election. I've heard so many foolish things come out of both of the main candidates' mouths (mostly Obama...). It's a scary time.

On the bright side, at least we have an amazing leader of the LDS church, President Thomas S. Monson! If only all of the leaders in our lives could be appointed by God...

it's sparkly

2008-10-09T19:27:00.007-06:00

Here it is, folks.Also, here's the dress:
They'll take up the hem and take the waist out a bit so it actually fits me. Yay.

Here's the hairdo that I will probably be sporting on my wedding day:

I'm engaged!!!

2008-09-23T20:02:00.001-06:00

Here's the ring!

I don't have it yet, but I'm really excited for when I do! I'm wearing this crazy huge one that makes me feel weird in the mean time:

So here's the real one:P.S. Becca has graciously offered to take engagement pictures for us! I'm so excited! She'll do great! And she's doing it for free for practice--she's starting to create a portfolio!

P.P.S. In case you were wondering, my fiance's name is Monte Mena.

Debbie's thingy...

2008-09-16T16:32:00.010-06:00

This is how the game works: Use Google image search to answer each question. Then choose your favorite or most random image.

My Age:
Place I've Traveled:
Place I Want to Travel:

Favorite Place:

Favorite Object:

Favorite Food:

Favorite Animal:

Favorite Color:

Place I was Born:

Place I Live Now:

Pet:

Past Love:

Best Friend's Nickname:

Screen Name:

First Name:

Middle Name:

Last Name:

Bad Habit:

First Job:

Grandmother's Name:

College Degree:

What I'm Doing Right Now:

Honorable mention for best picture that wouldn't fit in a category:

Too lazy and tired to finish right now. I'll do it tomorrow...hopefully.

I can't decide if it's disturbing or cute.

2008-08-22T16:25:00.004-06:00

Here's a cat with 4 ears.
If you click on the picture you can read the whole story. I'm glad he has a good home!

Surprise your attacker with a good taze!

2008-08-20T10:08:00.003-06:00

If you want to see/read something that I find quite amusing, please go here.

You've probably already all seen this, but I still think it's all humorously true.

2008-08-17T19:56:00.001-06:00

you know you live in Utah if:

-your local Dairy Queen is closed from September to May.
-someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there.
-you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time.
-you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number.
-'vacation' means going anywhere south of Salt Lake City for the weekend.
-you measure distance in hours.
-you know several people who have hit a deer more than once.
-you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day.
-you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked.
-you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching.
-you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
-the speed limit on the highway is 75 mph -- you're going 80, and everyone is still passing you.
-driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
-you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction.
-you find 10 degrees 'a little chilly'.
-you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your friends.

What's in a name?

2008-08-06T09:10:00.004-06:00

If you know me at all, you know that I have headaches quite frequently, probably due to my back problems. By frequently I mean at least every 2 months. They generally last for about 3 days. Going to the chiropractor helps a little bit, but I mostly just have to wait it out. It bites the big one.

My most recent headache adventure began on Monday morning when I woke up with a pounding headache. Not the most pleasant way to start your day. I often wonder why this happens--you'd think that sleep would prevent a headache. What a conundrum.
Needless to say, I take a lot of Advil. A lot. I think my body is too used to it, in fact, to let it have any affect on me. I take it anyway, though, hoping it will help me somehow. I wasn't helping at all yesterday, however, so I took work off and decided to try a different pain reliever. I even talked to the pharmacist at Wal-Mart. I told him my situation with the Advil and he said "the next step up is Aleve." I was a bit surprised because I thought they were pretty much the same thing, but I followed his advice and bought some Aleve.
I'm still not sure if Aleve if my drug of choice because I don't know if I felt better because of it or because I went to the chiropractor. However, I am quite sure that the makes of Aleve chose the better sounding name for their pill. Think about it: Aleve sounds like relieve. Advil sounds like...? ANVIL! Who in the world would name their pain relieving medication after something that is know for smashing people in cartoons? Bad move, namers.

I will definitely keep giving Aleve a chance, even if it's only because the name sounds better than Advil.

Maybe he's no Romeo but he's my lovin' one man show

2008-07-29T11:48:00.002-06:00

Here's a picture of me with Monte. Sorry it's really blurry. This is when we were at Seaport Village in San Diego. He's a winner. It's weird that hardly any of you have met him. In fact, I believe Hayley's the only one who has. Odd. That will have to change. I'm sure you'll see a lot of him when most of us will live together in the Fall. Yay. Another cause for yaying: he cut his hair!!

On another note, Idaho was fantastic! I don't have any pictures from the trip because I didn't bring my camera, but Debbie, Hayley, and Melissa will have many many. You just wait. Here's a list of some awesome things we did:
- boating on the Palisades Reservoir (beautiful!)
- drive-in movie ("Handcock" (yes, that's how people in Driggs spell it) was really dumb)
- bonfire
- chair lift ride at Targhee resort (wonderful view of the Tetons...and Mary's Nipple)
- rodeo in Jackson Hole! (Mutton Busting is one of my new favorite things to watch)
Besides all of the great activities and company we enjoyed, Dani's father made us the best food! Breakfasts of champions and an unbelievable Mexican dinner!

I'm bored...

2008-07-21T11:16:00.002-06:00

Two names you go by:
1. Nikkerbocker
2. Sneaky Nikki
Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Khaki skirt that I ripped whilst I was trying to participate in the Pyramid at one of those Manwaring/Juarez dinners.
2. Gold flats
Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. My new phone to come in the mail
2. Graham Canyon ice cream
Two people who will fill this out:
1. Hayley!
2. Marie
Two things you did last night:
1. Flew home from San Diego
2. Played RAGE!
Two things you ate yesterday:
1. Massive bean and cheese burrito
2. A Cinnabon (both of these were at the airport)
The Last Two people you talked to:
1. Monte (through texting)
2. Hannah, my supervisor at work
Two things you are doing today (or did):
1. Having a filing party at work from 5-7. Woohoo. Not.
2. Post pictures of my trip to California
Two longest car rides:
1. Provo, UT to Ann Arbor, MI
2. Alamogordo, NM to Charleston, SC
Two favorite beverages:
1. Water
2. Pina Colada Slushee

I wish I could go back to sleep...

2008-07-19T10:37:00.003-06:00

I'm in Escondido, CA right now. I think I'm the only one in this household who is awake right now so I'm kind of bored. The beach was a good time yesterday until Monte got punctured by a stingray. On a good note, I don't think I got sunburned at all! We've all been really forgetful about taking pictures but I'll try to post some when I get back. Sorry this is so short, I know I'm pathetic.

Some glimpses of my job.

2008-06-23T11:09:00.005-06:00

Over here at Women's Services we have a pretty good time. Yes, it was more fun when Naomi worked here, but we're still very silly (thanks to Kristi). The following pictures are some things that I keep at my desk. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

This is one of my favorite comic strips--luckily it's in The Daily Universe. I thought this one was bulletin-board-worthy. Sometimes I wish relationships could be like this. Except maybe there would still be kissing. Some of you know my nickname...My boss received about 15 monkeys from this man who was in love with her. Fortunately, she gave me this one. It's really tiny so I can keep it at my desk. The best part is that when you squeeze it's tummy it whistles at you. Woot woo!
We had to clean out a section of our office last week because they're doing construction. It was pretty boring going through all of the old stuff, but it was all worth it because I found this treasure:
Who knew floppy disks were so awesome?

Dang, that hurts.

2008-06-19T13:49:00.004-06:00

This is what happened to me when I went on the Boomerang at Seven Peaks.Also, I really wish I had a picture of my face when this occurred. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it and I know that it would have brought you all much joy.

Is it just me or does it look like they're about to kiss?

2008-06-09T19:07:00.004-06:00

Very intimate indeed. I saw the first one in the Daily Universe today and had a good chuckle with myself. This is the other thing that made me laugh in the news today:
I guess he won some awesome scholarship to study at a University in China. But just look at this picture! How can anyone take Greg seriously?

Invasion!

2008-06-04T09:26:00.003-06:00

Read my review of The Host HERE
It's by the same author as the Twilight series, if you're confused.

Burnt

2008-06-03T17:49:00.002-06:00

I've started to take on the responsibility of cooking dinner twice a week for my family. I switch off with my mom and Maecy. This is only the second night I've cooked, but I can tell it's going to be rough.
Yesterday my mom and I were deciding what to make and she requested that I make barbeque chicken pizza (the same kind Deb, Ali, and I made those two times). And, since I'm such an obliging person, the ingredients were written down and purchased to day so I could make it.
Everything started out fine, except that (as usual) I was running low on time. My mom was gracious enough to grill and chop up the chicken (the part I hate doing). She's a winner. Did it in record time. I grated all of the cheeses, measured all of the sauce, put the pizzas all together, and tossed them in the oven. Set the timer for 15 minutes because the recipe said 20 and I thought that was kind of long.
After those suckahs were in the oven I went outside to check out the progress on our halfway newly paved dirt road (I know! Crazy news. I'm not sure what in the heck their thinking, but there's suddenly pavement out there). After a few minutes (I thought) I came back in to hear the buzzer going off, smoke everywhere in the house, and my mother pulling the stupid things out of the oven.
They were completely burnt. As in "you'll get cancer if you eat this" burnt. And this, my friends, is why I hate cooking. You put so much effort into a meal, turn your head for one second, and then....it's ruined. Bites the big one.

Close Proximity

2008-05-21T09:26:00.006-06:00

Everyone in my family is gone right now: parents are in Michigan visiting Tyle & Millie, MaecyKenAbby all went to Oregon for a family reunion. The result of them leaving is that I am left all alone at my parents house. I was going to sleep over at Regan apartments last night, but I was so tired that I decided to just sleep at my house by myself. Bad idea. I felt bad for the animals that I was the only one home--I didn't want them to get lonely so I left my bedroom door open. Of course, then the cat jumped on my bed and tried to sleep with me, which I can't stand. It always keeps me awake because I'm afraid of kicking him. Also, my door kept on moving back and forth because of the wind. After about an hour and a half of not sleeping I decided to kick the cat out, close the window, and shut my door. After this was accomplished it only took me about 20 minutes to go to sleep. But by then it was like 12:30 and I had to wake up at 6:45. That's just not enough sleep for me.

Anyway, I only have to be alone for one more night, so I hope I can sleep a little better. Especially since I have to pick up my parents from the airport at 11:30 p.m. on Thursday night. That will be a late night.

Here's some good news: I got another part time job! I'll be the afternoon receptionist MWF at Chrysalis, a company that hires people to take care of/hang out with disabled people. I'm a little bit nervous, which I guess is natural when you start a new job. I have a 5 hour training session tonight and I start working on Friday. Crazy.

I'm excited for the get-together at Becca's this Friday. It will be bizarre to be with all the oldies again. Bec, do you want me to bring anything?

If anyone wants to come, I'm hiking up to Timp Cave s on Saturday morning. It's kind of pricey ($7/person) but it's really fun, at least a once-every-two-years kind of experience. It's not a very hard hike, just kind of like hiking the Y. Here are some pictures of what you could be missing if you decide not to attend.

Okay, so it looks kind of creepy, but I promise it's actually really cool. Oh, and I liked Narnia: Prince Caspian. Especially the good looks of High King Peter. And someone told me I look like Susan. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

She done got me!

2008-05-14T09:30:00.002-06:00

inanechatter tagged me! Here it is.

The rules of the game: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was 11 years old, in the last month of 6th grade, the last month of elementary school ever. I was excited to move on to bigger and better things: middle school, Young Women's, playing the flute in band. Just kidding about the last one.

2. What was on my to-do list for today?
- Wake up on time
- Go to work and get things done
- Go do baptisms
- Work on my quilt
- Watch 27 Dresses with my mom
- Go to sleep by 10:30

3. What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire?
Pay off my parents debts, buy two houses (one for me, one for my parents), give my car to a poor college student and buy myself a 2-3 year old reliable vehicle, go visit Meg and Steph on Nantucket, take a few friends with me to Europe, pay for my whole mission. The list goes on...

4. 3 Bad habits
- Leaving my straightener out on the bathroom counter
- Checking Facebook 5 times a day (sometimes more)
- Eating when I'm bored.

5. Places I have lived
Provo. Yeah, that's it.

6. Places I have worked...
JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts, BYU Bookstore, BYU Women's Services & Resources

7. 3 Things people don't know about me.
- I am a huge romantic. I cry and get weak in the knees over just about anything.
- I have two massive warts on the bottom of my right foot (a few people know about this). I am trying to remove them with Compound W Fast-Acting Liquid.
- I like going camping a lot, but I'd really rather just come home and sleep in my bed.

I tag: Micky-d, Naomi, and Missy

Something for everyone...

2008-05-07T10:18:00.003-06:00

Well, here are my makeover pictures. My word, are they hideous or what? I'm blown away. For those of you who don't already know, go to this website to have some fun of your own. Go down to Beauty Secrets and click on "Get a makeover".
I call this one Natalia. What a poser.
Purply hair.
Me with black hair and blue eyes. Weird.
Whew! This one's hair is pretty hott.

Duh dada duh dah!

2008-04-22T08:40:00.004-06:00

Who knew this building could be so frightening? I'm sure it would be quite pleasant if it were to be used for other purposes. As it is, I have left this building feeling pretty worthless too many times. Today I will take my last final (economics) in the JSB auditorium. I can never decide which is worse, the testing center or that auditorium. I think the testing center is just a box of anxiety, so it's probably worse. But I hate having those mini desks in the JSB. Also, it's pretty dark in there so I have to squint to read the questions. The JSB is nicer because of it's quieter, less urgent atmosphere, however. Anyways, wish me luck! I really need to do well on this exam...

On another note, if anyone is interested in doing some relaxing yoga this spring/summer for FREE, check this out. It's outside, too!

The wonders of money...

2008-04-18T12:38:00.004-06:00

I donated plasma for the third time ever yesterday. I have always been a pretty regular blood donor, but when my sister started working at a plasma center I decided I'd give the plasma route a shot. (ha ha "a shot". Get it?). It's turned out to be pretty great because of the following reasons:
- I get to see my sister more often
- It makes me sit down and study
- I get to watch weird movies I would never otherwise view
- I get paid $30 every time I go, and it takes about an hour
All of those reasons are good, but it amazes me how much money $30 is. If I'm getting a needle put into my arm, I might as well be getting paid for it. The money I receive can pay for my phone bill for an entire month! Or it buys me groceries for 2 weeks (or more)! I can feed my show fetish better now, too! All in all, if you're eligible, I'd totally give it a try. It's across the street from DI on Columbia Lane, btw.

Wouldn't that be awful?

2008-04-11T14:31:00.002-06:00

Disclaimer: This isn't going to make you feel wonderful inside.
I had the most awful dream last night. I don't remember very much (which is typical for me) but I remember that everyone in my family died. In my dream I woke up one morning and someone showed me a newspaper whose cover story was about my family member's deaths. Apparently they were all up in the mountains somewhere just playing around in the snow. And all the sudden they were dead. I don't remember how they died, but there was a picture with all of their dead bodies lying face-up in the snow. I pretty much went into shock in my dream and started bawling uncontrollably. I woke up during this time and was quite shocked at the things my brain was making me dream. Sometimes I'm so mean to myself. How disturbing! I'm glad nothing horrible has really ever happened in my life, but I also wouldn't mind never having dreams like that again.

New Blog to Check Out!

2008-04-07T14:43:00.002-06:00

As some of you know, I work at Women's Services. We've decided to start a blog! The following link will take you to it. I wrote a new post concerning what is happening tomorrow. Read about it! It's going to be scary/fun/exciting/crazy.
Women's Services & Resources Blog

Don't go on that many "dates" in one night. And Happy Easter.

2008-03-24T11:08:00.002-06:00

It was a bad experience. You had to yell at each other in order to hear over the noise. Also, two creepy guys called me right after it was over! I have no idea how they got my phone number, but if they wanted it that bad they should have just asked me. And I would have said no. But they still should have asked.

On another note, EASTER was great. I love this holiday because I get to ponder on what the Savior has done for me. The excessive amounts of candy, however, are most unpleasant. I feel like brushing my teeth a million times still. Besides a ton (literally) of candy, we had an egg hunt in my backyard for my niece and nephew, Abby and Ian. It was so hilarious. Abby would freak out every time she found one and Ian was too busy eating the candy inside of his first egg to find any more. We took a lot of pictures, but they're on my parents camera. Perhaps I can get a hold of them to post later...

Here's a random picture to hold you over until then:

Get ready for the most dates of your life!

2008-03-19T19:24:00.002-06:00

So, at Women's Services I'm in charge of planning Speed Dating. We did it about a month ago for the first time ever and it was a huge success, in that hundreds of people showed up to participate; however, it was extremely unorganized, as we had planned for about 50 people. We're trying it again this Saturday night and I'm excited! It really is fun to plan and organize events. This time I'm color coding everything to make it user-friendly. You'd be surprised how dumb people are when you give them the simplest instructions. I think everyone will be more calm and have less questions if things are color coded. For instance, each person will be given a nametag with their name and a colored sticker. They have to sit at the group of tables that corresponds with the color of the sticker on their nametag. Genius, eh? That's what I thought. Another reason I'm glad to be planning this event is that I don't actually have to participate in it! Yea! No awkward moments for me; I'll just be running around like a mad woman. Also, I will get to ring the gong for them when their 5 minutes are up (unless someone else really wants to).
Here's the poster:

If I had a million dollars... or even just $50

2008-03-04T16:16:00.006-07:00

So, I have hardly any money right now because I just paid the deposit for my apartment for next Fall AND rent for the apartment I live in right now (with the highest utility bill I've ever had). Under the circumstances, I have been contemplating the things I would purchase right now if I had any money to be spent. Here are a few of them. Some of these items don't require money at all, but are things I'm just pining away for:

Pre-order The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Tortilla chips (Debbie, Ali, & Dani- thanks!)
Graham Canyon/Finale ice cream
Oranges (Thanks Deb and Al!)
Many a song on iTunes (Micquel got me a giftcard for my birthday!)
Comfortable & cute black shoes
A black coat
A great hug from a guy I like
A pedicure
A chat with any one of my friends (Thanks to everyone who was at the party!)
A decorative umbrella (Debbie and Ali are my heroes!)
New dress pants
Lower utility bill
More patience
A's on my Economics and Calculus finals
Love, Stargirl (Micquel got this for me, too!)
The ability to run for even just 3 miles w/out dying
Nice teeth
More iron in my blood
A brown swimskirt
More time to spend with friends
Newly Updated:
A longer attention span
The best summer job ever
A chance to watch Nanny Diaries
Motivation to play the piano more often
Less cavities
Photobooth pictures with my girls!

Man, I'm such a selfish, worldly person sometimes. At least I'm not dying to have one of these:

There are no words.

2008-02-25T16:18:00.002-07:00

Waiting for fruit to ripen is hard.

2008-02-21T18:30:00.003-07:00

You know when you are so excited because you just bought some fruit and you want to eat it because it sounds so good but you can't because it's not ripe yet? (That was a pretty good run-on sentence). Well, last week I was doing the usual grocery shopping at Macey's and just had to purchase some pears and nectarines. What delightsome fruits! I was so anxious to eat them, but just couldn't do it because they weren't ripe yet. With all of the self-control I could exert I told myself that I couldn't eat them until I got back from Idaho, when surely they'd be ripe. Right?

WRONG. They still aren't ripe. And I still want to eat them. Why do they tease me so?

On a good fruitful note, however, remember those tasty orange/tangerine/clementine things that come from Hana's backyard in California? Those were real great in Idaho. Incredible, in fact. I want more.

Here are three funny pictures dealing with animals:

2008-01-22T23:10:00.001-07:00

This sign above was in some Asian country (sorry, I don't remember which one) but the English is real good. My favorite parts: "Don't Droppings! You must teachs your dog manners. Then we are dog lovers each other."

This meerkat (I think that's what it is) was at the zoo in Alamogordo, NM, I believe. My sister, Shaylee, took this photo. Apparently he sat like this for over a half hour. What a weirdy.

This one of the cat is not as funny as one I have saved on my computer at work. I'll have to post that beauty at a later date. At least you'll have something to look forward to, eh? Just look at this fella's ample chin.

Read My Mind

2007-11-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

My friend asked me today whether I prefer being alone when I'm having a bad/sad day or if I have to feel connected to people and be around others when I'm feeling pooey. I think, looking back on my bad days, I really need to connection with others because I'm usually having a bad day because I feel alone. Talking about my concerns makes me feel a lot better, but even just being in the same room as someone, knowing they want to be in my presence, makes me feel a lot better. I find the people who are most helpful to me in those situations are my bestest friends. I'm kind of surprised it's not my family, but sometimes I just feel like I can open up to my friends better because I feel like they are going through the same situations and can really understand what's happening and why I'm feeling that way (whoa, run on sentence!). I should try to talk to my family more. They're really busy though and probably don't have time to hear about my little problems. And I'm not saying that I have all of these huge issues that I need to talk to someone about- it's just that sometimes we all have bad days and need to vent about the craziness of life.

Something I discovered today: One unfair thing I expect from those around me is that I want them to be able to just look at me and read my feelings at any given moment. I just wish people would look at me and know exactly what I needed, that I needed to be comforted, and know exactly how to do it. I definitely don't possess this extraordinary talent when it comes to any of my friends and their feelings, so I shouldn't expect it of them. But, come on, wouldn't that be amazing? Ah, only in a perfect world.

Just a little plug dealing with the gospel: I'm so thankful that I do have one person who knows exactly what I'm going through, how it makes me feel, and what to do to make me feel better. This knowledge has helped me through a lot and I wish that everyone knew of His comforting power. I know I'd have a lot more sad days if I didn't have Him.

Tagged by Mindy

2007-09-16T19:38:00.000-06:00

Jobs I've Held:
1. JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts
2. Watermelon/Corn/Other produce stand salesperson
3. BYU Bookstore- Framing Desk
4. BYU Women's Services

Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:
1. Elf
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Oh, Brother Where Art Thou
4. The Italian Job
5. 10 Things I Hate About You

Places I Have Lived:
1. Provo, Utah

Shows I Enjoy:
1. AFV
2. The Office
3. The Simpsons
4. Lost

Places I Have Been on Vacation:
1. San Diego
2. Many National Parks in Utah
3. Nauvoo
4. Michigan
5. South Carolina (I don't know if this counts as a vacation)

Favorite Foods:
1. Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
2. Those cheeseballs at Tucanos
3. Swiss Steak
4. Anything that doesn't have mushrooms, peppers, or onions

Websites I Visit (almost) Daily:
1. hotmail.com
2. byu.edu
3. facebook
4. blogs
5. wsr.byu.edu
6. pandora.com
7. istockphoto.com

Body Parts I Have Injured:
1. right ankle
2. left ankle
3. back
4. right knee
5. left knee
6. right middle finger
7. right thumb
8. right shoulder
9. joint where leg connects to hip (left)

Nicknames I Have Been Called:
1. Pike Ide Sine
2. Brain
3. Nickerbocker
4. Nickerdoodle
5. Doodle
6. Nik
7. Nikki Jo
8. Nikelobe
9. Lobe

I'm tagging (to blog this):
1. Debbie
2. Ali
3. Tye
4. Teri

Isle of Palms, South Carolina

2007-08-10T18:39:00.000-06:00

I drove to South Carolina from Alamogordo, New Mexico with Shaylee, Shawn, and Ian. This was the fun part of the 9 day trip.

2007-07-08T16:38:00.000-06:00

Debbie and I went on a fabulous trip to San Diego and the surrounding area at the end of last month. Man, was it a blast. I highly recommend the weather, relaxation, and many fun activities that the area has to offer. We went to the San Diego Zoo, which was utterly amazing. Here is a photo of Daniel, me, Sam, and Alex trying to imitate some creature (possible a meerkat).

Here is a picture of me jumping in the air at the beach. Debbie, the master photographer that she is, captured this after many failed attempts that were probably because I can't jump very high. But look at my face. So choice.

And here is a picture of me and Debbie at the San Diego temple. So gargeous. We got to go do baptisms. Sam's friend was married here the day we went (which was, essentially, the whole point of the trip).

We also had the amazing adventure of going to Tijuana, Mexico. It was my first time out of the country and I was pretty paranoid that I wouldn't be able to get back into the U.S. because I didn't have a passport. Luckily, they haven't really started enforcing that new law in that ghetto, marvelous area yet. Let me tell you, that place was crazy. Very crowded and interesting. Also quite strange to hear Spanish everywhere, instead of English. I think it was a good experience for me. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of this portion of the trip because no one dared to bring a camera to Tijuana.

Another fun thing (at least for me) that we did was go visit and stay with my cousins Mark and Paige and their 4 children. It really was fun to get to know them better and actually stay in a house again after living in a motel for 4 days. Good times.

I'm sort of glad to be back in Utah, especially because there are a lot less skanky girls, but the weather here is horrible compared to there. It is just so unbearably hot here! I'm still adjusting. I'm not taking any classes, just working a lot. It's kind of boring. I need to get a crush on a boy, or something- anything that will make my life more exciting. Any suggestions?

Finger Painting

2007-06-10T17:30:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm still alive, but I just don't have the energy to write insignificant things on this here blog when I am so engulfed in Facebook. That's right, I joined a few weeks ago and it is quite overpowering. Plus, I'm always on the computer at work, which makes me never want to look at a screen again, if I can help it. That is the reason for the lack of posts. I'll try to do better. All I have to say is that it is a great joy to be living with Debbie again. What a fantastic roommate. She even tries to not hit the snooze button as much because she is so kind (Ali, as well). I think we might stay at The Court for Fall/Winter. Big decisions, my friends, big decisions. More updates soon, maybe, if I ever actually decide anything.

I am a server of women.

2007-05-08T23:04:00.000-06:00

That's right, folks. I work at Women's Services and Resources in the Wilk on campus. The office is always full of estrogen because only females work there. It's pretty fantastic. I love my new job so much that I'm starting to hate my old job, which I am still doing (BYU Bookstore). Also, I am taking D&C 325 from a crazy Bro. Richardson who embarrasses himself in front of us all the time- on purpose. I swear it's his goal in life to make us all think he's gone mad. With every class period being 2 hours long, however, it's a relief that he keeps us awake so efficiently. I am learning some great stuff about the early history of the church and the doctrines and commandments that the saints were educated on. Basically, this term is going to be pretty fantastic. Whoa, the most important news of all: I moved to a different apartment complex, Bountiful Court, with Ali and Micquel. I have seen Micquel awake in our apartment twice. I certainly hope she decides that she has time to be friends with us still. I feel pretty lucky that I get to go on a double date with her, Jeff, and Jeff's friend tonight. Blind date for me! We'll see how that goes. I certainly hope he isn't anything like Uncle Pennybags.

Just to Appease You

2007-04-01T16:28:00.000-06:00

I totally switched this blog over to the new Google Blogger, but it doesn't think I did anymore. This whole switch over thing was supposed to be easy, I think, but I must just be retarded. I have battled it for quite some time and will continue to do so until I am satisfied.

So, General Conference was pretty amazing, wouldn't you agree? All of those talks on repentance really got me thinking. At least I don't feel complacent anymore, right? I guess that's what Conference is supposed to do for you though: make you feel uneasy so you can change to make yourself better. I am very excited to start.

I got to GO to conference for the very first time today. It was dang awesome, in the Conference Center with the prophet and everything. I think it was definitely worth all of the traffic and parking fiascos we had to deal with. Also, I got to drive my brother's Impala there- what a smooth ride! I love driving in cars that are nicer than mine.

I resolve to not be such a slacker in the blogging department, even IF no one decides to comment (that can put a damper on sharing things).