Box full of Service

It was that time of year again this week when the Bishop asked us to fill a box (or two or three) for the Salvation Army with non-perishable food items. This comes around once a year and I never seem to really think about what it really means to those who are getting the items that we donate. We donate every year by just going through the pantry and seeing what we haven't used and what we don't really want anymore or what we have too much of and those items go into the box. But this year for some reason as I took the box to the Bishop's house I really was thinking about the people who were going to be receiving these items and wondering about them. I hope that my family and I are never on the receiving end and that we always have "enough". We are blessed to be able to donate and to give of what we have to those who do not have enough. I hope that my contribution will help someone out and make a difference in their life, because they made a difference in mine.

Dance till you drop

So as I sit here and post this I have to hurry or I will be late and this post will be false.

Today is my last class for the month and then I will have officially made it through my first month of my stretch and exercise class. I am very proud of myself. I already take Tap and Jazz classes once a week but my teacher also teaches a S&E class on M/W/F and said I should come. I thought it was a great idea until the first Monday morning. But I have struggled through and feel a lot better every day that I go. Sometimes it is hard to get motivated and actually get there but once I do my day goes so much better and I am glad that I went. So I am off to my last class for the month, and then it will start all over.

I love my teacher. She is such a good example and so fun and so great to just be around. I also like the people in both of my classes. I am making good friends and I think that is part of the reason why I enjoy going too. It makes me feel good to be there and I am also doing something good for my body at the same time. Two points for me, YEAH!

Date Night

Tonight we went to the Temple with FSA. It wasn't a very good turnout since as far as we could tell we were the only couple there from FSA. But we had a great time going and being there together, and we know that we were doing what we should be doing and doing our part in participating in FSA. We know we will be blessed for our efforts and that is important to us. Hopefully next month more couples will be there but if not, it will be Dan and I alone once again and that is alright too.

BREAKING NEWS!

A fourth book is on it's way! That's right you heard me. This summer Stephanie Meyer is releasing another book in the Twilight series and it will be out on August 2nd.


Bigger news that that. I have found out information about the upcoming movie they are making about the books. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself.



Take a look here if you want a little more info but I will just give you a quick run down.


Robert Pattinson as Edward


Peter Facinelli as Carlisle


Nikki Reed as Rosalie


Kristen Stewart as Bella


Kellan Lutz as Emmett


Jackson Rathborne as Jasper


Elizabeth Reaser as Esme


Ashley Greene as Alice


Now the only person we have to wonder about is Jacob, no word on him yet!

So is this what you thought they all looked like or what? I totally pictured Carlisle older. I mean I know they don't age, but he is still the dad after all. Other than that they all look great to me.

This is going to be great and I will be there opening night for sure. Dan will probably hate the movie but who cares!

Our new favorite store

So this year we are trying to be healthier, make more earth friendly choices and just "do better". Well in keeping with this theme we have found our new favorite grocery store. It sort of goes along the whole Trader Joe's concept but not so dramatic. They have really good, natural, healthy foods, some organic stuff but it is all really fresh (hence the name Fresh and Easy) but they don't go overboard like Trader Joe's tends to do. They also have normal stuff like Mac n'cheese (Dan's must-have) and cereals and stuff like that.

We still do a lot of shopping at the local grocery store but it is great for salad stuffs, and vegetables and fruits and breads (oh, they have the best fresh-baked breads) and good for you stuff like that. And the best part is that they built one just down the street so I can decide what we are having for dinner and then if I need something I can just run and pick it up for the night. It is fabulous. I love it and will be frequenting it a lot for sure.

Cards for Charity

Over the last two weeks we have been working on cards at card class for Ronald McDonald House. What we did was make 24 cards (4 of 6 different designs) and we kept 12 for ourselves and sent 12 to Ronald McDonald House. By the time we were done with both days of cards we had a box full of cards ready to be sent off to the House and it was over 50+ cards we had made for them.

It is nice to be involved with a company that works with charities that are doing such good for others. Not only do we have fun making the cards and just being together but it is nice to know that we are also doing it for a good cause.

But it's soooo good

I cheated today and drank a Red Bull. I haven't had one in FOREVER! It is not really by choice but more under doctor's orders. Ever since the beginning of last summer I have had to severely cut back (if not totally eliminate) the amount of caffeine that I consume. And for me that was a big change. I went from at least one Red Bull a day, with a few sodas mixed in, to no Red Bull and probably about 5 sodas total since the day he told me to quit. I would say I am doing really good. I now only drink caffeine free soda, water, juice, milk, etc. and no Red Bull for sure. But some days I just have this overwhelming urge and NEED the caffeine. Today was one of those days. I saw the can sitting in the fridge at my mom's house and I could not resist the temptation. I went for it. I will probably pay for it later tonight or tomorrow with a headache since my body is no longer use to it, but boy did it taste wonderful on the way down.

The REALITY of it all

Okay our TV is officially broken! We called Directv and they can't come out until TOMORROW! What am I going to do?

We had a few days of really bad wind (of course) and now we get no local channels. We do get the cable stations, after a few times of re-setting it, but still no local channels. So this means no October Road, no One Tree Hill, Lost, Gossip Girl, Friday Night Lights, Ellen, Oprah, my new show Eli Stone and then of course none of my reality shows.... Three nights of American Idol, three nights of Big Brother 9 and of course Survivor. Real World/Road Challenge is the only thing I can watch because it is on MTV.

This may not be upsetting to some people but to me it is life altering. I have found some of the shows available in full episodes online, but it is not the same. I have to watch them a day later and I don't get the full affect on the computer. And some of the shows are not available online. Directv needs to hurry and fix my TV!!!!!

New Clothes

I almost forgot about one of the best parts about our trip to Utah until I went to put on a dress and then I saw them.... MY NEW CLOTHES!!! I don't know how I could have forgotten about them, they are so fab-u-lous.



Compliments of this great store.



So here is the deal. I found out about Down East Basics a little over a year ago while visiting Utah and since then have been having to do all of my purchases on-line. And while I am sure that Dan says I have found plenty to buy that way it is not the easiest thing to do. You never know if you are getting the right size, or if it is going to look that way on your, etc. etc. So I have stuck with the basic shirt pretty much. WELL NO MORE!!!! While on our way to Brian Head we stopped in St. George and stumbled upon the mecca of Down East stores. There is a huge store right there and we made great use of it, let me tell you. Dan said that it was one more reason we don't live in Utah! I told him it was one more reason we had to make more trips to visit his family! Anyways... I got some great purchases since they were having an awesome "end of season sale" and since everything was so dang cute to begin with and now my closet is happy once again (my bank - not so much)!

Totally RAD Dance

Las night we went to an FSA function and it was "TOTALLY RAD". It was an 80's themed couples dance (in honor of Valentine's Day). We were on the planning committee again so we knew what was coming but could not have expected the total chaos that ensued. It was out of control. There was a band belting out 80's love songs (just think Wedding Singer), there was a bubble machine in the background, we had a chocolate fountain for desserts, we played the dating game (Dan and I won... don't ask me how), and then there were the outfits.



These pictures were taken at our "Prom style" photo booth we had set up.



The entire night was a blast. It was fun to see the people who had come dressed up and also see the others who hadn't and see the look on the face and see that they wish they had come dressed up! It was again another fun event and fun to get to know some of the other couples even better. We enjoy being part of the group and putting these events together and then enjoying them and seeing them turn out well.

TAXES!

We went to get our taxes done (started) today....



I HATE TAXES!

I HATE OWNING OUR OWN BUSINESS!

THE END.

Package Day!

The day finally arrived where I got my package from my travel swap that I did! It was so exciting... First let me show you what I did. It was really hard for me as this was my first swap and I didn't really know what I was doing but I had fun coming up with the ideas and putting it all together.


This is a calendar that I made with different contries / states on every month that have something to do with that month. For example, May has Mexico on it for Cinco de Mayo. March has Ireland for St. Patrick's Day... You get the idea!


This is a journal that I made. It is chipboard that I covered with this fun travel paper, then I used rub-ons and put the little saying on the front that says "Life Every Moment - Adventure".


This is a photo holder (you can't see the holders in the picture, they are on "wish" and "were") that is made from coasters. It was just something fun that she could use for pictures on her desk.



NOW.... this is the box that I got in return. She did a much better job with the presentation that is for sure. I just stuffed mine in a box and sent in on its way. Mental note for next time that I need to do better in that area for sure. Doesn't it look exciting?


This is the total contents of the box. I got a Mickey bag that had a cute "airplane emergency kit" in it. I got a Jane Austen book for reading while I am traveling. I got tons of cool postage stamps to use in scapbooking or on cards. I got lots of neat European candies to try. She made me a photo/trinket holder. She also made me some postcards.



I loved all of the gifts, but I think that the "homemade" postcards are my favorite. They are real pictures that she took and made into postcards. She has obviously been to these places so on the back she wrote a little hint about each place and then my name and address is already printed on there too. They are fabulous. I really, really like them.

This was a fun swap and I hope that I will be able to do another one and stretch my creative brain a little more. Hope Christine liked what I sent her because I liked what I got!

Be KIND

It is "Random Acts of Kindness Week" and so I hope we can all take a few minutes and do something nice and unexpected for someone (or for lots of people) this week. It is always nice to be remembered and to let others know you think of them and that you care for them. I took a little bit of time out during my recent trip and made a few cards for some special people just wanting to acknowledge them and let them know how special they are to me and that they really do bring something special into my life. I hope that they have a great week and know that I am thinking of them and I also hope it will encourage them to "Pass it On" and do something nice for someone else.


These are the cards that I send out... Just a little something to say HI!!!

Brian Head or Bust!

We went to Brian Head on Wednesday to celebrate our anniversary and also just to get away and spend some time in the snow and go snowboarding. WOW.. did we ever get to see some snow. There was TONS of it that is for sure! We had a great time. Here is the run-down...

Wednesday - Arrived at Cedar Breaks Lodge and Spa. What a great place. We walked to the lifts we were so close. AMAZING! Walked around and just took a look at what there was to do. Had dinner in the cafe and went swimming that night.

Thursday - Full day of snowboarding. Worn out! Relaxed that night with a dip in the spa and also watched "Lost" and the season premire of "Survivor". (Hey we might be on vacation but we can't miss our shows you know!)

Friday - Dan went snowboarding again in the morning. I stayed in the room and just relaxed. I met him for lunch and people watched for a little while. That afternoon we went snowmobiling. My first time, Dan's second. It was fun but our group was quite a disaster. We had falls, a girl pass out, and someone run out of gas! Decided to have dinner in Cedar City so we drove down the mountain to have "Wingers".

Saturday - Time to leave. We were sad to go but it is always nice to come back home. We just know that it is something we will definitely do again and maybe not wait another 6 years for.

I did it

I finally got my package out in the mail today. I decided in the middle of January that I was going to send a Book of Mormon to a special person in my life. I then decided that I would continue to send little bits of inspiration every month (the Visiting Teaching message, Quotes on certain topics, copy of the talks from Conference, etc.) all year long. It took me this a while to get the initial Book and letter together but I finally found the time to get it all together and get the first package out into the mail. So, I am a little behind but I think I will do better this month and hope I can keep it up all year. Now... lets just hope it is well received and they take some time to read what I send and ponder it in their hearts. I know they believe it is just hard for them to put it into action. Hey... that is the hard part for most of us!

Take the Challenge if you DARE

I saw this on my sister-in-laws blog and had to lift it from her and share it on my page too. It is such a great idea and also a great cause. Hope she doesn't mind!?

As most of you know, our beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley passed away at the age of 97.

I was thinking of how I could honor his legacy and I came up with an idea. My friend and I have created a challenge for those willing to accept it: Read the Book of Mormon in 97 days. We are trying to get everyone to start on the same day. Here are the details:

Go to www.hinckleychallenge.com and create an account (free, of course).
On Feb 4, 2008 (the Monday following the funeral) have an FHE lesson on the Book of Mormon and begin your reading!
Each day you read, record what page number you are on by going to www.hinckleychallenge.com.

We would like this challenge to be heard all around the world! Please forward this message to everyone you know. We would love to see over 1 million pages of the Book of Mormon read by the time this challenge has ended.

P.S. You can always see an updated list of those who have accepted the challenge by clicking here


I thought this was such a great idea and a way to get a head start on the reading for the year (since we are studing the BOM anyways) so what a better way to honor the Prophet, do our reading for the year and study the scriptures as we should all in one great cause!

I am putting our progress on the sidebard so we will be held accountable...

6 Years and Counting

Today is our ANNIVERSARY. Six whole years. I know it may not seem that long to some people and it doesn't seem LOOOOONG to us but it just doesn't seem possible that we really have been married for six years. We are enjoying life and each other so much and we really can't wait for the next chapter to start in our adventure together. We hope that it will be with the addition of a baby into our lives but only Heavenly Father knows when that will happen and we just have to be patient.

Today we celebtrated with the J's, "Juno" and Joe's that is, in our traditional yellow outfits of course. Yellow being the color of our wedding you know and we must represent it on our anniversary (a little tradition that we have, I love it, Dan.... not so much but he does it for me!) We went and saw "JUNO" (for the second time I might add). We both absolutely love this movie. Somewhat because we can totally relate and somewhat because it is just a really funny, well-written, movie. If you haven't seen this one it is a must. Two thumbs up and real go-getter for sure. Then we were off to Joe's Crab Shack of course for there Coconut Shrimp - Enough said on that. I finished off the plate with no problems and loved every last bite. I am stuffed now but that is besides the point. So we had a great night and look forward to a great year hopefully full of surprises and new adventures to come.

Reunited

We "attended" (via satellite) the funeral of President Gordon B. Hinckley this morning. It was sad to know that he really is gone and we will no longer be able to see the smile on his face and hear just uplifting and positive things from him but at the same time it is nice to know that he is able to be reunited to his wonderful wife Marjorie. He has been longing for that.

The funeral was nice but the best part was just being able to look at old shots of the prophet and remember all of the fabulous things that he has been able to do while here on the earth. Truely amazing. Some of the statistics that were brought to our attention were: one-third of the members today were baptized while he was prophet (I am in that one-third), there were only 42+/- temples when he became prophet and there are now 125+/-. Just that alone is incredible not to mention the numerous books he has written and talks he have given and the many, many missionary trips he has made throughout his life. But the most important thing that he has taught me as I watched a glimpse of his life today was the love and he had for others, his family and most importantly for his wife. He loved her with all of his heart and not a day went by that he did not miss her once she left this earth before him. I am sure he is very happy now to be by herside once more.

May we all be so lucky to be able to spend as much time together with our spouses as the Hinckley's did together and may we be able to spread the example of love to our families as they have spread that example not only to their families (including 66 great-grandchildren) but to the world.

Thanks Phil

Good old Punxsutawney Phil came out of hiding today and let us know there will be six more weeks of Winter! That is good news for the snowboarder in us but bad when it comes to the fact that I really don't do cold weather very well. Some days I just sit inside and dream of that HOT Nevada sun, but I guess I will have to wait just a little bit longer. But soon enough I will be wishing once again for winter. So until the sun comes out and starts shinning I guess I will not put away the long sleeves, or jackets, or gloves, or beanies that I have become use to.

Before I die

Last night Dan and I went out to dinner (TGI Friday) and then went to a movie. We saw "The Bucket List". It was a sweet movie and kinda funny. It was not my favorite movie ever but it got me thinking. It made me think about how I am spending my life now and whether or not I am making good use of the time that I have here on the earth. They knew when they were going to die (hope I don't spoil the movie if you haven't seen it yet) but most of us don't have any idea. There was a part in the movie where they talk about the conditions of getting into heaven were only two questions: 1. Is my life joyful? and 2. Do I bring joy to others? I hope that I will be able to answer "YES" to both of those questions when my day comes.

The second topic of the movie has to do with doing all that you can in life and living each day to the fullest. That is where the "Bucket List" comes in. The list of things you want to do/accomplish before you "kick the bucket". That part really struck me. There are a ton of things that I want to do and hope I will have the chance to do them. I have made my own list of sorts and hope that I will be able to start crossing things off now and not wait until one day when I am old and gray and look back and think "I wish I would have..." NO REGRETS!

Part of my list:
Eat pizza in Italy
See Big Ben
Run in a marathon (or at least a half marathon)
Go whitewater rafting
Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity

There are lots of big things on my list but also lots of small things... I hope that I will be able to do them all and then start my list over again.

Get LOST

Last night LOST finally came back on TV. After MONTHS and MONTHS of waiting we were glued to the TV. The episode was great and left you wanting more that is for sure. The sad part is that they only have 8 episodes instead of the regular 16 of a season becuase of the dumb writer's strike. But for now I will just sit back and enjoy the episodes that they have and hope that there are more to come. I can't wait to find out what happens next!