End of the Year Tag....

1. What did you do in 2008 that you had never done before? PARTICIPATED IN A 5K
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? KEPT SOME... WILL MAKE A TON FOR THIS YEAR!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? YES... WE HAVE TWO NEW NEPHEWS!!
4. Did anyone close to you die?... WE LOST AN UNCLE AND OTHERS WE KNEW
5. What countries did you visit?.. NO COUNTRIES BUT WE WILL THIS YEAR!!
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?... MORE PATIENCE AS ALWAYS
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?.... NOVEMBER 4, 2008 VOTING DAY
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?... JUST BEING CONSISTENT
9. What was your biggest failure?.... BEING LAZY
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?...NOT REALLY (THANK GOODNESS!)
11. What was the best thing you bought?....A Wii
12. Where did most of your money go?... TO BILLS OF COURSE
13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?....OUR TRIP TO DISNEY AND KNOTT'S IN OCTOBER
14. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer? A) HAPPIER FOR SURE B) FATTER? C) RICHER?
15. What do you wish you’d done more of?... RELAXED
16. What do you wish you’d done less of?....COMPLAINED
17. Did you fall in love in 2008?...EVERY DAY
18. What was your favorite TV program?....SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (LOVE THAT SHOW!)
19. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?...NOPE... SAME PEOPLE. JUST KIDDING!
20. What was the best book you read?.....TWILIGHT SERIES OF COURSE!
21. What did you want and get?....Wii FIT
22. What did you want and not get?....iPOD
23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?....HAD FRIENDS HERE FOR THE WEEKEND... TURNED 28 (NOT AS EXCITING AS WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER!)
24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?..... RECEIVING "THE CALL"
25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?.....TRYING?!
26. What kept you sane?...MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND THE GOSPEL

Post-Op Pictures

Don't look any farther if you are not good with the blood and guts.... but they are really not that bad at all......

I got my stitches out today.. and I started physical therapy the same day. Not too bad if you ask me. It was not pleasant by any means but something I knew I had to do if I wanted to continue my progress.


The surgery went well and the recovery has been going great (thank goodness!) It has not even been a full week and I am already in physical therapy, I don't use the crutches (I only used them for about 2-3 days really) and I think I am doing okay. My knee is still sore but not too bad. I have to leave these steri-strips on until Friday but then I am pretty much clear and just have to see what the physical therapy does and go back to the doctor on the 13th of January.

So far so good. I will work hard in physical therapy and who knows... there might be hope for a snowboard trip these season after all!!!

Christmas 2008

We definitely had a Christmas to remember. After having surgery the day before Christmas morning came upon us very early and with not very much excitement. This was the first time we had ever done Christmas presents in bed that is for sure. Not quite the same!

We did get some pretty fun presents though which helped numb the pain in my knee... at least for a while!

(Thanks for the ice cream maker Mike and Maile... we can't wait to make our first batch)

(I LOVE my new "U" and can't wait to add it to my wall)

After a lot of slow movements (and some pain meds) I made it out to the car and we were on our way to my mom and dad's house were we spent the rest of the day with my brother, sister-in-law, two nieces and some family friends. Overall it was a good Christmas. I hear the food was great although I didn't really have much of it.

This was a Christmas that I will always remember and hopefully one I don't have to repeat. It was one that helped me be thankful for my health and my family though.

Lights on Salt Lake

We had a great time in Salt Lake over the weekend. Besides it taking us a little longer to get there then we had planned.... We ran into the storm and spend a night in Fillmore... we had fun spending time with family and friends and seeing the lights on Temple Square and just playing in the snow. The girls, Morgan and McKenna (our nieces) especially had a good time.

Grandpa and the girls in front of a huge gingerbread house at the restaurant in the Little America Hotel where we had one of our dinners.

Mike and Holly (Dan's mom and dad) out enjoying the lights on Temple Square with us.

The three amigos.... Morgan, Garrett and McKenna. Morgan and Garrett were "buddies" all weekend and were sad to say goodbye to each other for sure!

The big group shot in front of the Temple. It was a cold night but a great way to get into the Christmas Spirit.... Rachel, Aranne, Dan, Al, Holly, Rees, Lisa, Grandpa Lowell, Grandma Donna, Scott, McKenna, Morgan and Garrett... Photo by Mike of course!

Winter Wonderland

Winter has hit the Vegas Valley and hit us HARD..... We got SNOW today. There was snow in the Valley on Monday but it didn't really stay and didn't stay at our house for sure, but today was a different story. It started snowing at about noon and is still snowing right now as I sit here and type this, and they say it could continue through the night until 4am!

This is our front yard....

Me loving the snow in the backyard.

Dan in the front yard tonight with the Christmas lights on.... You can't see any of our rock or bricks or grass... Only snow!

Check out the Snow!!! It is crazy how much is on the ground and around the streets and still coming down. So much fun but not too fun to drive in...We are home for the night!

The Forgotten Carols

We were able to attend a performance of Michael McLean's "The Forgotten Carols" tonight and I was so excited. Some friend's of ours called us at the last minute and said that they could not make it to the performance and offered us their tickets. It was so nice of them. Dan and I had actually talked about getting tickets ourselves but then never got around to doing it so this was such a great surprise. We were glad to take the tickets off of their hands.

Neither of us had ever been to a performance and weren't quite sure what to expect. We thought we were going to hear a choir sing and hear some Christmas songs, but we got a lot more. "The Forgotten Carols" is a wonderful play that Michael McLean wrote himself all about some unknown carols and stories regarding Christ's birth and people who were there and things of that nature. It is truly an amazing story. It is a show that has to be seen. We are so glad that we were able to be there and see this tonight. We left with such an amazing Spirit and it helps to remember what Christmas is really all about. This was such a great gift that our friend's were able to give to us and I am not sure that they understood they were giving it.

Weekend Wrap-up: Parties, Parties and more Parties

This weekend was one big party and it is about time. Friday night was a potluck with the ladies that come to card class and scrapbook class every week with my mom and I at my mom's house. It was small but it was nice. We had a good time and were able to just hang out and enjoy the evening.

Saturday we went to a Christmas party at our friends' Brian and Cindy's house. It was crazy. They had over 60 people in their house. It was really fun though. We ate and ate and ate, and talked and laughed. After everyone left and it was just us there we watched the Dark Knight (a good Christmas movie?)

Sunday was another party for me. The Steeler's won their game and are clinched the division title! Not everyone threw a party for this one, but over at our house we were celebrating!!!!

SPT: Joy

The SPT for this week was JOY... The best thing that I could think of was the joy that I have from being Auntie Aranne. I love all of my nieces and nephews. I feel so blessed to be able to be an aunt and to have them in my life. Some of them I see more often then others but I love them all so much. They grow up so fast and I just want them all to know how much I do love them and how happy they make me and how much JOY they bring into my life.

The newest nephew... Preston born November 26th!

Ellie Bellie.... Smart as can be and a great big sister!

Our first nephew... Benjamin. What a precious little guy. So sweet and growing so fast.

My brother's two girls. Morgan is smart and very helpful. McKenna is energetic and loves her sister to pieces.

Christmas in California

As tradition... this weekend was our annual California Christmas party. We host a party in California for all of our family and friends that we don't get to see that often anymore now that we live here in Vegas. It is a great way for us to all get together and kick off the holiday season. It was always a fun time and a busy weekend.

"Our" table... This was John and Laura Foley, Marvin and Maria Easterday, Crystal and of course Dan.

The guys trying to hide out in the kitchen... Dan, John and Marvin.

Amy C. - an old friend that I recently reconnected with via Facebook. It was great to see her again and spend time chatting the night away and catching up with each other.

All of the munchkins.... Morgan, McKenna, Arianna, and Hanna. They were excited to have their very own room this year since we had the party in the community clubhouse!

The smaller group of friends opening presents after everyone else was gone. Mom, Laura, Marvin and Maria.

The Dream

Le Reve .... The Dream.

We were able to get some tickets to see this amazing show at the Wynn and it was so worth it. It was worth going out for a 9:30 show on a work night. Worth making our friends scramble to find a baby sitter for their three kids on a school night. Worth rushing through traffic since we took too long at dinner and were almost late. Worth all of it.

It really was a great show. This was one of the shows that I had been wanting to see for a while and I am glad that I can cross it off of my list now. It was beautiful, and had so many things to see.

Christmas has arrived!

Christmas has arrived both INSIDE....

and OUT!!!

The TREE is up (okay so there are no ornaments yet. I ran out of time. But I will get them up soon, I promise!)

The NATIVITIES are everywhere. I am running out of space quickly but I love them all so much and they help us to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Now all we have to do is wait, and COUNT the days until Christmas.

December SPT : Part 1 - LOVE

I really enjoy participating in the SPT challenges. I don't always follow the rules and I don't always including myself in the pictures, but I still love to do them.

This month is no exception and I love the theme this month for sure. This month Lelly has given us a theme of Christmas Chi.

" I don't want SPT to add to the chaos. quite the opposite - i hope to continue to enjoy it throughout the holidays. to be able to find those moments throughout the season where i choose to be still. the challenge for us this month will hopefully give us an excuse to remember to care for ourselves while we are busy creating amazing holiday memories for all. take deep breaths. channel your chi. don't sacrifice the small, still moments. enjoy them! and photograph them!"

tuesday, december 2 love
tuesday, december 9 joy
tuesday, december 16 comfort
tuesday, december 23 joy
tuesday, december 30 hope

So... here we are with Tuesday, December 2nd and the topic of LOVE.... This was an easy one and I took the easy way out.

Dan and I in Utah this past summer when we attended the National Adoption Convention. He is truly the Love of my life. I can't express how much I Love him and all that he does for me. He is wonderful and I can't picture myself anywhere but with him.