If This is the Scenery in Hawaii...

I want a one-way ticket to the beach!

Peaches, Peaches, Peaches!

For the past couple of years, I've wanted to hit up Peach Days in Brigham City.  Peaches are one of my favorite fruits, so what's better than going to a festival that celebrates them?!

Well, I didn't make it to the festival - it was last weekend.  But luckily, peach stands are open for weeks after.  I got this idea in my head that I wanted to go to Brigham City and get some peaches, then go to Maddox's for lunch - so I convinced some of my family to go with me, mwua-ha-ha-ha!!  :)

A friend at work recommended that I go by a place called Pettingill's, so we trekked up there, and got there just in time for two trucks to pull up with trailers of freshly picked peaches!

YUMMY!  We hung around for a while and let the kids play...

Then went down the street to Maddox's for some ridiculously delicious food.  The rolls and raspberry butter... steak... corn on the cob... and the peach pie?  TO. DIE. FOR.  Seriously, it's worth the drive out there, do it!

You know you want to.

Me from A to Z

I stole this idea from Mug - sounded like fun.

If you are a reader, re-post. This is a fun way to get to know followers and bloggers.


A. Age: 35

B. Bed size: Full.  Someday I will own a California King, though!

C. Chore that you hate: Laundry.  I put off laundry for as long as I can get away with!

D. Dogs: Indy and Bo.  Most neurotic dogs EVER.

E. Essential start to your day: Hitting the snooze button on my alarm 8 times.

F. Favorite color: I used to think my favorite color was blue.  Then it was green.  Then red, followed by   yellow.  After looking in my closet, it turns out it's white, gray and black.

G. Gold or Silver: Silver.  I own a lot of it. 

H. Height: I don't know, somewhere between 5'6″ and 5'7".  I think.

I. Instruments you play: Violin, piano, cello... oh wait, you mean in reality?  None.

J. Job title: Desk jockey.

K. Kids: I love them.  I don't own any, but I will someday.

L. Live: M-Town.  Midvale.

M. Mother’s name: Which name?  Mom?  Soogs?  Muti?

N. Nicknames: Mel, Mellie, Melouise... and my most famous, Meloo (check the photo at the top of my blog.)

O. Overnight hospital stays: Not a fan, but it has been known to happen.

P. Pet peeves: My noisy downstairs neighbor, when someone parks in my spot at home (if I didn't already tell them they could), and when my dogs poop on the sidewalk (GA-ROSS)

Q. Quote from a movie: Seriously?  Just one quote from one movie?  You do know I'm a Sloan, right?  Movie quotes is how we communicate.

R. Right or left handed: Righty.

S. Siblings: Lots.  And a few in-laws.  I like 'em all.

U. Ultimate Vacation:

            Need I say more?

V. Vegetable you hate: Beets.  They make me cry.

W. What makes you run late: My morning ritual of Facebook stalking.  I know, I know, I'm seeking help.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: You mean other than at the dentist?  I might have had one when I was fourteen, after getting hit by a car and landing in the hospital for three days... Long story.

Y. Yummy food that you make: Enchilada chicken in the crock pot, and my version of fruit salad ROCKS.

Z. Zoo animal: Lions.


TAG!  You're it!

Obsession

Do you ever get obsessed with anything?  Or anyone?  Things that make you drool... or get really giddy... or lose sleep?  I do... but we're not getting into human (or vampire) obsessions right now.  We're getting into technology obsessions.

Come mid-October, I WILL own this:

A 32GB White iPad2.  I found out not too long ago that I'm getting a nice bonus at work, so I've decided to do my 50/50 rule:  50% responsible and 50% totally frivolous.  In this case, it might end up to be a little more than 50% frivolous, but ask me if I care!? 

It's so close, I can almost taste it...

North & South

A couple of years ago, my good friend Holly gave me a copy of a movie called North & South as a gift.  It gathered dust on my shelf forever, and I glanced at it every now and then thinking I needed to watch it.  I sort-of forgot about it until my sister Marianne watched it recently and loved it, and told me I should watch it.  I knew it wasn't exactly Jane Austen, and I'd heard from other friends that it was slow and boring... but when my sister Kate watched it and loved it, I made a goal to watch it.

And now I'm into this guy.

It's a very Elizabeth Bennett/Mr. Darcy type of story, with hints of social ranking.  But more than that, it's a very compelling insight into the industrial revolution of the time, with a little religious and political controversy.  Definitely worth the watch - and now I might have to read the book.  (Backwards, I know.)

Watch it.  You know you want to.

Playing Catch-up for the Past... Well, it's Been a While

Hellllloooo out there in blogger-land!  It's late, I'm tired (this is very familiar...) so this will be a short first-post-back.

The past year and a half have been... well, busy, to say the least.  My (not-so-new anymore) job has been insane and awesome at the same time.  It's been a rocky year at work, but I think I'm finding my niche, finally.  I still spend many late nights at the office, have so many stacks of work on my desk that they could all support a skyscraper, and can't seem to find enough time in the day to get everything done.  But I work for and with some incredible people... so it's totally worth it.

Just a few highlights... in the past 18 months, I have...

Gotten a new nephew (Westen Paul, now 1 year old - this is during a recent camping trip.  Boy that kid loves dirt.)

And a new sister-in-law, Kali.  She's awesome.


I also went to California for Addie's first trip to Disneyland!  Sadly, I sucked at taking pictures of her with my point-and-shoot camera, they were mostly with my phone.  Lame.  But I was there the other day when she rode a pony!

 
You can tell that's a real pony by the look on her face.  She LOVED it.

The last year and a half has been filled with so many ups and downs, it was like an emotional ride up and down Mount Everest on a tube.  Scary.  But I lived. 

PHEW.

Under Constuction

I've decided to start blogging again.  Stay tuned. 

Life in the Fast Lane

There should be a saying about life being in the warp-speed lane.

I know, it's been THREE months since I last posted! It's ridiculous. At first I was just lazy and had nothing going on, but over the last few months, life has sped up. Just a few highlights (because there's no way I can remember everything) of what's been happening: In February, I turned 34. Last night I went to a singles activity that was eerily like the Stake Dances of old - down to the music. I danced with a good-looking guy to Alphaville's "Forever Young" and I was able to say it took me back 20 years. Seriously, I felt like I was 14 again. Except I bumped into the younger brother of a very good friend from high school, and he was probably only about 10 when I was going to Stake Dances - so now I feel old.

In March, we found out that Addie is going to have a baby brother! It's so exciting, thinking of having another baby in the family. It's a bit odd, too... because my world revolves around THIS kid so much!




But I'm so excited to have a nephew sometime at the end of July or beginning of August. I can't wait!

In April, I got promoted at work. YESSSS. It finally happened. I was so excited (and heartbroken) when my friend Emily told me she was leaving to accept a position with another firm; I was going to miss her like crazy! (It's been two weeks now, and I DO miss her like crazy. Is it weird to have separation anxiety with a co-worker? Nah, not a co-worker - a FRIEND. One of the best.) Anyway, the attorneys she worked for requested ME as her replacement - ME?!? Are you kidding me? I guess it took some prodding from them to get the "powers that be" to be okay with moving me into this position. I've been with the same firm for 7 1/2 years - 3 1/2 as a file clerk and 4 as a project assistant. Now comes a new chapter - I am a legal secretary to four attorneys. With this comes a loss of certain freedoms (I kind-of liked being my own entity as a project assistant, responsible only to myself and my supervisor, and not having to answer to any specific attorney), and it also comes with greater responsibility. But with that responsibility comes knowledge and experience - and a giant pay raise. NICE. It's been a great learning experience so far, and it'll be even better when they hire someone to take my old position. Right now I'm doing both jobs, and it's exhausting. I haven't even had time to make it to the gym! The overtime pay will be nice, though, and there's always Indy and Bo who wait for me to get home so we can go for a walk, so at least I'm getting a LITTLE exercise.

That's it, in a nutshell. I'm sure I'll think of more stuff, but right now I'm tired and my bed is calling my name. I'd say I'll try to be better about posting, but I can't make any promises.

Maybe I'll just surprise you all. :)

Blood Drive

Have any of you ever donated blood? I did once or twice, about 15 years ago. The next time I tried to go, I was told I wasn't eligible because of a medication that I'd been taking. So - I assumed that I wouldn't be able to do it ever again, because I still take the medication. So, for around 15 years, I've passed up the opportunity to donate blood when the occasion came up, thinking I wasn't eligible.

Turns out, I am!

There's a law firm in my building that does a blood drive every year. An invitation to sign up went around the office early this week, and I sadly deleted it. Then, a friend at work approached me and asked if I'd sign up with her. I told her I couldn't because of my medications - but then I got thinking, what if things have changed? I decided to call the Red Cross and ask if I was able to donate blood with the medications I take. After a short conversation, I learned that YES - I can participate in blood drives! I was so excited. With images of the devastation in Haiti floating around in my mind, I called the law firm in the building that was doing the blood drive and made an appointment. So I marched down there today, and proudly gave a bunch of blood. Needles don't bother me, so I sat there happily for approximately 7 minutes with a needle in my arm. (I'm weird, you all know this about me.) I didn't pass out or get woozy or anything!

And now I have a bandage on my arm and a giant headache, but I like the idea that I helped save someone, somewhere, who needs blood. :)

Sabbatical

Coming back to work after 2 1/2 weeks off is... tiring. Note to self: prepare better, mentally, before coming back into the office after an extended absence.

Where I work, we get the opportunity to take up to 7 weeks off as a sabbatical, after having completed 7 years of employment. Since I completed 7 years this past November, I became eligible to take a sabbatical; but in my current position, I couldn't take that much time off without being a huge burden on my co-workers, not to mention the fact that I'd come back to not just a mountain, but a whole mountain RANGE of paper piled on my desk. So, I split my time off into two parts, the first of which I took December 17 to January 4, and the other I will take in the Spring. To say I was stressed about taking time off work is an understatement - I'm surprised I still have any hair, since I seemed to constantly be pulling it out trying to get ready to be away for over 2 weeks. I worked hard to make sure I had processes in place and people lined up to help so I didn't have to worry while I was gone. I learned that I'm a control freak when it comes to my job, who knew??

Most people do something noteworthy with their time off - travel to Europe, go salmon fishing in Alaska, take a cruise, or go on an extended road trip. But I didn't do any of that! Since it was the Holidays, I hung around home and went shopping, ate, played with Addie, ate, watched NCIS, ate, cleaned a little, ate, hung out with family, and went to the Cheesecake Factory and ate some more. For those that haven't splurged on this yet, Red Velvet Cheesecake is a slice of pure heaven - TOTALLY worth the calories and fat!

Anyhow, my time off was very relaxing and low-key - I loved every minute of it. And when I got to work today (30 minutes late, because I have to get used to being back on a schedule again!), I found over 700 e-mails waiting for me - but it took me less than two hours to sort through them all, and my desk was as clean as it was when I left - other than a few stacks of paper. I discovered that everything had gone smoothly, with few (if any) complications, thanks to Mug - she really saved me, and made my vacation worry-free! I owe you, Mug! You are the BEST!

Now I can look forward to the next half of my sabbatical. Is it April yet??!?

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

I was all prepared to apologize for my lack of posts this month, but - I really have no excuse. I haven't been at work since mid-December, and I don't go back until the first week in January. Truthfully - I've just REALLY been enjoying my time off! (A little TOO much, I'm afraid; I've gained back 3 or 4 of the 40 pounds I lost!! ACK!!) I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and is getting ready to welcome a new year!

This past month has been a time of reflection for me. A time when I really thought about what truly makes me happy. With all sorts of turmoil churning around us in this day and age, and this incredible country, it's so easy to get discouraged. SO easy.

So, in an effort to be more positive (especially around this time of year), I've made a list of things that make me feel happy and grateful.

Who cares about warring news stations and reality T.V.?? I could watch Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly and Sean Murray for hours! (And I DO watch them for hours. My brother gave me seasons 3, 4 and 5 of NCIS for Christmas. Woo-Hoo!!!) Don't get me wrong, I'm all about keeping up with current events; but let's be honest, NCIS makes me happy.

AAHHHH. The beach. The beach makes me happy. Especially if the sun is high and the sand is warm. This shot was taken almost 5 years ago in Laie, on Oahu, Hawaii. We truly live in an amazing country - I feel incredibly blessed to be able to experience a few things that the world has to offer, like sun, sand and water - and shave ice from Matsumotos. MMMMMM.

Coke with lime. Preferably from the Blue Iguana in Downtown SLC. Now, I could drink it all day every day and die happy. Of course, if that's all I ate or drank, I'd die young. But OH, I'd be happy! If it were medically safe (and sanitary), I'd drag an IV full of this stuff around with me.

Chocolate. Chocolate milkshakes, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Ritter Sport chocolate, chocolate macadamias, hot chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate milk, chocolate cream pies, chocolate oranges, chocolate cherries. Just thinking about chocolate makes me happy!

My family makes me happy. My parents, wacky brothers, incredible sisters, wonderful uncles and aunts, and the most awesome cousins ever. I LOVE my family, more than I could ever express! And I really shouldn't play favorites, but - I guess I can say that I have a favorite niece! She puts a big smile on my face and melts my heart whenever I see her. I would do anything for this kid.

The temple makes me happy. I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to go to the temple and serve every week. The gratitude I feel every time I walk in the doors is overwhelming. It makes me so happy to know that families can be together forever, thanks to temples, and I am so thankful for the Gospel in my life. I wish I could adequately express how much I love the temple, the Gospel, and the Book of Mormon.

What makes me happiest of all, is my Savior, Jesus Christ. My whole life, I've been taught about His birth, His life and ministry, the Atonement, and His crucifixion. But the older I get, the more it means to me. The more I study the Book of Mormon, the more I learn about Him. I was listening to some of the words to "O Holy Night" and they really got to me: "Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love, and the gospel is peace. Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother; and in His name, all oppression shall cease." Indeed, His law IS love, and the Gospel is peace. And I've found that THAT is where true happiness lies. :)

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

Camera-less

Happy December! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My weekend was... well, pretty perfect, actually! Very relaxing and low-key. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the feast to post, as my camera has fritzed out... I am camera-less right now, and it is SO frustrating. Tonight I was driving home from work, and caught a glimpse of an incredible yellow moon rising over the Mount Olympus, and my first reflex was to grab my camera and get a shot of it; but alas... my camera is sitting on my desk collecting dust. ARGH.

In the meantime, I stole this shot from my brother Mike.

MMMMMMMM.... My mom's apple pie. One of the best things about Thanksgiving - AND Christmas - in my family. I'd peel an orchard full of apples for this stuff!

I Feel Like a Traitor.

When I read the Twilight books, I was ALL about Edward. I know, pretty much everyone was - with a few exceptions. I have a friend at work who liked Jacob better in the books. I wondered how ANYONE could EVER prefer obnoxious Jacob over beautiful Edward.

Now I know.

Seriously, can I switch my 'Team Edward' shirt for a 'Team Jacob' shirt??

Obviously I saw New Moon over the weekend, and while it was over-the-top cheesy and dramatic, I came away with a (dirty-old-lady, as Mug puts it) crush on Taylor Lautner. He's all I hear about when I hear people talk about the movie, and OH MAN - so worth it. But, as my sister Kate reminded me, I am 15 years older than the kid. (Thanks for the reality check, Kate.) He's still fun to look at, though. In the books he was whiny and obnoxious and Edward was selfless and beautiful. They kinda swapped roles in the movie, I thought - Edward was whiny and dramatic, and Jacob was... *drool* I almost want them to change the movies so Bella picks Jacob instead of Edward.

Almost.

So Over It

Good grief, is it the middle of November ALREADY??!? It's Thanksgiving next week, I can't believe it!! Guess I better get busy making apple pie filling!

I have SUCKED at life today. No, I take that back, I'm just really annoyed. And there is good reason for it - the Panguitch police are out to get me. (Or it's just PMS.) While travelling home from Phoenix last month, I got a speeding ticket going through Panguitch. My speedometer said I was going 38 in a 35, but the stupid cop said he clocked me at 45 in a 35. Well duh, the speed limit was 45 coming into town! When I saw the sign that said 35mph, I began to slow down; apparently not quick enough, though. So he gave me a ticket, not even listening to my reasoning, and I sat and bawled for ten minutes after he left. (My poor parents didn't know what to do, I was a wreck.) I decided to call Prepaid Legal (BEST SERVICE EVER, if you're interested let me know), and an attorney there went to bat for me at the Panguitch Court. She called and tried to file a Plea & Abeyance (which means I'd pay $50 extra, and not get any traffic citations for 3 months, then they'd wipe the offense off my record); but I found out today that the judge denied my request, saying that I had to have a clean record for three years before he'd consider a plea, and I'd gotten a speeding ticket in SLC about 6 weeks before (which I deserved, I admit). The attorney reasoned that before that, I hadn't gotten a speeding ticket in over NINE years. But the judge still said no, he "saw a speeding pattern emerging" and wanted nothing to do with me. Damn you, you money-grubbing Panguitch bast - uh, jerks! (Pardon my language, I was really upset.) So, I'm stuck with another $90 ticket and more points marked on my record, and zero respect for Panguitch Police and Courts.

SO OVER IT. I'll follow the wise advice of my brother Mike, and not waste any more mental energy on it, and just hope that all that happened for a reason.

ANYWAY, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of my Halloween costume from this year - one of the best yet!

PIRATE! Not bad, huh? This was compliments of my good friend Holly, who is an amazing seamstress with an awesome imagination - and a VERY good friend to lend me this amazing costume. So much fun. Mar, Muti and Dan came for the festivities at my office, and they brought Addie with them. She is such a character. I baby-sat Addie for a few hours last Saturday night, and she seriously cracks me up. She combed my hair, watched Surf's Up with me, and played hide-and-seek with me. Apparently, one of her favorite places to hang out is under the end-table by the couch:

I told her to say "cheese" and that's the shot I got. She melts my heart! I'm such a sucker for this kid, seriously. She makes me forget all about the Panguitch nut jobs and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Aawwww...

This Calls For a Celebration!

WARNING: Long rant ahead!!

Not too long ago, I was having a conversation with an old acquaintance from when I was growing up. She asked where I was working these days, and I told her that I worked as a Case Assistant for a law firm in Downtown SLC. She asked the usual questions - what was the firm called, where is it located, do you know so-and-so, and then she asked how long I'd worked there. I've been thinking about my reply ever since.

7 years. 7! SEVEN! S-E-V-E-N.

This is a big deal to me, because I've never worked ANYWHERE longer than 3 or 4 years. In high school I worked at a Chinese fast-food place in the mall for all of 3 months, and then at a dry cleaner for about 6-8 months. I worked at a Deseret Book retail store for 3 1/2 years, and at their corporate office for 6 months. I worked for Franklin Covey as a receptionist for 2 years, and then as a Certification Coordinator for two years. Then I came here, to my current job at a law firm, and... I'm still here! And I have no intention of leaving anytime soon. Partly because of the current job market, and partly because... well, the more I look elsewhere for jobs, the more I realize how good I have it where I am. I've had my ups and downs - anyone that knows me knows that I've looked for other jobs the past few years because I was feeling kinda "stuck" in my current job. So I went out looking for greener pastures. But the closest I came was a field with a few green weeds. Nothing could really compare to my current job's benefits and compensation programs. Not to mention the fact that I ADORE the people I work with (I don't know what I would do without my Emily friends at work), and my current supervisor is WONDERFUL.

So - I think I will stay here, until they decide to kick me out, or until a miracle happens and I get married and my spouse moves us out of state.

Another reason I'm celebrating is because, FINALLY, I am a few short days away from finishing my (extremely restrictive) diet program. I know the last post I mentioned my weight loss on, I told you I'd lost around 22 pounds. Well, the grand total (depending on the type of scale I'm on) is... *drum roll*

38-40 pounds. GONE. Adios. Buh-bye. And GOOD RIDDANCE.

I feel no awkwardness in telling you all (well, those of you who don't already know) now that my diet program is the HCG Injection diet. If you want to read about it, click here. I went through a clinic, and met with a physician and nutritionist. I went in for weekly weigh-ins and vitamin shots, and made sure I wasn't losing structural fat or muscle. Now, in a few short days, I will re-introduce cheese and a little bit of bread into my diet. (Pictures of me to come soon, I promise.)

I learned SO many things on this program. Firstly, I was not eating as well as I thought I was; I took a good look at the "nutritional" value in most things I ate, and - no wonder I was chunky, I love junk food. (Who doesn't?!?) Granola bars, diet soda, 100-calorie snacks, and oatmeal are not as healthy as the vendors want you to believe. Secondly, I learned that I drank WAAAAYY too much of soda. I've not had any in over two months, and guess what? I don't miss it. At all. I may let myself have it two or three times a year (special treat on my birthday, Christmas, and maybe once in the summer), but that's it. I witnessed what I let it do to my body, and it will never happen again. Third, I learned that I have self-control - a LOT of it - buried under my cravings for food. I just have to let it out. I also learned that the things I thought tasted so good don't actually taste that great. After months of eating only fresh and natural foods, I cheated a little on Halloween and had one fun-size Snickers bar. Oh, I enjoyed every little bite. Then, the aftertaste took me by surprise... it was GROSS. The candy tasted so processed and chemical-ish... I don't think candy will be that huge of a problem anymore. (I hope.) I think my taste buds have changed.

SO - after all that, my reward was a Cafe Rio salad. Of course, I've only eaten the lettuce, chicken and pico - and not even so much as a little nibble of the tortilla - but it is still delicious. Such a great way to celebrate.

MMMM. Cafe Rio.

Halloween and the Road Trip from...

A week ago, I went to Arizona with my mom and dad, because dad had a work conference to attend, and I thought it might be fun to take some time off work and goof off with mom for a few days. We drove, taking my car, to save on airfare costs, and next time - we're flying. If there is a next time. It was a loooooong drive, and toward the end, I started to feel like Richard from Tommy Boy - my car came home with a big dent in the back, and two cracks in the windshield, not to mention a stupid speeding ticket in small-town Utah. (I refuse to pay it because it was so ridiculous, I'm SO fighting on this one.) If I have the heart to, I'll post pictures of my poor banged-up car at a later date.

We stayed at a Hilton Resort Hotel that was nice, but a little outdated and nothing to really write home about. But what I (in all my Halloween geekiness) loved most about the room was the room number:

Muahahahaha!! (I know, I'm such a nerd.) What are the odds we'd get room number 1031? I'm convinced it wasn't a coincidence. Hehe.

Arizona was beautiful - perfect weather, around 85 degrees. It's always fun to see different kinds of cactus. Even better is cactus with the ever-glorious palm tree.

The drive TO Arizona was AWESOME. The scenery was so gorgeous, I took tons of pictures through the windows, since we didn't really have time to stop much. This is a shot of Lake Powell from Page, AZ.

We went to church on Sunday, and Monday mom and I goofed off in Phoenix and Mesa. We went to the Outlets at Anthem to shop a little, and then we headed into Mesa to find the cemetery where several of our ancestors are buried - looking specifically for my great-great-grandfather, polygamist Benjamin F. Johnson. When we found his grave site, we discovered that wife #5 was buried next to him - Sarah Melissa Holman, who also happens to be the wife that I am descended from. So, here is me with Benjamin F.

After we were done looking around the cemetery, we went and found the Mesa temple to take pictures of. SUCH a pretty temple - although, I have yet to see an ugly temple, let's be honest. Anyhow, we had a fun time exploring Phoenix and Mesa a little!

The drive home was just as pretty as the drive there - we got into Southern Utah at sunset, and I couldn't resist a picture or two - through the bug-spattered windshield.

When I got to work on Thursday last week, it was time to dive into preparations and decorations for Halloween. Like I said in an earlier post, our floor's theme for decorations was a graveyard. Mug did a GREAT job with these gravestones (that we were supposed to write our own epitaphs on):

It was so fun. Spooky, cobwebby, creepy. LOVED it. When I walked into the office, I saw what people on our floor had been up to - they did such a great job with our Stoel Rives Cemetery!

That is the always-fabulous Mug, creator of the awesome gravestones, standing in the doorway. Everyone should have a friend like her, she ROCKS. Anyhow, the decorations were fantastic - the other floors were phenomenal. The Candy Land decor turned out to be awesome, and one other floor made their floor look like a pumpkin patch. SO fun.

The Halloween party at work was a hit, and I'd say Halloween itself was pretty successful. Fun weekend, all in all.

And now - it is NOVEMBER. Time to gear up for a Thanksgiving feast! The Holidays are upon us, people - let's enjoy them! :)

Happy Halloween!

Forgive my lack of posts... I've been busy and out of town and... well, not much going on to speak of, until the last week or two. I'll post pictures of my trip later, and of Halloween costumes and parties. But for now... These are pictures of one place my mom and I visited, and I think it's appropriate for Halloween!

This is the Mesa, AZ cemetery. I have ancestors buried there, and mom and I went to find them while we were in Arizona. But - it's a cemetery, and it's Halloween today, so - enjoy!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Halloween Nerd

Wait, no - not a nerd, an enthusiast. I get really enthusiastic about decorating for Halloween - particularly at work. I've been helping put on the Halloween party here at work for... I think this will be my 6th year. It is SO MUCH FUN. All for the kids, but - who doesn't turn into a kid on Halloween?

Anyway, this year we're having a decorating contest, to see who can make their desk/area/office look the best for Halloween. I heard that one of the floors our firm occupies is going to deck out their entire floor as Candy Land. Not to be outdone, I (along with a few friends) have enlisted several people to help decorate our floor in a graveyard theme, muahahaha!!

I stole the picture from my sister Marianne... I believe it was taken at the cemetery that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. Is that right, Mar?

Oh, our floor is SO going to win this contest. I went to Halloween U.S.A. on my lunch hour and got a bunch of stuff to use. This is going to be AWESOME.

HHMMM... maybe I AM a nerd.

T.V. Junkie

I guess I ought to be more specific. I am an NCIS junkie. When I was dog/house-sitting a few months ago, I watched a lot of television, because there wasn't much else to do. I came across a show I knew my parents liked to watch, so I decided to sit and watch an episode or two.

I was hooked.


I'm sorry, but Mark Harmon is... dreamy. He plays brooding, ornery Agent Gibbs well, and the chemistry the whole cast has is just awesome. You can't help but develop a crush on McGee, want to be buds with Abby the Girlie-Goth, wish you were tough like Ziva, want to give Ducky a hug, and want to slap Tony in the face. I just love it.

Anyway, on to more important things... such as OCTOBER!!! Fall leaves, football, Oktoberfest, hoodies, pumpkins, and HALLOWEEN. I've been listening to my Halloween mix on my iPod (which you are getting a taste of right now, if your sound is turned up!) and I love it. I think I might actually have to use my down comforter tonight - it's chilly in my room!!

A few weeks ago, I went camping with Steve, Shawn, Kate, Mar, Jesse, and Addie. We went down to Zion's for the weekend, and it was SO pretty! Kinda warm, but gorgeous down there. The boys hiked the Subway, and us girls took it easy and hung around camp, drove into town, and went on a little "hike" (more like a nature walk) to Weeping Rock. Other than a bit of rain we got on Saturday night, it was pretty much perfect!



Addie is such a good camper. Good thing, because she'll grow up doing it a lot!


Such a ham.

Anyhow, I know you probably can't tell really well from the picture of me above, but as of today, I've lost 23 pounds. I feel better, sleep better, and my clothes fit better... they're even getting too big! Emily A., I will probably need more pictures soon! *wink wink*

Happy October, everyone!