I Love Fall!!

Let's kick off Fall with a day out with the girls! Shopping, lunch, crafts, and then Witch-A-Palooza at Gardner Villiage. So fun and so exhasting!Felicia had such a good idea to make our own wreaths. I was pretty sure that whatever I had conjured up was going to be pretty gosh darn unattractive, but I LOVE IT!! This picture doesn't do it justice but really I was happy with the turn out, and I never go easy on myself with my crafty work. I may have already posted this picture last year, but I was very excited that my fall "blocks" stayed in tact for this year. Really they are just paper but they didn't get mushed up! Go Utes! We finally made it to a football game this season! Cold and freezing and lots of fun! And of course we were sitting right next to the most ANNOYING LADY IN THE WORLD!! She was of course intoxicated and the loudest person on the face of the planet. We still had a good time and the Utes won!

Okay so Gary is pretty much in LOVE with Halloween! If society didn't frown upon a 24 year old trick-or-treater, then he would be out there with every other child in the neighborhood, running to beat them out of the best candy! Second best to that was his cousin's Halloween party, so we got to dress up! Or...er...dress down. We went as white trash and at first i was really proud of my costume until I saw Gary in his. Woo hoo! That's the hot stuff there!He also claims that his passion in life is carving pumpkins. He wants to be a full time, professional, pumpkin carver.His pumpkin is this intricately carved cut out of the late, great Michael Jackson.

I'm not near as passionate about pumpkin carving as Gary, hence this sad attempt at carving a fat face. Notice the double chin.

And what is Halloween without watchg a scary movie here and there? I don't do well at all with scary movies. I like the idea of scary movies but my follow through is terrible. However, for Gary's sake, I have watched a couple with him out of the 20 he's had to watch by himself. Let's just say I'm so glad that I don't have to sleep alone!

Happy Halloween, and Happy Fall!! My favorite time of the year!

Meh

I only have couple of items to share.

My best friend in law (Gary's best friends' wife) Felicia is working with me! Everyone loves her! She's doing an amazing job! I should get a finders fee.

I stopped drinking Diet Coke again. Let's see how long it lasts this time. I'm on day 2.

Gary is such a good little worker bee. Work, school, me, friends, family...he does it all. And he does it all so well.

My co-worker Letty makes me laugh so hard everyday that I worry I'll stop breathing.

I miss my friend Kimber...we need to talk more often!

Lame but it's all I've got right now.

Who Knows

I need ideas of how to entertain nursery children through song. Tiny Tim the Turtle is a big hit with the popping bubble at the end, so maybe I could take a little bottle of bubbles and let them chase bubbles? Or let them drink it so they know how Tiny Tim felt? No? Ok. I love my calling, but I don't have babies so what do I really know about them? I know they like props, but there are only so many times I can pull out a paper monkey on a popsicle stick and sing 5 Little Monkeys. I need more! I need ideas! I'm still really new to this, so I'm just doing everything the song leader did before, but I know I can be better than this! I'm just having a mental block. HELP ME!

I'm Having an Affair

Let me explain. When I started working in SLC with my friend Candace almost 3 years ago, I was single and I had also just moved to Sugar House with some roommates. I was anti "make my own meals" at the time so Candace and I would go out to lunch almost every day we were at work. She introduced me to Noodles and Company. I was unimpressed at first because I have never been a very big fan of pasta places. I was more of a Subway girl. But the more Candace insisted we go to Noodles, the more I began to love it! In fact, I became addicted to it, and sometimes I would eat their twice a day! I know, that's a little extreme but I had recently been dumped and I needed something else to focus on. And here it is almost 3 years later, Candace and I no longer work together but we still meet about once a week at the same Noodles and Company location in Fort Union. Every co-worker I have had since I started eating there has teased me relentlessly. They don't understand that someone could love Pesto Cavatappi that much to eat there at least once a week. A couple of months ago however, I went in by myself as I sometimes do if Candace is working from home and not in Salt Lake, and the General Manager took my order without even asking me what I wanted, and he knew my name by then as well! He said that he would start giving me free drinks because I'm in there all the time. Could if be that Noodles was starting to love me back just as much as I loved them? Well, today I had to go into work for a few hours, and as I left work, I had the impression that I should stop and eat at Noodles and Company, which was weird because I kind of have a yucky cold and it doesn't make me that hungry. I went anyway. I ordered the usual, and the General Manager was there to take my order. I went to pay for it and he said "it's on the house today." Yay! I asked if it was because I was there every other day of my life and he said "yes." So then I go and sit down (by myself) and wait for my food. He brought it over to me, along with a card called a "hero lunch" card. He said that I was their hero so that meant that I could bring in 5 other people, use this card and we'd all get our lunches for free! I told him about my adddiction to Noodles and how I get mocked for it all the time and he said he loved that I bring new people there all the time! He also told me that I could get my entire office together and bring them for lunch, and if I set it up through him I could get my whole office free lunch as well! That will show them for teasing me all the time!!!! I tell you, it's just a matter of time before they ask me to be their spokes woman and I get to have free noodles for the rest of my life!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Kiss My Grass

The back yard is done! Yay for us! Gary has been so dedicated to getting this done, and he has been working his rear off. Thanks to everone who helped us out!

This is a picture of the battle field that was our backyard while we installed the sprinkler system. Again, nobody was paid to do any of this work, Gary was able to figure it out on his own and we had volunteers from our family and friends and neighbors.
This was the first day of insalling the sprinklers...but far from the last. It's such a HUGE project! Especially when you're working in the middle of the Summer.

Paul helping spread the topsoil along with my parents, my sister, my neices, and Gary's mom and sister. Cheryl also got pizza's for everyone! Thanks again! A picture of the back of our house, the brick path and the green grass!

We're so relieved it's done! Who's up for a barbecue in our fire pit? Umm... but next year because we still have to wait for the grass to set in.

It's Like This...

I refuse to post pictures right now. It requires effort and I'm not feeling very ambitious. You're lucky I'm even blogging at all!

We finally finished the backyard. The brick path, the sprinkler system, the top soil, the leveling of the ground and then putting in sod. All of this was done by hand by Gary. I helped a little....mostly near the end of everything. It was such hard work and a real money suck. I'm proud of him for working so hard making our yard look fantastic. I owe it to him to post pictures which I will do in the future. We had a lot of good helpers in this. My family and Gary's family, but mostly Neil. Thank goodness for him being so willing to work with Gary....he saved me from a nervous breakdown on several occasions!

Summer is over for which I am so grateful! I have never felt so thinly spread in my life. Life is still very busy, but now it's candy corn season and that really reduces the insanity.

I have started going back to the gym (gasp!). It's been really great! I have a lot of concerns and issues with my health and I really want to turn things around. Gary's cousin Breck has really inspired me a lot, and she lets me follow her to the gym twice a week to shadow her workouts. I've been trying to eat healthier as well. You know...eating oatmeal for breakfast instead of a doughnut or two. I still firmly believe that we are all meant to be a certain shape and size, but it won't prevent me from putting forth the effort to be more healthy and feel better. Wish me luck!

And have I mentioned that Gary is adorable? Someone asked me today if I have ever been loved so much that it's "too much". My answer is Gary. It's never too much. Thank goodness I never have to wonder how my husband feels about me.

Lastly, when did life get so darn busy? Why do I feel like there is a million things to do, and then when I have time to get to them I'm so overwhelmed that I can barely function!? And then NOTHING gets accomplished. I know everyone is so busy and that this is how life is...I just wish I could do it all with a little more grace. Sigh. Any suggestions or helpful tips to lower the anxiety is greatly appreciated. Peace out!

Special Olympics - Golf

Another fantastic experience! This time for Special Olympics we did a golf tournament! It was a beautiful day and I had the best team ever! Here is Ellen and I. She is one professional putter! She was so positive and supportive to the other golfers all day. She has an identical twin sister but insists that she is the best looking of the two!

And then there's David! Sweetest guy ever. He didn't talk much but he smiled constantly. I teased him a lot all day which he LOVED! The squirrels at the golf course were monsterous, so I teased him for feeding the squirrels cheeseburgers and being responsible for how fat they were. He just giggled!
I love these kids so much! I can't think of a better way to cheer me up after a stressful couple of weeks!

Please Let This Summer Be Over

3 weekends in Bear Lake
1 weekend at the Green River
1 weekend at Lyman Lake
1 weekend in St. George
1 weekend in the Uintah's

Total = 7 weekends away from my home this Summer. 7 times that I have loaded and unloaded my car full of luggage and sleeping bags and tents and junk food and coolers. I'm not saying those weekends were not fun or that I didn't have a good time, I'm just done with this Summer. I want to stay in my own home for a whole weekend and spend time with Gary and not have to share him with other people. It's time for a new season!

Very Proud Again

Here is the 2nd music video that Neil has directed. The band is called Ace Enders and a Million Different People. The lead singer and the bass guitarist are from the band called Early November. It's one of Neil's favorite bands and they he was so flattered when they chose him to direct this music video. The story line isn't his, but all the film work was done by him. Gary spent a good deal of time on the set and it's amazing how much hard work goes into one of these things. Good job Neil we are proud once again!!

Update On Nothing

Blogging hasn't seemed neccessary lately because we don't really have a lot to say for ourselves. Life has been busy this Summer that's for sure! There have been a lot of weekends away from our house camping with the families, and luckily we don't have anything else planned for a while! I have missed my hampster and I have missed my house! No need to go into lots of detail about what's up, and maybe I'll blog about the Summer's adventures eventually, but here are some note worthy items for now.

- Gary and I start school in less than 2 weeks! Bye-bye free time!

- I have taken on a side job, apart from my full time job, to help out my father in law with his business. So challenging but so fun!

- Gary's parents have given us a washer and dryer so now we don't have to haul our laudry off to our parents house each weekend!

- We both received callings in our new ward. Gary is a ward missionary and I'm the nursery music leader.

- We finally have grass in our front yard, and once I stop hyperventilating about the cost, we'll put the back yard in too.

- I now believe in UFO's...don't judge

- My brother has moved in with us the past month. He's always been one of my favorite people and he's been a good house guest.

- I decided that I'm happiest when I'm in the woods and haven't looked in a mirror for 3 days.