Animal Update

Gary and I finally moved into our house on the 4th of this month and love it love it love it!!! It's so nice I can't even deal with it! There are pictures to come, but I want to wait until I have things a little more in order and decorated.

So...sad news. After discussing things over with Gary, we decided that getting my baby puppy Milton wasn't the best idea anymore. We didn't have a back yard set up for him to play, no fence or dog run, and it wasn't fair to have him cooped up in the house alone all day. I probably cried like a human infant for 83 hours, but I know it's for the best.

SO! Because Gary and I love animals so much, we needed an alternative solution. Enter Chips, our new baby kitten!

Now we have Pips and Chips! So far, hampster and kitten have gotten along, but I'm going to watching like a freaking hawk! Chips is pretty darn cute and cuddly, and super sweet. At this moment he's sleeping on Gary's feet. So cute!

Feed Me

There are times when I wish the chub under my chin wasn't so noticible when I smile for cameras, and times that I wish that my arms were idential to Jennifer Aniston's. I wish the clothes that I wore a year ago weren't so difficult to pull on and that I could still shop the in the size 6 area. (long ago!) I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. It's obvious that there is a big issue with size and image in our world. I'm a very sensitive person so I can't help but get discouraged when I don't measure up to other women who are considered "perfect."

A few weeks ago I made Gary take me shopping at Barnes and Nobel. I love books and I love buying books and I love reading books!! I didn't have anything in particular that I was looking for, but I came across a book called "Feed Me." I was intrigued so I sat down and started to read. It wasn't a novel and it wasn't a self help book. It was a compilation of essays written by all types of women from all walks of life. They share their views on food, why they love it, why they hate it, and how it affects their lives. Some are heart breaking, some are hilarious, but mostly they are all very insightful.

One of the essays I found very interesting was about a lady whose daughter suffered from anorexia, and her experience of becoming healthy again. When her daughter was rail thin, she would receive endless compliments on her figure, even though her face was sunk in, her hair unhealthy, and her emotional state in ruins. Once she started gaining weight, the compliments stopped even though her skin was healthy and glowing, and she was much happier than ever before.

Since reading these essays, I've come to be more accepting and proud of my physical appearance. I've become less uptight about what I eat, and I have actually been eating healthier. I haven't lost weight but I haven't gained it either. I don't compare myself with others the way I used to and I'm even a little more focused on being more healthy. Life is too short to stress over our physical flaws and we were all made the way we are for a reason, and we're all beautiful!

I'll get off the soap box now.

So Proud!

This is a music video that was directed, filmed, and funded by our great friend Neil. He has such a passion for film and really wanted to do this project as something to put on his portfolio. I couldn't believe the hard work and detail that went into this video, and I think it turned out simply amazing! Gary even has a couple roles in the film. He plays the dead guy and the cop. So cute. But give it a look. Good job Neil! We're so proud!

http://vimeo.com/4202766

Come On In!

A tour of our new house The kitchen, sans fridge

It's connected to the living room with these cute little arches leading into the bedrooms and bathroom

The master bedroom and bathroom. My camera sucks so I couldn't get any good angles of the room...so it looks really small

The master bathroom

Cute arch over the tub and shower

Biggest walk in closet of my life! This picture doesn't do it justice

So there you have it, a little taste of our new habitat

Some Of My Favorite Movie Quotes

Blades of Glory
Jimmy: I see you got fat!
Chazz: I see you still look like a 15 year old girl but not hot!

Chazz: The night is a very dark time for me.
Jimmy: It's dark for everyone, moron.
Chazz: Not for Alaskans or dudes with night vision goggles!

Wayne's World
Wayne: A gun rack...a gun rack. I don't even own "a" gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate and entire rack. What am I gonna do...with a gun rack?

Benjamin: Do you have a lawyer?
Wayne: Yes. Ahm, no. We're between lawyers right now. You see, our first lawyer screwed our affairs so bad.
Garth: That's right. I walked right to that office - that's what I did - and I reached across that desk and I grabbed him by his big fat head and I said "Listen, man. I'm not going to jail for you or for anybody!"

Hot Rod
Rod: I needed to think about last night. So I galloped into a wooded glen, and after punch-dancing out my rage and suffering an extremely long and very painful fall, I realized what has to be done.

Pineapple Express
Saul: Let's roll, man! I'm done with the woods! Let's go! C'mon, man, let's get outta' here!
Dale: (sarcastically) Okay... Uhh let's go... No... It's not working... the battery's dead.
Saul: Wait...! What do you mean it's dead?
Eale: What do I mean? I mean the battery's dead. The battery's dead!
Saull: No, no! What do you mean, the battery's dead?
Dale: How can I explain this to you differently? The battery is dead. It ceased to live. It's deceased now. The car needs a battery to start, Saul.
Saul: How did this happen?
Dale: Well we clearly fell asleep with the battery on and -
Saul: Aw, man... talk radio?
Dale: Yes, talk radio.
Saul: So boring, man! The car just committed suicide!

Happy Easter

I'm the last person to showcase my religion, I personally feel uncomfortable if I feel that I'm doing anything that may be perceived as forcing my beliefs on anyone else. But I had a really interesting discussion with a lady I work with, that didn't have anything to do with one religion or another, but anyone who is Christian. She is almost 60 years old, and was recently baptized as a Catholic. Since being baptized, she tells me that she is much more at peace with life, that she's easier to forgive, and that Jesus Christ is the light of her life. If anyone knows this lady, it would be hard to believe that she has such strong convictions about her religion. She's a total biker chick, has a Harley, spikey hair, tatoos all over the place, skinny as a rail and tan, tan, tan! She swears, smokes, and drinks like a sailor...on leave. But despite all this, she has such a big heart, loves people so much, and she has found a reason to better herself.
I have to say that while she was telling me about Lent and all the Easter happenings with her church, I was very impressed with how she spoke of her love for Christ. I was immediately humbled, because I don't think I show the same conviction to my own religion or to Christ. It reminded me that He is the reason I'm here. He is the foundation of the church I attend. It reminded me that it isn't enough to go to church or simply believe in it's teachings...I need to put those beliefs into action. What a better time than Easter? Happy Easter! I love you all!

Welcome Home!

The papers are signed and we'll be in by the end of May! Thanks Hali for the toilet paper. Such a perfect house warming gift!

Also, this will be the second time I have posted this picture, but this time, it's a little bit of a different situation! Before it was a dream and now it's a reality!

Gary said I get to keep one of my brother's chocolate labs! MILTON!!! Now that we're getting a house, I want a ferocious beast to protect us. Look at this cute and cuddly fat face! I love him!

Follow Up

Gary and I were finally able to start taking tours of the houses we liked. We went and saw 4 yesterday and of course, the first one we saw was the one we loved. It's much smaller than our origional dream house, but it's more practical and so cute! My only hang up was the color of the cabinets (too dark for my liking), but I'm sure I'll get over it. This house is perfect for our price range and our realator is talking to the seller about bringing it down more for us.

Another important thing to add is that we went and saw Monsters Vs. Aliens last night with Gary family. Such a cute movie! Little Calvin had us all rolling with his dancing and commentary during the whole thing. He was pretty wired due to the enormous amount of Sour Patch Kids he had been sneaking. During one scene when something had fallen and crashed, Calvin yells out "Uh Oh!" So cute! I hear it's in 3D but we didn't see that version.

Simply Amazing!

I don't even have words to say how wonderful today was! My friend Brooke, whom I work with, told me about the Spring Special Olympics, and we decided to take today off of work to go volunteer! We were assigned to be motivational support at the bowling games. I didn't know what to expect on the way to the bowling alley, but I left with such a great feeling! Brooke and I were assigned to two lanes, and 7 participants. Benny, Josh, John, Charlie, Nate (my favorite), Laurie and Amanda. Amanda is deaf so we didn't get a chance to communicate with her or get to know her as well as the others. We got to spend time with each of these kids as they all took turns to come up and bowl. They took every chance they could to hug us, high five us, or in John's case, tickle us! Everyone had such a sweet and positive attitude and surprised me when they threw their ball down the lanes. These kids are definately very special people. I couldn't help but love them after just a few minutes of spending time with them.

Here is the whole team!
Josh was a gold medal winner! He had the strongest throw of them all, and got lots of strikes! That's Charlie in the background!

Benny was our other gold medalist. Benny was the happiest one among us all.

John really wanted to be Brooke's boyfriend, and my boyfriend at the same time. What a little tickle flirt!

Last but not least is my little Nate. He was my favorite of the day. Nobody could ever be as sweet as this guy!

I'm so glad that I got to experience this today. What a rewarding and humbling experience. One of the best parts was the compliments and gratitude from the parents of the participants. They were so happy that their kids had such caring helpers. It was too impossible not to adore them!

As a side note, everyone was encouraged to take a pledge that they would stop using the "r" word. I hope it never slips from my mouth again.

Thoughts and Shtuff

Yawn! I'm awake fairly early for a Sunday morning. I'll probably go back to bed after this blog, seeing as how our church doesn't start until 1pm. Gary and I had a great weekend! Things have been so stressful for both of us lately, so it was good to have the weekend for just the two of us. Friday night we drove up north and met Gary's momma for some delicious Mexican food at Garcia's, and then to my parents house for a little bonfire/s'mores night with some of my brothers friends. I mostly played with Dan's new baby lab puppies! So cute! So cuddly! Don't ask how I left without one in my purse. This one is my favorite! I named him Milton Snavely Hershey...after the founder of Hershey's chocolate! Of course, Milton will be sold in a few weeks and I'll never see his fat face again...sad.I guess Friday wasn't a "just us" night after all, but Satruday was. What better way to start a Saturday than by sleeping in until 10 in the morning?? We did lot's of overdue cleaning of our little apartment before heading out for the day. Both of us wore shorts which was AWESOME!! Too bad today is going to make me forget how warm Utah can get. Moving on, we drove up to Northern Salt Lake/Woods Cross to do a little house hunting. I have been SO nervous about buying a house and not as thrilled about the idea as Gary. We have looked at a few areas and I didn't like any of them at all. But yesterday was different. We looked at areas that I could actually see myself living and I finally got excited about it! We still don't have any for sure plans as far as buying a house, but at least I don't hate the idea anymore. This is the one we both really like a lot.
We did the rest of the usual weekend stuff...grocery shopping and other errands. We even went to IKEA for the first time. Will I be the first one to say that I wasn't extremely impressed? Granted there were a few things I liked, but mostly not. It's just not my style. Another thing we did was meet my brother and his wife for some yummy cheesecake where we discussed more of the housing idea. Luckily I had the cheesecake to distract me from this rather uninteresting discussion. After the matter, Gary let me spend lots of time roaming around Barnes and Noble...one of my favorite things to do! So, I'll keep everyone updated on what the heck we're going to do as far as a house goes...if it even goes there.