You're invited!

Girls Trip 2009 Okay, the top three suggestions for the Girls Trip of 2009 are Chicago, Pennsylvania (to see the Amish) or Texas (to go to a different Sea World!) Flight all look to be about the same price so what do you want to do? Who is in? Do you think I can convince my husband to let me go?? If you are interested, let me know. And give me your input on what you would like to see in each place!!

25 Random things about me

I was doing this for facebook so I thought I would share here, too. RULE: Once you've been tagged you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you it's because I want to know more about you. To do this, go to "Notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish..) 25. When I grocery shop, I buy in even numbers. (Never an odd number of apples, loaves of bread, milk, or bricks of cheese) 24. I will waste 6 hours to avoid a job that takes me 10 minutes. 23. I feel like a stalker every time I have to make a "first contact" call; even if you are my very good friend. (So if you wonder why I haven't called, it is because you have to call first!) 22. I either over-do or don't do. Hence, the never-ending diet yo-yo. 21. One quarter (I know I am dating myself) in college I took 32 credit hours, it was the only time in college I felt like I was getting something accomplished. 20. It took me 18 months to get pregnant with my first child. I was pregnant again with each successive child before the one before it was even a year (if you are calculating ages, I had 3 miscarriages to figure in there) 19. I tell people I hate chocolate. I don't really hate it, but I am very selective about what chocolate I will eat. I do HATE hot chocolate!! 18. I don't eat stinky food (Chinese, Japanese, Thai). 17. I have never had anything at Cafe Rio but the Chicken Tortilla Soup, because I am too intimidated by all the questions they shout at you to order anything else. 16. I waste money trying to find bargains! 15. I have been married 15 years, but still think I am 22. 14. My mom can tell you dates, times, weights, and who was present for each of her children's births. I have to use memory tricks just to give you the date my kids were born. 13. I have a "caved in chest" (and I am not talking about my bra size - I am talking about my rib bone structure). 12. About #12 - if I ever reach my goal weight, the bra size will be enhanced! (Wow that was TMI!) 11. I will make up excuses to get out and talk with other women (a shout out to my River 5th game group - almost 2 years and still going strong!) 10. I love to read, but I totally judge books by their covers. 9. I will attempt to read almost anything that is recommended to me (as long as it is fiction) I hate deep thinking! 8. I would like to be a labor and delivery nurse - but I can't even imagine going back to school. (Nursing is what I originally went to college for.) 7. I still have my last baby's binkies in my drawer because I am not ready to let him grow up. 6. I hate rhetorical questions. When someone says raise your hand if you are perfect - I always will! 5. I am a devoted blogstalker. (I am getting myself a "Hot and Righteous" hoodie from Seriously So Blessed) 4. I hate email forwards and crap like this, but I want to learn more about others so I have to do this. (I think this is better than email forwards because I only have to do it once) 3. Since we discovered DVR, I never watch commercials (I don't even want to know if my new one for A-Shed is running. - Okay, I kinda do, has anyone seen the one with me and Dr. A-Shed and my fake husband?) 2. I am overly obsessed with my high school class and our reunions, even though I don't do a very good job of keeping in touch. (I am more interested in a Little Caesars Reunion though, because those people were so much more influential on me than anything I did in school) 1. (I use parenthesis way to much) (However, I also speak parenthetically) (I like to use parenthesis within parenthesis but when I do my high school English teacher comes back to haunt me) (Not Mrs. Hazen - the other one that told me chic wasn’t a word and made me put “sheik” in my poem (what is her name April)).

Really? Why do I have a blog?

So nothing even happens that I feel like blogging about, maybe if I talked to my sister for less than 8 hours a day there would be something left to say. However, I really cracked myself up today, so I thought I would share. Do you ever think that your inner dialogue is just SOOO funny? I always do. You will catch me smiling and chuckling to myself all day long (I am so lame, I can't even believe I am telling you this). The worst part, is it is not even funny!! If I said any of this stuff out loud (and let's be honest, I have) it can bring an entire room to a stand still. People just look around like, "Did she really just say that". On that note, the word that I have been meaning to share (again, words I HATE) . . . . Erect! Never buy your kids an erector set. I never want to hear the phrase Sit erect, or stand erect. Let's just do away with that word!

Where in the world is ... a cool place to visit?

I don't know if anyone even reads this blog, and I especially don't know if my ladies vacation club members read it, but I am getting the bug to plan our next girls trip. The only problem is, I have no ideas where to go. So . . . whether you choose to vacation with us or not (you choose to be a party pooper) I need some ideas of where to go! I am open to just about anything in the continental United States. We try to keep total costs under $1000. (Well under if possible) Give me your ideas. Where is a fun place you have lived or visited? Where is a fun place you would like to visit? Are you going to join us this year? (And April, if you are reading this, yes you are invited, and no, sorry, Disneyland won't make the cut - I know I am a hater!)

Clean office=New Lame Word

I promised not to update my blog, or read any one elses blog until my office was clean, and here I am, so you guessed it, MY OFFICE IS CLEAN!!! That should last for about 2 minutes. Anyway, there is stuff happening at our house. Kim and her family are moving in tomorrow. They are going to stay here until they sell their house and buy a new one (she doesn't read my blog so can you say TRIPLE COMMISSION) . Anyway, I am sure there will be adventures to share during this transition (or maybe that can't be shared - you will have to just call me for the trash talk). I still wanted to leave you with the word of the day. I actually was going to put this one up a few days ago but I was reminded again of it during scripture study the other night. The word is . . Bosoms I put it small so you would remember to do little giggles! My kids have recently discovered this word and think it is hilarious so imagine the response when we were doing our stake sponsored 100% month challenge and reading our scriptures together as a family and we came across this word. I wasn't sure Jake would be able to keep reading. I had to quickly look in my index to find another scripture that appropriately defined the word. Nice - what is up with all the good words that have turned bad. (Are you old enough to remember "When grandpa comes we're GAY") It is just terrible. Which gives me a great idea for a word I have hated for over 16 years. Now you have something to look forward to. p.s. 100% month for our stake is daily scripture study and prayers, meeting attendance, home and visiting teaching and attending the temple - so get on your 100% month. I can send you the cute little calendar with the fill in boxes if you want!

words i hate

Okay - so your are seeing that my life is boring (either that or I am too busy reading other peoples blogs to have my own life!!) So I decided that because I am bad at letting you know what is going on in my life I will make myself post something. I decided that my "something" will be ranting about words I hate and why I hate them. (The idea came to me about 1 am yesterday - I know I am a loser!!) So are you ready for today's word? . . . . . . MOIST I don't know why - it is a seemingly normal word, but it grosses me out!! And I hate in prayers at church, when people say thank you for the moisture - it is RAIN or SNOW. Moisture - eww. So I hope your cakes are delectable, delicious, airy whatever, but just not MOIST. Now be honest, who thinks I should be voted of the blogging island!

What we are up to

So, I was talking to someone the other day about Jeff's software company and they had no idea what I was talking about, and it got me to thinking, how successful can a business be if your friends and family don't even know about it. So I thought I would give you a run down of our business ventures just so that no one can say they didn't know and so that maybe we can have a mutually beneficial business relationship too!! So y'all know A-Shed (not the tough one - quit saying that) We are the A team, for all your storage or garage needs. And along the same lines is Diamond Mountain Homes. We build homes, but they are mostly in Vernal these days. But on a similar note is Alpine Property Services. This one Jeff does with his brother Jeremy and they do home warranty and inspections. One branch of that though is a business he does with Beau called Fix-It-Squad. This is a full service handyman business. They do heating and air, electrical, plumbing, remodels, basement finishing etc. As long as we are on home things - I am a licensed Real Estate Agent and Mortgage Loan Officer (rates are supposed to be going into the 4.5 range if I can help you refinance!) Then if you can't make that payment ;) - we have the Deadwood Pawn shop in Lehi. And that brings us back to the software company called Rhapsody 5. They main project is an online/direct mail money saving program similar to Valpak. You can check it out at at www.r5rewards.com feel free to print off any coupons you may use, or let me know if you are interested and I will get you a savings card that makes it so you don't have to print the coupons. Also if you have a product or service you would like to advertise, let me know and we can get you info on getting on the site. That's about it (as if that wasn't enough!) Happy Holidays!

HELP! Primary Year End Review

Okay - i am going to see if anyone is out there stalking me yet (and if they are creative)? Do you have - saved on your files somewhere - or a great idea, for a year end review game for primary? I teach junior primary and we are out of lessons. I have used a couple of games through the year, but I am looking for something new. If you are in primay or YW or even RS may I suggest www.theideadoor.com or www.sugardoodle.net

Lets win free stuff together!

Okay I love this blog - and everyone who hasn't read it should, but I am really just finally doing a post so I can win the contest. Visit this post on Seriously so Blessed and leave a comment to be entered in the drawing (but if you win, we totally go halvesies - nice word, I know)

Day One

Okay, I am going to start blogging and stop being just a stalker. I figure if I get to have hours of uninterrupted time wasting, I should add to the incredible humor out there (because you all know how funny I am!!) But if you know that you also know how good I am at NOT following through, so we will see how this really goes.

Our Courtship Story

**Disclaimers: I wrote this 9 years ago...before the advent of Facebook, and apparently before I developed a personality. Also, I used a questionnaire, that I guess was pretty boring. So here is what I remembered about our courtship after being married 11 years (I have to give my grandmas credit - they both wrote theirs for me after they had been married 50+ years and they remembered more details - I can't even remember all of these details about mine now - only 18 years later.) Jeff and I met on Mothers Day 1993. (I only know this because my mom keeps reminding me how rude it is to move out on Mothers Day) I was carrying the last box, which for some reason was empty, or full of something light like stuffed animals, when Jeff came home from a bike ride. He lived in the apartment directly below me. He said to my friend Jane (Jackson) and me, “I would help you, but it is not my day to be a gentleman.” No, it was not love at first sight, but I did think he was cute in a silly kind of way. Jane’s boyfriend lived next door to Jeff on the 2nd floor and we just hung out with all the guys in both apartments and they would hang out in our apartment all together. Our relationship definitely evolved from friendship. We didn’t actually “go out” on a date with just the 2 of us until the end of June. I was busy every weekend between taking an EMT class and working at Little Caesars. On our first date we went to the movie Jurassic Park (1). Just coincidentally we saw my mom in the parking lot of the movie theater. I am pretty certain it was a coincidence because I don’t think I told her I even had a date. Anyway, that is how she first met Jeff. I don’t know how long after that date it was that I invited him over to my mom’s for Sunday dinner, but it couldn’t have been very long. I went home every weekend because I taught Beehives in my home ward, and hey, it was a home cooked meal by someone else. Anyway, I invited him over and told him I would come and get him, but then during church I got cold feet and decided not to. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I had already told my mom, who had spread the word to Grandma Bev, she and grandpa were also coming to dinner to meet him. So I went to pick him up and he said something to the effect of “It is a good thing you came today because if you didn’t show up, I was going to give up on you and move on to someone who was interested.” It flees from my memory now, but I think I had invited him over a couple of times before, just casually, but we never made definite plans and he had never come before. I guess he was getting the impression that I wasn’t interested. I just didn’t want to seem pushy or forward. Back to the story; this was the first Sunday in July. We must have had the 9-12 church because I remember we stayed at my mom’s for about 8 hours. The only things I distinctly remember are, that he was cute with my brothers. Beau was 9 and continually climbed all over him and Jeff played10 fruits and Indians with him. (A game I am sure he or Beau would be happy to demonstrate to interested parties) The other thing I distinctly remember was that when it rolled around time for the second meal, I didn’t get up and serve Jeff (training my mom tried hard to instill, but I never really caught on). But the real reason was I didn’t feel like I knew him well enough to dictate what and how much he should eat. I just said, “There is the fridge, help yourself”. My mom was mortified, but Jeff was fine with it, he has never been very shy. That night when we left he kissed me for the first time right in front of my mom’s house by the side of my ‘little red slammed’ truck. Also, in front of a Beehive passing by with someone in a car (oops) but it lasted an hour or so. I guess something like that should have been expected. So we broke it up for then and resumed when we returned to my apartment – outside on my balcony, until my friend Jane showed up and started making cat-calls – because not only was this my first kiss with Jeff, it was my first ‘real’ kiss ever (or at least since I was 4). What an awesome experience it is now looking back to share such a unique, wonderful first experience with the man who would later become my husband. Because Jeff and I lived so close to each other, and really didn’t have much money, we spent lots of time walking the track at Hansen Stadium (Dixie College) and just talking. We really got to know each other well that way – our pasts and family backgrounds and our wishes for the future. I really don’t remember any specific dates. I know we did lots of hiking on the red hill and also out by Quail Lake, but I can’t remember the name of that place so I will have to ask him. (We should have continued on with these kinds of activities instead of the eating and sitting ones.) I do remember one occasion when he had an old mission companion and his wife coming over for dinner (he will have to supply names). He worked all day cleaning his apartment – there were 4 or 5 guys living there – and making his famous lasagna. I went over after work to help him. I got to clean the bathroom because this is just something boys don’t do well. But this bathroom; lets just say I would rather clean one at a busy gas station. I also remember when Jeff started football practice (3 a days) he sent me a teddy bear, balloons and a nice card. I still have the card and bear. I remember about a month after we started dating he asked me to drive him home to visit his family, because I had a better car than him. I actually don’t remember much about that visit except that his parents had a lovely guest bedroom (with the whole matching sheet comforter set – I never had that growing up, so I definitely coveted others). He had to sleep on the couch downstairs. I also remember that I was sick. I think the first 2 or 3 times I saw his parents I was sick. The must have thought I was a weak little sickly thing. I was surprised and still am sometimes by the similar makeup and background of our families and upbringing. Our proposal is really the long running joke between us. I was working at Little Caesars and I suppose, like every job, the employees get involved in each other’s lives. They all knew I was dating Jeff. He was generally hanging around for me at closing or just popping in to visit during the day. I had a friend who worked with me named Tami Jewell. Her dad, Larry Jewell worked in radio and announced the Dixie College football games. Well, it was the first scrimmage game of the season and Jane and I went to watch. About halfway through, I guess Larry was just bored waiting for the first play to start and said, “number 76, Jeff Anderson, has found his future bride right here in St. George.” I was shocked. We had not really discussed marriage in any sort of planning or future way that I recall. I suppose it was probably mentioned in passing, but I don’t remember. Jane and I left the game immediately. When Jeff got home I remember going down to his apartment wondering if he was going to kill me. Not that I had anything to do with it. He was sitting at his kitchen table fixing his necklace that had broken during the game. It is funny that I remember that, because I don’t remember anything we said to each other. The only other thing I remember about that night is him calling his parents. He said “I’m getting married” and (he claims) his dad said, “To Andrea” (his dad denies this) and he said, “No, to Cindy, you know, that girl I brought home a couple of weeks ago.” That was all there was to it. We were just engaged. Our relationship has always been really easygoing and stable. We rarely have fights and just seem to go with the flow. It was the same with setting a date for our wedding. Jeff came in to my work and I got out a calendar and he said “I don’t have a game this weekend and it is the longest break I can take”. Viola a date was set, November 19, 1993. Jane and I picked out my ring at J C Penney then I took Jeff in and showed him the one I wanted. I think he asked me if I was sure I didn’t want a bigger one, but I had my heart set on the one with the hearts (which I later traded up for a bigger one – I just went in to see if Jeff could get the other one back as an anniversary present, but they don’t make it anymore.) We knew each other for almost exactly 6 months before we were married (yikes) but I can’t really define that into periods of friends, dating, and engaged, because I was not a good record keeper. When I try to think of qualities that attracted me to him, the first was spirituality. He was fresh off his mission and attended the temple really often. I thought that was so great, even though I hadn’t been through the temple yet. He is also a great teacher and was knowledgeable in the scriptures, where I was much more in my infancy of gospel learning. The second quality, which I can’t explain, was I knew he would be a great father and a hard worker and would be able to support our family. The reason I can’t explain why I knew this, is because he didn’t have a job at the time. He was living basically off his scholarship. When I read the question “would I change anything about our courtship” The only thing I could think of was a more romantic proposal, but that wouldn’t be nearly as fun of a story to tell. We were married by Karl Staheli, who is my great uncle (my dad’s uncle), on November 19, 1993 in the morning and –being in St. George- the weather was perfect. The first thing I remember about that morning was when Uncle Karl came to counsel with the two of us. Of course he knew about the recent death of my dad, just over a year earlier, and he said some wonderful things about people on the other side of the veil being pleased with our decision, (that was the jist – I don’t remember any direct quotes). We were both touched by his words. Then I remember going to kneel at the altar and Jeff bumped his head on a low hanging chandelier. Uncle Karl said something to the effect of “He is just a big teddy bear.” Jeff was not pleased with these remarks. The last thing I remember was everyone coming to hug us and give us their congratulations. My mom was first and we shared a great hug, but the one that sticks out in my mind was the hug from Uncle Eric. I remember he said “We’re proud of you” and I felt that it was coming from my dad, too. I had a wedding gown that was short sleeved and fitted to my hips, then a fluffy skirt. My veil was a hat with waist length tulle down the back. I bought both at Mary’s Bridal, but not until I had first tried on every dress that any family member or friend had access to in all the family!! We had a wedding lunch after the temple and before the reception. Our lunch was at Sizzler. It was basically my and Jeff’s parents, grandparents, siblings and his best men and my friend Jane. Jeff’s best men were his friends, Chris Delahunty and Chris Lindquist. My bridesmaids were my sister Becca and his sisters Traci and Tiffany. They wore dusty rose gowns (that I loved and that looked just like a prom dress that I had worn in high school), but they hated them. We had shopped for hours though and because of my great love for shopping, I knew if we didn’t just buy something someone was going to die. Unfortunately in November my colors of dusty rose and country blue were a little hard to come by. We decorated in those colors and used a lot of bears. My friend Tammy Jewell made me a special bride and groom bear and they sat on a cute little bench. We had a reception in St. George that night (Friday) and the next night in Sandy. That was lots of traveling for lots of people!! I don’t remember specifically what we served for refreshments, but I would guess cake, mints, nuts and punch. I had a wedding cake made by a friend and neighbor in the ward, BJ Mitchell. In the middle layer it had a mirror, and there was a picture of us that was reflected from above. I don’t really remember a specific wedding gift that we really loved. Jeff’s dad gave us a cd/tape/radio player that we still use today, and my mom paid the down payment on our apartment and stocked it with groceries. We registered at ZCMI, Wal-mart and Sears. I remember taking lots of things back to exchange. We got lots of platters, which I still don’t understand. We took just about everything we could back to Sears and bought a TV and VCR (that we still have and use). I don’t remember getting cold feet, but Jeff did tell me that the first thing he did that morning when he woke up was throw up!! For our honeymoon we went to Wendover, which is a strange choice considering that I was 19, but he had to be back in 4 days for Thanksgiving and then we had to drive to Monticello for our friends Chris and Camille Delahunty’s wedding. We gambled some, we took the grand tour of Wendover, which is about 10 minutes and we saw a couple of movies, probably both that were playing in the town at the time. We didn’t see any movies in our room though, so I don’t know if there wasn’t that option back then or if we thought it was too expensive. My mom thinks this was a good idea for a honeymoon, because this is one that we can afford to recreate for our anniversary and we have since done that.