~The First Snowball~

So...every year Randy and I have a competition on who can get the first snow ball. This all started last year when every day leading up to the snow, Randy told me that he couldn't wait to peg me with a snowball in the face. Well...one night we were about to go to bed and Randy was refusing to take the dog out to go pee. Reluctantly, I took the task...only to my surprise to find a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. My head starts plotting the best way to get the "first" snowball and I realize that Randy is upstairs...getting ready for bed. So I take the dog back inside, snowball in hand, and sneak up the stairs. (mostly I'm not very good at sneaking as I was giggling the whole way). This however didn't tip Randy off...he just asked what I was laughing at. I walk into the bedroom where I find Randy, not suspecting a thing, and I peg him with a cold, wet, snowball. Randy was so surprised and mostly upset that he didn't get the first snow ball. So this year, he vowed to get me before I got him. Tuesday evening, I come home from work only to find snow on the ground. The plotting begins. I call him to find out where he is and discovering that he was close, I decided to be a "good wife" and take the dog for his nightly walk...the whole time thinking to myself, Randy will go into the house, not suspecting anything...and I'll get him once again! We usually just walk him around the block, but by the time I got done with that, I noticed that Randy was still not home...so the long walk we took. As I'm on my way home from this long walk, I see Randy walking towards me...and only one thought crosses my mind...SNOWBALL. I take off with the dog in a mad dash, trying to get as far away from Randy, as quickly as possible. The mad dash worked, as it left Randy standing there, wondering what the heck I was doing. By the time he figured it out, I was long gone. I ran home, put the dog in the kennel, got my ammo, and hid behind the house, waiting for the unsuspecting husband to return. 5 minutes pass and still no sign of him. I start to wonder if he's coming back at all. But I wait. Few minutes later he appears, snowball in hand (as am I), but I realize I no longer have the element of surprise. He throws his snowball at me and misses, giving me a free shot. The snowball flies through the air towards him but alas, he evades it by less then an inch! So much for the first snowball of the year...but we sure had a fun time trying to get each other. I'm so glad to be married to someone who is just as big of a kid as I am! :) Hope everyone is enjoying the snow!

~Chinese Obsession~

As most of you probably already know, there was a very long period in my life where I absolutely refused to eat Chinese food. Mostly it came from a horrid food poisoning experience from Panda Express (which technically shouldn't even be considered Chinese food). However, in my quest to find another relatively fast food restaurant, I got a menu in the mail for a little Chinese place called Lucky Star. Feeling in the mood for some sweet and sour chicken, I talked my husband into trying this place out, even though I myself was feeling kind of reluctant. Long story short, this is by FAR the best Chinese food I've ever had in my life. In high school I used to drive up to Ogden to eat at another good restaurant called Maple Gardens, and I never thought I'd ever find a place that I liked better. However, Lucky star has far surpassed any Chinese restaurant I've ever eaten at. So for that last like 2 months, I have eaten at lucky star at least once a week. I know...this is not good on my budget, but for some reason, nothing else sounds as good to me. And it's not just the sweet and sour chicken that's good...I have started to order the most random things on the menu...things I don't even know what it is, and they are delicious to say the least! So...if you're looking for some super fresh Chinese food, and enough of it to feed you for like 3 meals, come up to Herriman and we can go to Lucky Star! :)

~Good Times~

So I'm at work yesterday, and my boss comes in. We talk for a little while, and then we start having this video (you tube) competition. I showed him Natalie's video of the little girls singing the star spangled banner...and he showed me this. I'm not sure which of them have more talent...but this is pretty funny. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9-CS2v8wcc&feature=related

~Weekend Getaway~

So...the last couple of weeks at work have been ridiculously stressful. It has gotten to the point where I'm not really enjoying my job that much because of all the drama that's going on. Well, I pretty much had a mental breakdown and told Randy that I never wanted to go back. Randy, being the sweet husband that he is, suggested that we get out of town that weekend. Since we had a time share, I suggested bear lake. We called them, and of course they didn't have anything open for like 5 weeks. Not quite what I wanted, but it will do. So I continued to go to work, just looking forward to our weekend getaway that was a few weeks away. Well, fortunately the time went quickly and last weekend we were able to go up and spend some much needed time together. Randy decided to take Saturday off, and I took monday off, so after my class on saturday, we packed and left for bear lake. It was so nice to be able to not worry about work, or life for a little while. But just so everyone knows, if you want to do activities in bear lake, like water stuff, or hiking caves, etc...you need to go before Labor Day, otherwise you will have no such luck. We got there and everything was closed for the summer. But we didn't mind. We drove to the beach and skipped rocks. I know this sounds kinda lame, but it was actually very entertaining. Monday we checked out of the condo (which, by the way, was bigger then our condo and WAY nice) and drove to Tremonton. My sister in law is building a house there and since I sold her the land, I figured I should go and see the progress on the house. It was pretty cool, and was really good to see her again. After eating dinner with them, Randy and I were on our way back home, to reality. :) Anyway, it was a great weekend and I'm so glad that I was able to spend some much needed time with Randy.

Chillin on the couch

A cool view

Searching for the Perfect Rock

Randy and me in shadow form

~Remembering~

As I'm sitting here at work, it dawns on me that today is the 8th anniversary of an absolutely terribble day. Eight years ago today thousands of American lives were lost. Back then I was a Sophomore in high school and I'm not sure I truly understood what freedoms I had that were trampled on that day. I remember playing a soccer game that day, and the skies were quiet, something I didn't realize until my parents pointed it out. I of course was too busy playing, however, during the 4 hours they sat there, not one plane flew over head. Shortly after 9/11, my soccer coach shared an article with us that has stayed with me throughout the years. It was probably one of the most motivating and liberating articles I've ever read. Luckily I'm a pack rat, so I was able to find it after all these years. I'd like to share that article now. I know it's a little lengthy, but trust me, it's worth reading. I still believe what is said, I am an American, and I will fight for my rights, and I will fight anyone who tries to take those rights from me. Enjoy.


"We'll go forward from this moment"
by Leonard Pitts Jr. of the Miami Herald

"It's my job to have something to say. They pay me to provide words that help make sense of that which troubles the American soul. But in this moment of airless shock when hot tears sting disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say, the only words that seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of this suffering.
You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard. What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed.
Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause. Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve. Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together. Let me tell you about my people.
We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, social, political and class division, but a family nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional energy on pop cultural minutiae-a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's misfortune, a cartoon mouse.
We're wealthy, too, spoiled by the ready availability of trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of that, we walk through life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally decent, though-peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle to know the right thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of us, people of faith, believers in a just and loving God.
Some people-you, perhaps-think that any or all of this makes us weak. You're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals. Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and, probably, the history of the world.
You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before. But there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan was taught to its bitter sorrow the last time anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and monumental pain. When roused, we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice. I tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as you, I think, do not.
What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with dread of the future. In the days to come, there will be recrimination and accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. There will be heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastened, sad. But determined, too. Unimaginably determined. You see, the steel in us is not always readily apparent. That aspect of our character is seldom understood by people who don't know us well. On this day, the family's bickering is put on hold. As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans, we will rise in defense of all that we cherish.
So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started. But you're about to learn."

~Bring on the Snow~

So I have to say that last winter was about the hardest winter I have ever endured. Even though we had an awesome vacation right in the middle of it, I couldn't help but think that spring couldn't come fast enough. Mostly I blame this negative attitude about the snow on the fact that last year Randy and I weren't able to buy season passes to brighton. This being the case, we didn't go at all since I don't want to spend $50 for a pass when I only last about 2 hrs. However, that was not the case this year! So while everyone is complaining about the snow, I will be shooting off mountains enjoying winter once again!We bought season passes 2 years ago, and I have to say, it was the best thing I've ever done. I was up on that hill once a week. It made winter so much more bearable! :) However, half way through the season I lost my pass(mostly I thought it was stolen until I conveniently found it the following June). I think it's because I probably would've broken my leg and had a cast on my wedding day :) ha! Anyway, I'm super excited for the fall weather, but also for the awesome snow. I can't wait to be able to use my pass! :) So all of you who hate winter...I only have 2 words for you... WINTER SPORTS! It will seriously make you look forward to the bitter cold months! :)

~Note to Self~

So...I've always been the independent sort who hates having to have a guy do anything for me. This has been especially true when it comes to Car issues. However, for some reason, a girl can't walk into an auto shop without feeling out of place, or like she's being taken advantage of simply because she doesn't know enough about cars to not be. Mostly I think this is ridiculous...however, it has happened to me more then once. So a few blogs ago, I went on a rampage about getting a flat tire on the freeway...blah blah blah. So...3 months go by, and about 6000 miles later, and I go out to my car, and low and behold, my rear tire is flat. Now...I know that on Friday, that tire was fine, and since I hadn't driven since then, It simply went flat in my garage. Logic tells me that that means that all it needs is a little air, and probably nothing more. So Randy and I run to walley world and pick up a WAY too expensive little machine that pumps up your tire using your cigarette lighter. It takes us about 5 minutes to get the tire up to the PSI level it needs to be at. We then decide that we should take it in at get the tire patched, or whatever needed to be done. So I'm driving down the road and Randy's following me and suddenly (after only a mile or so) he calls and tells me I have to pull over. I do, just to find that my tire is flat again. Luckily we pulled into a gas station so we go to the air pump and pump it back up again...however, doing this blows a HUGE hole in my tire and about 10 seconds later, the tire is completely flat again. Long story short, we get a tow truck, go back to BIG-O tire, only to find that the dumb sales guy before was selling me piece of crap tires because they were in my price range. So...for all you people who DON'T know...Each tire has a mile warranty on it, the more miles, the more expensive, but the longer they'll last. So I had 20,000 mile tires on my car (CRAP), and all I had to do was spend an extra $20 a tire to get 40,000 mile tires that would last TWICE AS LONG!!! So..when buying a tire, ask what the mileage warranty is on that tire. DO NOT get the 20,000 tire, even if its the cheapest cuz you'll end up replacing it every year and for a measly $20 more, you can get twice the mileage!