Monday, December 7, 2009

Candyland

Every year I go help my sister and her husband decorate for Christmas. Each year they have a different "themed" Christmas tree(which is 9ft tall). This year's theme was "Candyland" after the popular children's game. This year I didn't decorate as much as I made the decorations. We made lollipops, kisses, gingerbread men, ice cream cones, rainbows and a gingerbread house. My fingers were very sore after hours of using the glue-gun. But the homemade decorations did turn out cute! And I've been assured that next year I won't have to make any! Plus helping out with Christmas is always a great excuse to go down and enjoy my sister's gourmet meals!

Festival of Trees

Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Festival of the Trees. I tree "watched" by making sure no one touched the trees I was assigned to. The Festival of Trees is a great fundraiser for Primary Children's Hospital. There are literally hundreds of decorated trees that are on sale, with all the proceeds going to the hospital research and patient care. A majority of the trees are decorated by those families who have lost someone, usually to cancer. Each tree has a little story of what inspired the tree decorations. One of the trees I was watching was called Grandma's Love. Grandma had died of cancer and the tree had been decorated in teddy bears, etc...and lots of gifts she would have given to her grandchildren if she was alive. The tree next to it was donated by 2 mothers who had stillborn daughters---so lots of pink, a tea set, ballerina stuff, baby doll stuff---basically all girly girl stuff surrounded the tree or was on the tree! Even though sometimes the tree stories made you sad, it was great to see the families celebrate their loved ones life and raise money for a great cause! It is a very popular venue to visit at Christmastime!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

New Moon

Yes it is true: I read the Twilight series. I haven't been as obsessed over it as other women, but I enjoyed them. Now the movies have started. New Moon came out last weekend. I loved this book because we learn more about Jacob and I learned to just love him! So the movie was extra awesome because Jacob was in it most of the time! And his body was so ripped! Wow! I lost my breath a bit when he took off his shirt the 1st time in the movie! One woman in the audience yelled out "rewind" after that scene. Plus the movie had a lot of humor in it(some of the cheesy stuff made me laugh too)! My friend had rented out a theater in SLC so I got to see it at 9pm before it "officially" opened at midnight! So I went with a bunch of my neighbors. We had a great time! This 2nd movie of the series was so much better than the 1st one! I wouldn't mind finding a Jacob(of course not as a werewolf and 20 years older)!

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is my favorite all-time group! Recently they came out with a new CD and book. CD is great! I'm still waiting for the book to come. Bon Jovi has been around since 1983 and I've loved them ever since! I loved Bon Jovi with long hair, medium hair and now short hair! He just keeps getting better looking! Plus he's a dedicated family man and humanitarian! You gotta love that! Enjoy one of his new singles:

Additions to our family

Since August, we have had 4 new additions to our family. In August, Brenner Jay came to TJ and Sari. In September, 'Netta & Bobby brought Anthony Luis into the world and 10 days later Kristie joined our family by marrying my nephew, Jacob. And finally at the beginning of November, Matthew Arlyss was born to Skylar and Annie! So we've had a busy few months! I now have 14 great-nieces & nephews! I love seeing the family grow!!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Park City

A few weekends ago, my nieces, Selena & Tauna, and I spent a weekend in SLC and Park City. In Salt Lake we enjoyed eating at the Cheesecake Factory---love that place!! And while we were waiting an hour to get seated, we hit the mall nearby and spent some quality time in Bath & Body Works--so hard not to buy all the yummy scents! The next day, we headed to Park City to shop at the Outlet Malls. We had a competition with who could get the cheapest price for a whole outfit. There were not any great sales going on or I guess I should say they were all having great sales, but the sale price was still expensive! My outfit won costing a mere $70(with everything on sale), so I got the prize, a gift bag of Bath & Body Works products! Time went by so quickly while we shopped, so we were too late to ride the zip-lines there---darn it! So we headed back to SLC to the Gateway Mall to look around and eat at the California Pizza Kitchen(great mexican pizza!)Also, like SLC, Park City had the Red Rock restaurant, one of my favorites, so I was happy to eat there! Great weekend of fun and laughing!

My Birthday

I had a great birthday dinner at the beginning of this month! Served "made-from-scratch" lasagna, spring mix salad and garlic bread from Fredricos pizzaria--they have the best garlic bread!! Then I found a triple chocolate brownie mix, so we had a rich brownie, vanilla ice cream(Aggie ice cream of course), topped with chocolate sauce. It tasted so scrumptious! My mom and niece decorated with balloons and signs! Having the decorations made it even more festive for me. Great time spent with my family! My life is always brighter when I am surrounded by family!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Horseback Riding

I went horseback riding in Logan canyon with Raechel and Ben & Whitney. The 4 of us rode in the mountains near Beaver Mountain area. The elderly guide and his young grandsons led us through creeks and trees and brush to a summit overlooking Beaver area. The guide had fun retelling his stories to us while we rode. Made a note to self: wear long pants when riding horses through mountains. My calves & shins got a bit scratched up through the vegetation! Also I learned it's okay to push away from a tree so you don't bang your knee on a tree. I got a minor bruise on my knee from hitting a tree trunk! Another thing I learned was that trotting is easier on my body if I stand a bit while the horse is trotting! But it's still ouch! It was a beautiful area and so peaceful....until near the end of trip, Raechel's horse tried to kick mine! There were kind of some tense moments hoping the horses wouldn't get out of control, but we all kept control of ourselves and got safely down the mountain! Then we got some take-out from Fredrico's...I absolutely love the ham & cheese salads and their garlic bread is to die for! We took our food to Lundstrom park and enjoyed our meals while listening to the babbling brook(inside huge plastic pipes...but if you didn't see the pipes you'd think the stream was right there). We had a good time!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Labor Day


For Labor Day, I went up to Burley, Idaho to visit with Skylar, Annie, Kolby & Lindsey(and Rizzo, the darling dog). We were thinking of going on a picnic to a park but it was rather cool and windy that day. So we ordered take-out Chinese food and watched a movie at their home. I enjoyed hanging out with them for a few hours! Kolby and Lindsey are growing so quickly! And I can't wait to have Matthew join the family in October!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Parent's 60th anniversary


Saturday we celebrated mom and dad's 60th wedding anniversary at Maddox Restaurant. These days it's quite an accomplishment to be married that long! Various family members attended the celebration to make it a special day. Maddox food was delicious(like I had any doubt), especially their rolls with raspberry butter, fresh peach pie and tender corn on the cob---okay my whole meal was excellent--turkey steak & mashed potatoes included. It makes my mouth water thinking about it! After our savory dinner, we gathered in a small park behind the restaurant to record mom and dad answering various questions about their lives. I loved listening to their memories. I think I need to record more of their memories! It was a great day of celebration and family! Loved it!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Salt Flats

I got the opportunity to go with some friends to the Speedracing at the Bonneville Salt Flats. It's definitely a unique Utah experience! I couldn't believe all the miles and miles of salt in every direction! And we saw some pretty cool hot rods going 200-300mph! Luckily it was one of the coolest summer days we've had(like in the 60s) so it was perfect for sitting all day in the sun(with white reflective salt surrounding you)!







Sunday, August 2, 2009

Harry Potter IMAX 3D

I went to see Harry Potter 6 for the 4th time with my nephew, Jon, and his wife, Mandy. But this time it was IMAX and 3D(at least for the 1st 10 minutes)!! I loved seeing it on such a huge screen! And the 3D parts really made me feel like I was moving on a rollercoaster as the movie cameras swept through the streets of London and Diagon Alley! I like the movie better each time I see it! Can't wait for the last 2 movies(for book 7) to see how they are going to set it up!! After the movie we went to Ruby Tuesday for dinner! Great food! I was glad to be able to take some home for another meal sometime! Plus they had a yummy chocolate chip cookie and ice cream dessert! It was great spending time with Jon and Mandy!

New Orleans, Louisiana

I was able to visit New Orleans for a few days when I went to visit my nephew in Shreveport and then at the end of a Gulf Shores, AL trip with my friend, Lisa. When I was by myself, I went on a few group tours around the city. First I went on a night walking tour where we got to enjoy some jazz music at a club after eating a local restaurant(the 2nd oldest & excellent bread pudding). We walked down Bourbon street(not a very family friendly area!). And before the tour ended we stopped to eat beignets(thick pieces of funnel cakes with piles of powdered sugar on top). Also I went on group walking tours around the French Quarter and Garden District. The French Quarter was where the original French and Spanish settlers came(a pretty wild bunch). When Americans started coming, the Garden District was made because the French Quarter didn't want them in their area(and vice versa). So Canal Street splits the 2 areas and the east/west streets have one name in the French Quarter and another name for the same street in the Garden District still. I loved the unique architecture in both areas! But I did favor the Garden District because it seemed more of a spacious clean area than the narrow dirty areas of the French Quarter. I especially loved seeing the above ground tombs at cemetery. To save space, whole families are buried in same tomb(after year of death, they sweep back the ashes/bones into hole in tomb and then it's ready for next body). And then after my trip to Orange Beach, AL to enjoy the Gulf shores, my friend Lisa and I spent a day in New Orleans because our flights were leaving from that airport. We rode a steam/paddle boat on the Mississippi River that included dinner and jazz band along with interesting commentary from the captain. We also went on an alligator swamp tour. Capt Allen was very informative and interesting! He'd call the alligators like we would dogs and talk to them like they were cute and cuddly! We saw lots of smaller alligators and even Old Joe, the oldest and biggest in that swamp area(whom Capt Allen took time to pat on his nose). I never realized how beautiful the the swamps were! The vegetation was amazing!

Orange Beach, Alabama

Recently, I got with my best friend from 3rd/4th grade(in Wyoming) named Lisa. We had not seen each other for 33 years! We met at a hotel in Orange Beach, AL, right on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Not only was it great to see Lisa and meet her family, but the beaches there were perfect! The water was warm and the sand white. We had our own beach umbrella and lounge chairs. We were able to sail a catamaran with Capt. Andy. Since we were the only 2 people on our ride, we sailed at extremely fast speeds so we got the ultimate experience of sailling a catamaran! Also, we were able to dolphin watch! Two speed boats went out at the same time and got 20-30yds apart and sped through the water. The waves and wakes created were natural surfing and jumping areas for dolphins! So that was cool! At the end of our trip we spent some time in New Orleans, LA, but I put that in a separate blog.

Shreveport

I visited Russ, Rachel & Diana in Shreveport, Louisiana for a few days. I was lucky enough that Russ was able to be home during those days! We went to the Natchitoches Alligator Park. It was cool watching the alligators jump out of the water for a piece of raw chicken. And there were great photo ops---we got to get our picture holding a baby alligator. Diana's favorite part was riding the mechanical alligator and horse! Then we went to Oakland Plantation. The oak and pecan trees were so huge because they were so old! They were beautiful! It was interesting to learn about the life at plantations. Next we went to Fort St. Jean Baptiste. We got there just as they were closing but a worker went the extra mile and took us around the fort explaining the various information. And at night we'd stay up much too late chatting! I had a great time hanging with all of them!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Denver

I recently flew to Denver to spend some time with 'Netta & Bobby and their family. Dominick and Gabe remembered me, but Alana was a bit wary of me at first(but she was soon letting me hold her and play with her). Anyway, I got set up in their basement(which I loved because it was nice and cool down there) and then we got ready for a BBQ that night. Carolyn and Joe Harris came to the BBQ, along with their grown kids Ryan(and his wife & 2 girls), JR(and his son) and Jordan(who is 6'10" ). The other boys couldn't make it(she had 7). I used to babysitt for Carolyn and Joe when I was in jr high and high school! 'Netta & Bobby had just bought the grill that day so they got to break it in with all of us! It was fun chatting with everyone! After the kids were in bed that night, 'Netta, Bobby and I sat down for a game of Phase 10(my favorite game). I got behind on phases but I was able to make a come back and win(even up by one phase). So I was feeling pretty good about myself! The next day I played in the backyard with the kids. They have a little house and sand area to play in. I took the family to lunch at Olive Garden(yummy) and then we went to a small water park(no slides or tubes, just water squirting out and up). Dominick and Gabe were having fun in the water, but Alana would have none of it! I thought it felt good to be in the water on such a hot day! Then that night we did some park-hopping. We eventually went to Carolyn and Joe's place to see them. Then we went home and played the waiting game. Mandy and the kids were supposed to arrive sometime that night, but they didn't get in until about 2am. The next day I played some more with the kids outside and then it was time for me to go. We all piled in the Suburban to the airport! I loved hanging out with 'Netta and her family!! It was also fun to have Mandy and the kids there for that short time while I was there!

My HS Reunion

I went to my Logan High 25th High School reunion. About 50 students(probably out of like 250) came. After 25 years, we were all finally on equal status. There were friends there I hadn't seen in a long time. This reunion was the first that I actually brought a camera to take pictures. I've gone to all my reunions with my best friends from high school: Marilyn, SaRene and Carol. If I didn't have them to go with, I probably wouldn't go. Small talk is not one of my strengths. I did have fun seeing everyone and hearing about their lives! Yet, it was kind of hard listening about their lives too because all their lives revolved around their spouse & kids(which it should be)...and mine doesn't. I was surprised that it was tough on me to listen to it all. I really am okay with who I am as a single person, but it was one of those nights that I was reminded what I didn't have and what I have always desired. But my time will come, so I tried not to be bummed about it for too long. Overall, I had a good time though!

Friday, June 26, 2009

IMAX Transformers 2

Yesterday, Robert and I saw IMAX Transformers 2. The IMAX is a bit more expensive than a regular show but it's well worth it! I loved the huge screen! The sound is incredible too! It's so loud I don't think you'd be able to hear a baby cry in the middle of the movie! Transformers 2 is full of action and just as good as the first one. I didn'tknow the characters that well since I never have read the comic books or seen the cartoons. But Rob knows the Transformers inside and out so I could ask him any questions. Afterwards we ateat Joe's Crab Shack. I love that place! But it's changed so much: the funky decorations and lights are gone and the menu was new. The food was still delicious! And the music was still awesome(70s & 80s music)! But the atmosphere was not as impressionable as it used to be(and maybe that's because we went at a low time--only maybe 10 people there--usually it's packed).





Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Crashing HS Reunion

Recently, I was able to get connected with some former best friends from 7th grade: Beth Appelhans Richert and Lisa Yasenovsky Beagle. We all were living in Knob Noster, Missouri together and then moved. Since it was our 25th high school reunion this year, we thought it would be funny to attend Knob Noster High's reunion! This idea was soon formed into a reality! We found an alumni web-site and were notified of the reunion. Lisa flew from California, I flew from SLC and Beth drove from Oklahoma. We all met at the Kansas City airport one afternoon! We had not seen each other for 30 years! It was a blast to reunite with them! We laughed and laughed at memories, pictures(especially the clothes we wore!), autograph books and notes to each other. It was great reminiscing! Later that night we met more of our fellow classmates. And yes we remembered many of them, but there were some that came after our time there. There was probably a total of 20 people at the reunion(including spouses). Their graduating class was only 56 people! It was nice to be remembered! So we got reacquainted and acquainted with people. After dinner, we all went over to the Power & Light District. It's a huge outdoor area with furniture and big screen tv. It's surrounded by night clubs. We went to Big Sky, which had a mechanical bull in it. A few of the gals wanted to try it out, so I led the way! We were wishing we could find karaoke but there was none to be found. But at the Big Sky they would play familiar songs that everyone knew really loud and while everyone was singing the words, they would turn the volume down so it was just the crowd singing. So that was as close as we got to karaoke! We all had a fun time singing, dancing and convincing people to ride the mechanical bull! The next day, Lisa, Beth and I drove to Knob Noster to see our old stomping grounds! Back when we were there, the population was 2,264 and now it is 2,462! So it's grown by a couple hundred in the past 30 years! I don't know how to explain it, but as we walked around places the memories and past seemed so close! I'm glad we took time to visit there! Then it was time for Beth, Lisa and I to part ways! We loved our spontaneous, wacky time together! Hopefully it won't be 30 more years before we see each other again!

Tuacahn Theater

I met TJ, Sarah and Alyssa in St. George for their activity with me. They live in Ely, NV now, so it was about a 4 hour drive for both of us to meet in St. George. We met at Wingers for lunch(I always order the original hot wings dinner everytime!). Then we hung out at the mall and their condo(time-share). We were waiting for the night to come because we were going to Tuacahn, the outdoor ampitheater, to see Annie. Dinner was served before the show. Then we had some time before the show to wait. There was a place where many kids were playing jumprope. Alyssa had never jump-roped before, but she got in line too. The first couple of times she didn't even get one jump over the rope. As she continued to get in line and jump again, she was eventually able to get to 12 jumps in a row! It was fun to see her learn and progress so quickly! The show was fun(I liked the 2nd half better than the 1st)! Alyssa was able to get her picture taken with Annie after the show since the cast comes out after the show. We had a fun time tonight!