They Called Us Angels

Nephi's brother and sister-in-law started an charity project 3 years ago when their sweet boy Jayden died shortly after birth. It's called, Calling All Angels. {<---Check out the blog for more details.}

Yesterday was Jayden's birthday and Nephi and I gathered some blankets and took it to the hospital. Although we were only able to gather a dozen, it still made a difference. When we gave them to the nurse she said that we must be angels because they are currently running low. Nephi and I were so happy to donate and part of such a great cause.

Ignore my squinty eyes and Nephi's sun burn...

In the past they have organized it in a way that you would send your blankets and a picture of you to them and they would donate them. This year, you could just take them to whatever hospital you want but still send them a picture. I LOVED doing it and next year I hope to get more family and friends involved like my other sister-in-law did this year. Kira rocked it and collected over 300 blankets!

I would encourage you all to donate wherever you are. It's not time consuming AT ALL. You don't have to make them...I didn't! We just bought some baby receiving blankets and delivered those. Every blanket counts so if you can only take one, take it! If you have questions, check out this Q&A and the blog for more details, or feel free to contact me.

Even though I never got to meet sweet Jayden, I feel like I know him because I know his parents. They are those kind of people you to be like when you grow up and I feel blessed to call them family!

Memorial Weekend: Cali 2012

California was WONDERFUL! We initially went for Neal (Nephi's brother) graduation but ended up being able to see my family as well. It was such a blessing to see them and we enjoyed every second of the weekend!

I, of course, didn't take as many pictures as I should have. Looking at the pictures I took, I realized I don't even have any with Neal & Angie and Connie & Boyd! Dang. I need to be a better picture taker, but, here is the trip broken down into sections...

We flew into LAX and started being tourists right away. We went to this yummy bratwurst place in downtown LA for lunch and loved it! The fries were to die for and the atmosphere was so retro. We got lost getting there but it was totally worth it :) Luckily, it was right down the street from China Town! Nephi loves China Town and has been wanting me to see if forever and we finally got to go! I didn't get any knock off purses--just some amazingly cheap fruit! A bag of cherries was $2.00! It was totally worth it and it didn't smell that bad... 

Neal graduated from Optometry school! We thought it was going to rain and the moment a slight sprinkle came down, every body put their umbrellas up. HA! Good thing it didn't last long. It was a great ceremony and really, really made me want to go to grad school...BUT, it also made me excited for Nephi to go to PA school. Neal and Angie made great friends there and it was fun to meet everyone. Afterwards we went to The Cheesecake Factory and gorged ourselves. SO good and SO worth every bite! We are so proud of Neal and are excited from him and Angie to move to Washington so we can visit them there!

Did you know Downtown Disney is free!?! I didn't even know that! Bah, where have I been? We went to check it out and it was so cool! There were a lot of people but it was fun to see all the shops and of course get a churro. Who goes to Disneyland without getting a churro? It was delicious. 

We went to the beach all day Saturday and got really burnt! This was the first time I have been to the beach in 2 years! The last time I went was right when I got home from my mission...I can't believe it's been that long! It was perfect. It was overcast that morning but by the time we got there the sun was beating down and we got plenty of sunshine! We even went in the water! Of course the Guymon men took the plunge first and then Angie and I went in later. We got used to it pretty quickly and it was way fun. 

And of course...the highlight of my trip was this baby! We call her "Ava Babah". She is the sweets thing ever! She has grown so much since we saw her last month. I got to hold and cuddle her a lot and I can just smell her thinking about her...I miss that baby smell! It was great seeing my family. We hung out with them at the beach all day and then Nephi and I went back with them that night to my cousins house and had dinner and watched some movies. That little baby is going to grow too fast! But she really is so sweet and super cuddly. Not too squeamish and she does well with others. She isn't attached to her parents and I love that about her. She better not be because she has people fighting over her left and right! I really do love that baby and we got a lot of reminding of how she wants a cousin soon...hmmmm...

California was great and EXACTLY what we needed. We drove home all the way on Sunday and went to the Guymon BBQ on Monday. It was so nice spending so much time with Nephi. Now we just got to get him through the rest of this semester...

Bullies

Bullying has become such an epidemic. Nephi had a school counselor come to his class the other day and talk about it and told a stories about kids who suffer and want to as bad as drop out of school because things get so bad for me.

This makes me sick. How do we prepare our kids to go through something like this? It seems so minor because of the misconception of "I don't care what people think of me" attitudes. You do care. Trust me.

Bullying comes in different forms. When I was little it was in the form of cliques, name calling, physical hitting (via sibling rivalries), gossiping, demeaning others, spreading rumors or lying,...wait, wait...this all still happens to adults. We are not exempt from bullying.

This has been on my mind because I have noticed some bullying in my personal life. It still comes in those forms, but it just isn't as obvious. You think that we would all be adults and grow up but apparently that isn't the case.

This quote came to mind as I was trying to get myself out of this funk I have been in all week:

Why do we become bullies?

Sources: Anger, insecurities, physical pain, emotional weaknesses, impulsiveness, validation, attention, self-righteous, etc.

Distribution Channels: Texting, Facebook, Blogging, Gossiping, Face-to-Face, etc.

Now, I am not an expert, but I know I have been a bully at times and I have definitely been bullied myself. I am committing to myself to never be a bully again and to always believe in myself, not what others say about me.

                              Source: ginger-ella.tumblr.com via Mallory on Pinterest

Lunch-Break-Blogger

I'm a lunch-break-blogger.

I never blog from home. I need to but by the time I am home, I am done being on the computer. I'm sure many of you can relate. Also, I usually eat lunch at my desk so I kind of work, kind of blog, and kind of pin. It works itself out just fine. I need to unplug for a few minutes throughout the day...unless we have an event. If we do, there is no unplugging.

My lunch reminded me of our great weekend so I thought I would re-cap what we did.

On Friday Nephi's parents brought us dinner. They are great. Nephi ate and then ran to work and I hung out with Nephi's parents and his brother and SIL. We went to DQ and got dipped cones. Yum. Then we came back and Connie and I watched some Grey's and stayed up late chatting. It was great. It was one of those moments where you KNOW your prayers are answered. I honestly don't confide in her very often but we had a great discussion and she gave me some golden advice--very good advice.

Saturday morning we said goodbye to all of them as they made their trek to Cali for Neal's graduation. We will be meeting up with them on Thursday and that can't come soon enough! After they left, I did a little cleaning, painting, and then took off to the gym where I ran 3, 10 minute miles. That is the best time I have had ever! A 10 minute mile may be a joke to many of you but to me it felt amazing.

I ran to the store and then went to Anna's Baby Shower. I got her cute set of cloths and those shoe sock things. Seriously, our babies will wear those socks everywhere. I think they are SO cute! It was a cute shower and we are so excited for Shawn and Anna!

I ran some more errands, got my purple towels I have been searching for on sale and then ran home to hang out with my favorite man...okay, second favorite man, Blake. Our neighbors have the sweetest little boy {I have talked about him before} and him and his mamma came over and we painted our nails. It was fun and good for her to hand blake off to me while she painted her nails.

Nephi got home and we made dinner. Yes, the best dinner ever. I ended up making that Sweet Potato Pizza Crust and it was HEAVEN!

I made it a meat lovers pizza because it's his favorite. I used turkey sausage and turkey bacon to make it reduced in calories and cut up some ham as well.  

Even if you don't like sweet potatoes...you have got to try this! You can't even taste it but the pizza is just better with it in there. It was really easy but allow about 1 1/2 hr of prep. It didn't take me that long because I threw the dough in the oven in my bowl on 170 for 20 minutes to let it rise. 

Just make it. Please? I think we will be making it every weekend. I just had the left overs and I am still drooling. I would not be surprised if I ended up making it again tonight. And, Nephi liked it too. Whew! That kid. So picky. 

We just hung out and planned on hanging stuff on our walls but they our friends Parker and Camille called and wanted to meet up for Fro Yo! Of course we couldn't resist and ended up hanging out with them the rest of the night! It was so fun and we love them! 

Sunday morning we were just about to leave to church (10:55) and Nephi remembered he had a mission farewell for a guy he works with at 11! We ran out the door and made it in time for church to start. It was great. I love missionary farewells and Zach is going to be an AMAZING missionary! 

Sunday night we had friends over for game night. We played Telestrations, of course, and had a blast! The best one of the night was this: 

The original word was Aardvark and then turned into "Intellectual Black Man" {which is what this picture represents} and ended up with me guessing, "Crazy Black Man" from this photo. Uhhh...we were DYING! Sarah drew this picture and we were all so confused by it. Apparently that is math and smart stuff coming out of his head...obviously. Oh man. If you haven't played that game with us yet---ask us and we will play with you. We LOVE it! 

To top off the weekend, Nephi talked in his sleep last night. I woke up to Nephi leaning over me and looking at the floor on my side. He was there for a minute, just quiet, and then whispered, "What the!?" So I kind grunted, "huh," and he said, "There are cups in the shape of a sheep! I thought it was a sheep!" Uhhhh...

And he tells me I am a crazy sleeper? 

We had a great weekend with family and friends and look forward to this SHORT week! :)

Workin' for the Weekend

It's hard not to think of this video when Friday comes around and the song "Workin' for the Weekend" pops into my head...

Anyway...plans for the weekend?

Friday: Dinner with Nephi's parents. Gym. Maybe a quick trip to Kohls to see if they have the towels I want on sale. Organize kitchen {My pantry is a mess}. Laundry. Watch Grey's Anatomy. Wait for Nephi to get home from work at 2:00 am. Sleep.

Saturday: Make these muffins. Gym. Anna's baby shower. Gather items for D.I trip. Find a garage sale? Clean 2nd bedroom. Make this pizza {Don't tell Nephi it has sweet potatoes in it}. Greet hubby home from work. Watch Lost. Hang items on blank walls. Paint new cupcake stand. Sleep.

Sunday: Leftover muffins. Church. Nap. Dinner {Not sure what to make but these sound good for the hubby.}. Game night with friends. Watch Lost. Sleep.


Nothing too exciting going on but nowadays I LIVE for these kinds of weekends! I also am wanting time to pass by fast so we can go to Cali and I can see my family and the beach for Memorial Day :)

I love traveling with Nephi.

Marriage Can

When I was in Young Women's, they had us create a can, almost like a time capsule, of what we want our wedding to be like. I don't remember if I was allowed to open it before or after I got married but I opened it a few months ago and was shocked at what I wanted my wedding to be like! 

The can consisted of pictures of cakes, rings, dresses, flowers, and colors that I wanted at my wedding. It looks like I wanted an all white wedding with a tall cake and red roses. As far as the ring when, I had a few different types in there so I was obviously unsure. Ha. 

It also consisted of a list of 10 things I hope to do before I get married. If you can't read this well enough, here is the list:

And I quote...

1. Be fit & skinny (work out) PERFECT TEETH. Um, half true. I got braces. 

2. Save a lot of money. Nephi and I both worked full-time before we got married and had plenty.

3. Get into BYU (have a major). Close...BYU-I and I did have a major picked out/

4. Take scrapbooking classes. Um, never. I learned Photography and Photoshop instead.

5. White water rafting! :) I'm going this summer!

6. Convert someone to the church. Mission...hello! 

7. Get married in I guess I didn't finish this sentence...??

8. Meet and hangout with a movie star or athlete. Met a handful of both. 

9. Go to Australia or Africa to do service!! Not, yet. But Nephi has had the same goal.

10. Own a car. Yep, yep. Thanks to great, great, parents.

One thing about this list still remains true---I am a goal setter and list maker. Although all these things didn't happen, I still feel very accomplished in my life. 

Lately I have been reflecting on how this stage of our life is limited. No longer being a student is great, but I am grateful that Nephi still is. It keeps us humble, focused, and selfless. We have to work as a team, serve each other, and make sacrifices. It's a great stage to be in, even though I complain that we don't have weekends together, I love our life together. 

PS- There was one more thing in the can...We were suppose to write a letter to our "future spouse"...I opened the can when my parents were in town and we were all sitting around the living room. I started reading the letter and I was laughing along the way and suddenly noticed that I got pretty specific on who I was writing the letter to...I abruptly stopped. They looked at my confused and said, "Was that it?" I nodded and my face started getting warm. They kind of look confused but I could tell they didn't think much of it. 

A few minutes later, I busted out laughing and read the last line of the letter which said I love you to the boy I was dating at the time. WOAH! What a dreamer I was. All of you who went to high school with me know who this boy was....aren't you glad we didn't get married?! I sure am!

And EVENTful Weekend

This morning, we woke up at 7:45. 

We had quite the weekend. 

Thursday-Saturday we had an event for work. On Thursday we had a dinner at the company owner's home, Friday we had the leadership workshop, and Saturday we took a trip to Jackson, Wyoming. They all went so well! One of my favorite things about event planning is the intuition and adrenaline. My mind is usually more sharp and clear and if I planned well, I remember all the details. 

This event was more low key, compared to our convention, and I loved it. The weather was in our favor, we had plenty of food, and the people we happy. {Those are my criteria.}

Even though my feet killed on Friday....*note to self, don't wear heals for an event with a cement floor.* My heals would click the whole time as I ran around. I resorted to tippy-toeing in and out of the room and risked looking like a dummy. Oh well. 

Cute shoes, right? I got them for homecoming my sophomore year of high school and they still fit like a glove...unlike my dress. 

When I got home on Friday night, Nephi ran to work and I collapsed on the couch for a few hours wasting my time on Grey's Anatomy. (Thank you, Netflix). After a few episodes, I decided to give the place a once over knowing I wouldn't be able to clean on Saturday. Well, that turned into a deep clean/organize and me painting my nails in bed at 2 in the morning when Nephi got home from work. 

At least I got my closet done...I have too many shoes. I even gave away half of them before we moved. Oh man. 

Saturday I went to Jackson with the company. It was such a fun trip! I got a little car sick but other than that, it was very fun. I love the people we work with and enjoyed their company very much. 

We had Stake Conference Saturday night but I didn't get home until 7:30 and we had a hot date planned for 8:30 with the Henderson's...Second Chance Prom! 

For the past 13 years, this radio station has been hosting a Second Chance Prom. It was held at Nephi's old high school so we went with our good friends and had a blast! 

Nephi wore his bow tie and I curled my hair, put on lipstick and a floral maxi dress. That's as fancy as we got!

There was a wide age group and dress style present. From jeans to prom dresses, we saw it all. Old people dancing to the electric slide and young people getting a little too close to Ushers "Yeah". Don't worry, we recorded it. Vlog coming soon.

After the dance, Nephi and I went to Kohls. We LOVE shopping at Kohls late at night! No one is there and we get to take our time. I ended up getting decor for the bathroom and kitchen. Almost done with decorating the house! The house warming party will most likely be on June 2nd so if you are in town...COME!

Sunday morning we went to Stake Conference. Afterward, we came home and had brunch with Sheridan and then watched some Lost. Also, I suddenly got this urge to craft so I completed a few projects in a short amount of time...score! Crafting is appealing to me but I hate that it takes so long, so when I can get a project done quickly, it's right up my alley.

I bought these cute cloth napkins at Kohls and I really wanted to get napkin holders but I didn't see any I loved so I made these! Literally conceptualized and created them in 20 minutes or less. SO easy!

Cute huh? I bought burlap ribbon to cover a "G" that broken in half (which I did yesterday too) and used the leftovers to do this. I found my bag of spare buttons and used 4 of them to sew on the button. I just cut a slit and then slide it through to make it go together. Like I said, so so easy. I worry that the burlap may tare over time but it's fine because my financial and time investment was so small. I really like them! More pictures to come of the table settings...

I also started this project. This cutting board started growing mold because it wasn't dry enough when I put it under the sink a few months ago. I felt weird just throwing away a big chunk of wood so I thought I would make it work.

I stained it (2 coats), modpodged scrapbook paper in the middle section, put a vinyl "G" in the middle and then added a coat of that protective stuff (I forgot what it is called). It's currently drying but I will post pictures later.

It was so easy and again, conceptualized it very quickly. I have never seen anything like it but it just came to me a few months ago and I finally got it done.

Our night ended with a yummy dinner with the Henderson's. I used the left over bison prime rib, funeral potatoes, and rolls to make dinner. (Another reason I love event planning--I always get the leftovers from catering). I made mini-prime rib sandwiches. They were really good and I am glad that I was able to but it to good use!

For desert Sarah made yummy lemon bars and I made strawberry shortcake using this biscuit recipe. I  used Activia yogurt. It still turned out but had an interesting texture...you should still try it. You may like it and it was SO easy!

We LOVE having the Henderson's over! We literally live parallel lives and laugh a ton together. They have become some of our greatest friends.

Sunday night we set goals for the week, read scriptures, and went to bed. This morning we planned on going to the gym...yep, didn't happen. Dang goal setting at midnight made us sleep in. Tomorrow will be the day!

Here's to a great week!

Clumsy

Ever had a day where you are super clumsy? That happened to me yesterday.

I came home from work and did the dishes and straightened up before Nephi got home. I thought I did all the dishes and then I looked on the stove and there was a big pot that I left there after we made potato soup on Monday (don't judge). So I grabbed it, filled it with hot soapy water and started dinner.

Nephi got home and I had my music playing from my phone. *Did you know you can put your iPhone in a glass cup and it will make your music louder? True story. Do it all the time.* He came in and we just chatted and then I went to grab my phone to look up a recipe and, yeah, it slipped and fell right into that soapy hot water pot! JUST.MY.LUCK!

I snatched it out of the so fast, grabbed a rag, and turned it off. I dried it really fast while Nephi filled a bowl with rice and blew into the output to try and get the water out of there. This all happened in like 30 seconds btw...

I was mostly in shock and way nervous because it's my work phone and we have an event this weekend and I knew tons of people are going to be calling me for directions, catering, tent, heaters, porta potty, etc. WORST time EVER to drop your phone in a pot of water.

I left it in there for a few minutes, turned it on and it was working so I texted and asked a guy from work what to do and he said to keep it in rice and then put it in the oven on the lowest setting. Whaaaa? Have any of you done this!? It seemed so risky to me. I was nervous but I did it and even left the oven door open and the heat on 170 because I was paranoid it would burn my phone.

Turns out it's totally fine to do that and so when I cam into work this morning and showed them my camera lens on the phone full of water, they suggested a dehydrator. So we got one from a guy at works aunt and now my phone is resting. All my calls are being forwarded to the office, but, if it doesn't work, I am screwed.

I wrote this email to tell Nephi what happened. (I called him from work and we had a bad connection so I said I would email him instead.)

Why am I blogging about this?

1. It was a funny memory.

2. This email made me realize after I sent it how much Nephi and I have changed each other. I act like him, and he acts like me.

So, pray for my phone.

AND, pray that it doesn't rain tonight so we can still have our event outside and that the tent won't blow over.

"Okay, thanks, okay, I love you, okay, goodbye."
(Another random saying Nephi and use)