To all my friends--I'm so glad I found out about this!

The correct way to weigh yourself:

I can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years! WE MUST SPREAD THE WORD!

Happy Birthday to Brianna!

O.k. so Brianna (Shanna and Brian's 1st) also recently turned nine!

B: eautiful

R: eally likes horses

I: ntelligent

A: ctive ( she is always on the go...in the pool, playing games...)

N: ow taking piano lessons

N:ot boring (very creative imagination)

A: real good swimmer!

'Golden Coral' Dessert Buffet!

I'd kill for her hair!

Then we came by my house and she fed the chickens and Dudley and then to the Dollar Store to pick out some things. Brianna is really growing up. It's weird for me to see my little, cutesy nieces and nephews become little boys and girls. You can actually have a real conversation with them. It's fun!

Birthday Date

My niece Bailey recently turned 7 years old! She is growing up way too fast. Many a laughable moment comes from her being 100% girl. For Bailey's birthday date, she wanted to use the money that she got from her birthday to buy a Webkin at the mall. She put all of her bills and coins into her little wallet and into her new Hannah Montana purse and we headed to the mall. She told me that it was going to take her a very long time to pick out which Webkin she wanted and I did have an image of us standing there in the store for a very long time while she 'himmed' and 'hawed' as to which one to choose. However, it really didn't take that long at all. She got the Siamese Cat which she decided she would name 'Sammie'.

Now off to the food court for some lunch. Here is Bailey with her pizza, Webkin, and little 'Hannah Montana' purse.

O.k. so do you notice how big that piece of pizza (which is already a third of the way eaten) is and how little Bailey is? Maybe this picture doesn't do it justice. I worried that she wouldn't be able to finish it and wondered if we should have split a piece.

Never Fear! Little Bailey has a big appetite for pizza!

I'm still amazed that the entire piece fit into her tiny, little tummy!

After lunch we went to check out all of the cute puppies at the pet store. Bailey picked out a gold, sparkly collar and leash that she would 'no doubt' get if she had a puppy to walk. Very high society. We had a good time. I'm really enjoying my 'one on one' time with each of my nieces and nephews. Just wish Rand and his family could be here as well!

"1856-The Musical"

Recently my sister Shanna and her family participated in "1856-The Musical". The play ran in Utah for a week and then here in Arizona for a week. It's the story of the Mormon handcart companies' making their trek to the Salt Lake Valley, as well as the rescue of a handcart company that got a late start and were caught in storms on the plains. I went to the play once with my parents and then again with some friends from work. The play was very well done and very inspiring. I kept thinking...this REALLY happened. I'm so inspired by the early saints of the church. Their commitment and faith is an inspiration and a testimony to me of the truthfulness of this gospel. Below is one of my very most favorite pictures, with an explanation below. Even though our trials and tests of commitment are different, there are angels all about us today to help us and buoy us up in our earthly journey. I am grateful for my trials. Through them, I truly do become 'acquainted with God'.
"I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot in front of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it." [And a wife with a baby in her arms by his side]. "I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there."

"Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then no any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company." -a member of the Martin Handcart Company

Acapulco Orange Ice Cream!

Hey Everyone! Check out this website that my brother in Missouri designed! I haven't tried it yet but I don't doubt that this ice cream is as good as he says it is! My brother and sister in-law KNOW good food. They know how to create it and they know how to share it. Trust me... you don't want to miss out on this one. I've already sent away for my recipe and I can't wait to try it!

Birthday Date

My nephew Keaton turned 9 this month. He loves to play his Game Boy and Wi so I thought he might enjoy playing games at Peter Piper Pizza. While we waited for our pizza he showed me his golf stance for putting and for swinging. I have to say, he has pretty good form for a 9 yr. old. Watch out Tiger Woods! His favorite game was skeet ball! Who doesn't love skeet ball?!

He also had a blast running through the tubes and going down the slide!

It was nice to get away with just Keaton and it was fun for me to see him having so much fun! He's got such a sweet little spirit inside of him! (and I mean that in a good way) :)

Thismorning for breakfast....

This is my breakfast...

I never do this, but...this morning for breakfast I had 1 1/2 glazed, buttermilk donuts and a half of a Take 5 candy bar with a glass of cold milk. It was SOOOO good! The glazed, buttermilk donuts remind me of my brother Rand. I remember one time when we were kids and he was babysitting, he had us all pool our money together and then he went and bought glazed, buttermilk donuts. So good. Cory mentioned the TAKE5 candy bar in one of her blogs a while ago and I have been thinking about trying it ever since. She was so right. It is sooo good.

I also recently returned from a trip to Utah for a friends wedding.

Amy and I were roommates at Utah State University many years ago and became good friends. She was sealed in the Logan Temple at 11am and then had a luncheon for family and few close friends that attended the sealing. When I first heard she wasn't having a reception, I thought it was kind of weird, but it was actually very nice. There was no stress of setting up and taking down a reception. There weren't a ton of people. The whole thing was very 'quaint' and 'intimate'. It made me think.....'hmmmmm maybe this is the way to do it.'

I was also able to spend some time with Wendy and Adele who are best friends from my childhood. I feel so blessed that I have friendships like this that have endured the years and distance between us. It's never awkward. We always just pick up visiting as if we'd never been apart. I feel like we ALL really had a unique and blessed experience back in the San Jose, 26th ward. Those are relationships that will last into the eternities. We are so blessed! (Thanks again Wendy for letting me stay with you!) Oh...by the way...Adele's little girl Zoe is the most well-mannered, polite, sweet child I have ever met! I really couldn't believe it!. I wanted to put her in my suitcase and bring her home wit me. I asked Adele what she 'did' and she said that she 'didn't do anything'. Some kids just come that way. Hopefully....someday....when I have kids, I can place an order for some like that!

Of course Utah was so green, and lush compared to the brown, prickly desert I live in. I just enjoyed being out driving and taking in the scenery. Kind of funny...the day I flew out of Phoenix to Utah President Bush also flew out of Phoenix and hour before me. Then, the day I flew out of Salt Lake to return to Phoenix, the President flew out just before me. It almost made me late to the airport. Traffic was HORRIBLE and roads were blocked everywhere, but I did manage to return my rental car on time, check my bag and get in the security line...upon which I realized that I left my cell phone in the rental car. So, I get out of the security line and run back across the street to the rental cars, running through the parking lot (my rental car place was clear in the back of course)...the guy that checked my car back in was heading my direction with my cell phone. Whew! Run back to the airport and hop back into the security line. I made it just fine! Somewhat of a stressful morning but at least I got my exercise in.

Now...back to the grind. I returnd to work the next day and found my chair like this...

I'm telling you...it never stops at my office. Never a dull moment.