Seaira emailed me

Seaira emailed me and the grandparents to let us know everyone is doing good and to show us some pictures of her cute self. Seaira Kristine with her mom, Cari, Dillon and Devin.

Seaira and her dad. {I don't see any family resemblance at all, do you?!}

3.6 kilograms

Oh my heck!! She is adorable! I'm sitting here just trying not to bawl over how happy I am about her!

puzzles and jazz

Some things never change.

There is something so perfectly summer about going to grandmas house and finding Lynnel and Grandma in the kitchen making gigantic salads and Grandpa in the yard.

Lynnel is here for a visit so she is doing her thing, creating beautiful dinners, doing puzzles, and bestowing us all with gifts.

After dinner with these fabulous people Grandpa went back outside and I heard the jazz start up. I didn't want to disturb him by bothering him for a picture. He was enjoying himself too much to ruin the moment for him. The ladies didn't waste a minute to start up a new puzzle. {The third since Sunday} I laid on the couch and enjoyed the company. It's fun to listen to memories and such.





Lynnel was working on this beauty the last time she was here. I commented on how pretty I thought it was so guess what she gave me today? It is so soft! I'm using it right now. It looks like it was made especially for my room.

Here are a couple of pictures from my walk on sunday.

The horses were doing there thing until we walked by then they both trotted over to the fence to say 'hey'. Friendly horses.

The 4th Annual Clint Anything K

Finally! I accomplished my goal to run in a race. It's been years since I set that goal and while the first edition of the goal was the St. George Marathon I got wise and decided my knees were more important to me than running a marathon.

My friends have an Annual Clint Anything K Memorial Day race. 15, 10, 5 or Special K are your choices. I went with 5. That is within reach.

I woke up to the beautiful sound of rain and since I was told we'd run rain or shine I headed out. Word was spread that it was canceled except for the Special K part {breakfast} but about 10 of us ran anyway.

It was beautiful! I love running in the rain, it's energizing and refreshing. My favorite part was running under the huge power lines because they were sizzling! Cool.

Jon won. Not that anyone is counting. That is the point of this race, no entry fee, no times, just fun. But gotta give him credit. He's training for the Wasatch Back so we didn't stand a chance. I couldn't even see him in the distance as he left us in the dust. {well, mud is more like it.}

I didn't have high expectations but made up my mind to run no matter what. Clint, My First Friend in the Ward, made it much easier by sticking with me the whole way. We both admitted we would have ended up slacking off had we not had someone there pushing us. I gave Jon my tag to put the date on it and he signed it for me. Wow, thanks man!

what I loved about this week

I loved all the color everywhere. My hand hovers over my handbag in a addicted kind of way. I don't know why I love taking pictures of flowers so much. It seems overly girly.

I'm making up for it though by reading sci-fi, an old favorite "Ender's Game". I'm remembering why I've said for years that it is in my top five favorite books of all time. Weird because I don't really know what it is that I like so much about it, maybe it's more nostalgia now because reading it the first time was when I found my love for reading.

Once again the staple on my love list: the weather. After two weekends in a row in super hot St. George I'm rethinking my die hard desert rat ways. Maybe I'm not as tough as I used to be? Has my once thin blood thickened? I'm loving the in no hurry way summer is coming around here. Rainy spring days are beautiful. I'll take them any day over snow.

Missionaries. Two stopped me on my run today to read me a scripture. It made my day. Then my two missionaries. In the middle of all the craziness going on in Jo'burg they are doing their part to bring relief with the same optimism and faith that makes them two of the most selfless, loving people I have been lucky enough to know {and their my parents!} how cool. I'm SO proud.

Decorating!! YES! After months and months of projectlessness I spent glorious time this week day dreaming, shopping, painting and loving that decorating is one thing in life that comes easy to me. Everything else feels difficult right now but decorating is like breathing. I love it. Go here to see what I've been up to.

sweatin sweeties

I went out for a run yesterday and I was a few blocks away from the house when I decided I should go to enrichment night even though I had five minutes to get back to the house and down to the church.

I'm glad I went because Alison was there and she wouldn't have gone if it was just her. We met up with Kristi at the trail head of Ensign Peak and went for a nice {but too short} hike. I wanted to keep going up the mountain of course! I'll go back for sure, it was beautiful up there.

Our ward decided to divide our enrichment nights into different categories. I don't know how well it is working since the first one I've gone to was last night and only 3 of us showed up. But I think it is a fun idea. Sweatin' sweeties, domestic divas, dangerous minds and ? something else but I don't remember. You can guess what we do in each group I'm sure.




















Does it surprise you that I made a furry friend on our hike? Me either. His name is Hudson and he decided we were best friends after I let him have most of my water. We decided to hike a ways up the mountain and Hudson tagged along, all the way back to our cars where he made friends with a gorgeous type of dog I've never seen before {a ridge back something, awesome!} I called Hudson's family and left a message and he went home with his new dog friend and his owner with the idea that if no one claimed him he would have two dogs. Why not? What's one more?

green, glorious green

We had another planning meeting for iida yesterday. One of the girls grandparents have a house in Holladay on it's very own private lane off a private lane. {fancy}
I love all the green, so pretty!

The guys at work are all in Vegas {sans Nate - he has the flu} for the HD show. I'm here holding down the fort from the comfort of my room. I'll go into the office later but I love working from home! My room, my music, my pajamas... yes, I could get use to this.

p.s. i love you

Things I've been loving this week:

• road trips


• contrasts - black clouds on green mountains {I desperately want to go to Ireland or Scotland after the movies I've seen as of late}


• fresh blackberries, sherbet, cheesecake gelato served in a martini glass with a wedge of graham cracker. wow.


• movies - PS I LOVE YOU rocked.


• catching up on Grey's - I wasn't a fan for awhile first of the season but once again I've been sucked in. Probably because things are heating up between grey and mcdreamy and I can't get enough of their twisted drama.


• work. I'm lucky to work with such fun guys {and I'm not just saying that because Chris wanted to be mentioned more on here}


• the anticipation of almost being an aunt. Saturday is the big day! YES!


• Cara's pink news. So excited for her.


• last but not least. My favorite flower in our yard. The black tulip. It really is a very deep purple but most of the time it looks black to me. I think it is the coolest.

girls treat and the big five

Happy Birthday Casey! I so love living here with these guys. Can't imagine life without em! Casey was too cute opening his presents tonight. Everything was 'so cute' and 'i love this'. Five years old! Casey is one of the coolest five year olds I know.

Spent the weekend in the desert, finally! Almost a year apart from it and I could have cried for joy when we rolled down our windows in St. George and that beautiful, familiar desert climate flooded in.

Jenny and I drove down friday afternoon for a weekend away. We loaded up on chic flicks, girl food {cookies and milk} and spent our time 'chilaxing' and enjoying having nothing better to do than whatever we wanted. I busted out my new juicer and baby did we juice. I'm addicted.

Saturday we headed to Vegas to see Phantom. We stopped for some shopping, had dinner at a sidewalk cafe {inside the mammoth Venetian} then took our seats {second row, good job Jen} and enjoyed the show. Raoul? Stole the show. 40 million dollar theater? Yep, Vegas doesn't do anything half way. Music still stuck in my head? You can count on it.

It was a whirlwind weekend but so perfect. Jen and cute fam are headed for Texas so Dan can start law school at A&M. Good to know we can do a girls weekend every now and again and reconnect. Thanks Jen for making the weekend what it was.

Happy Mother's Day!

I'm posting this early because I will be out of town and without access to the internet. Pardon the cheese, but I have lots to say about my mom so if you can't handle sit this one out and come back when I'm not missing my mom like crazy!

I love her! She is such an amazing woman, I have so looked forward to writing this post all week because I think the world of my mom and have lots to say about her.

But where to start? There are so many things that are so amazing about her. And so many great memories I can't even begin to list them. She's as close to perfect as I've ever seen with her sweet and sincere approach to life. I appreciate my mom's faith and wisdom. She teaches me by example. I don't know if she knows how much I watch her and try to follow her lead.

She is the best shopping buddy ever because she uses her endless patience as I drag her all over creation looking for the perfect {but most likely nonexistent} item of my latest desire.

I was always excited to see her at the end of a school day. We would walk 'rounds' and I would spot her car and I would feel a kind of homesick just to be by her side. Or the funny pride I felt when I could pick her out of the audience when I performed in school. I don't know how she did it because she worked nights but she was there no matter what when I had something going on at school.

Coming home was {and still is} always so great. She was there, doing her thing, listening to the radio sewing or BAKING!! Cookies or rice pudding or cinnamon roles... need I remind you how I rationed the cookie supply she left when they went to Africa and the following withdrawals when I ran out???

She has this way of surprising me. She once woke me up with a bird wrapped in a dish towel right up in my face to say good morning. It had slammed into the sliding glass door but instead of just helping it on its way she knew I'd love to see it too. She once gave me a box of Life cereal on November 4th because its the day they brought me home. She has an amazing way of showing love. I watch her with my dad and hope to be the kind of wife she is some day.

My mom is brave. She once taught a ballroom full of Ukrainian doctors about neonatal resuscitation. She zip lines her way through the jungle. {She is not scared of the pumps in the great salt lake.}

I love her laugh and her sense of humor and how willing she is to serve others. She has always been involved to the fullest in life around her, making everything better for those around her. I love how she supports me, even when she points out I'm doing it the hard way, she is there for me and I can't begin to thank her for all she has been to me.

I've really come to appreciate her as we've become not just mom and daughter but friends. I know her best friend and he is cool {luv ya daddio} but she is my best friend too so I hope he can share!

Love you mom!!!

strawberries and daffodils

I went to the store for fruit and wanted to forget all about food and just buy flowers when I saw these.

Last year I went crazy and had all kinds of pretty plants to play with in the backyard. My green {albeit amateur} thumb is aching for some dirt to dig in. Maybe Cade will let me help him with his garden this year?

Argh, the split of blogs is not sitting well with me.

bumper stickers

What do you get when you cross a parking lot, two loons and time to kill? 23 pictures of the two loons, in the parking lot, killing time. Jackie invited me to tag along with her and her sister, Jenny, on a girls outing. Shopping, dinner and an expo just for the ladies. I had prior plans for the night but could definitely go for some shopping. Jackie and I have different styles. She is all sleek and I'm...? Sleek just doesn't come naturally to me. So when I tell her I want to adopt her sleekness she introduced me to my now favorite pair of pointy toed oh so perfect gray sling backs. The only downside to my perfect shoes is they hurt me more than shards of glass. But what is beauty without a little pain? And they only hurt when I walk. {why do shoes never hurt in the store? It's gotta be something to do with the adrenaline of the hunt}

just when we thought the cat was dead

I logged in to blogger to change something on the ward blog {my fabulous calling} and some weird twist of fate got my sushicat dashboard instead! Weird huh? I can't explain it, now I can't get into socialbug but I'll worry about that later. WOW!! Feels good to be back, what am I going to do with all these blogs now?!