Amy's Little Corner

Race for the Cure 5K

2009-05-03T17:05:00.001-07:00

I DID IT!!!!!!

Here we are, the Brinley Bruins Team who particpated in the Race for the Cure Breast Cancer 5K run. It was an amazing event, very well planned and executed. This is my first time being team captain and Jackie helped me through it. It was downtown at the Freemont Street experience. Starting from left to right we have Raja (science), Wendi (sister), Jan (mother), Jackie (trainer), Dave (father), Me, Cindy (math), Alyx (Cindy's daughter), Zach (Alyx's boyfriend), Will (Jackie's sone), Lindsay (English) and Jen (math). And Kristine (graphic artist) is taking the picture.

Amazingly enough, we met up with everyone before and after the race. There were so many people there out to support the cause; it is such a good thing to be a part of. I was there with a purpose and that was to run the entire distance with no walking and to beat my previous time. I am pleased to say that I accomplished both of my goals. My time was under 37 minutes and the first 2 miles were 11 minute miles. I am grateful for the love and support that many people have shown me and that has helped a lot. A couple of times I thought it would be so easy to just stop running and walk a little bit, but I knew I needed to meet this goal. I had told everyone about it and I promised myself to do this. Somehow I dug deep and finished. I gave it my all and that felt good.

Dad, Jan and Wendi came down to support me. Dad has been training with me and we have been talking a lot about this race. It has been fun to have discussions with him about health and nutrition as we both try to improve our health. He hadn't really prepared as much as he would have liked and had a sore calf muscle. So Wendi took his place in the timed event. She ran with me and it was nice to know she was there. Dad and Jan signed up for the 1 mile fun run and walked together with Jen, Cindy's group and cute, pregnant Lindsay.

What's next you might ask?? Well, Jackie made sure that this wasn't the end. I obviously still have more weight to lose (see above pics) and a life of healthy living ahead of me. So, Jackie found this race tailor made for me. It is the extra-terrestial 10K run out at Area 51 (the top secret place where all the UFO's are kept). I'm almost tempted to wear my Spock ears to this event. :) It is in August and I've got to really focus this summer on running twice the distance in half the preparation time as I had for my 5K. However this time I won't be starting at point zero (or actually in the negatives in my case). August you might wonder . . . in Las Vegas . . . am I crazy? Yes I think I am, but the run will be at midnight, so I'm hoping the temperature will come down to a cool 80 degrees if I'm lucky.

Zions National Park

2009-04-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering if I haven't done enough hiking, you're right; I haven't. I am really falling in love with hiking and am grateful that I am living in a place that has so much wonderful hiking all around and the weather that makes it all possible to hike a lot more during than year.

I have been thinking I need to do more single stuff in the church and this was the week I started to act. I went to an institute class on Wed night and then Saturday was an all day hike in Zion's NP. So just to give you a small tasting of how tired I am right now I'll briefly describe my weekend to you. Friday after school I went out with some work friends for dinner, left them to join another friend at the temple for the 8 pm session. Arrived home around 10:30 and got everything ready for the hike. Woke up at 4:30 am and rendezvouxed at the speedway to carpool up to Zions at 6 am. Hiked all day and drove home, arriving at 9 pm. And it just happened to be welfare meeting at 7:30 am on Sunday with presidency meeting after that, then choir, church and then visits. It's now 6 pm and I'm wiped out, so much that I don't even want to cook dinner, I just want to go to bed and sleep.

Anyways. . . My hike was amazing. The whole time going up I was so excited to be doing this hike. I'be been wanting to do this hike for a long time. Jackie told me that I would be able to do this hike after doing so well in Sedona the previous week. I was hesitant, but decided I would try. The people I went with were very nice and there was no pressure to get up quickly. I hung out with a sister who it was her first time also, and we hiked up together. She did very well. The picture on the right is from the top and you can see how far away down really is.

Angel's Landing is a very steep hike with drop offs on both sides. There are 21 short but very steep switchbacks that are called Walter's Wiggles. At the end, chains are provided to help you climb the dificult inclines and help you to stay clear of drop offs. The view from the top is well worth the possible fear of falling to your death and the feeling of accomplishment is amazing. As I was hiking I had to sometimes put up my hands to act as blinders so my peripheral vision wouldn't scare me so much. But once I stopped moving I could look around and see how far up we actually were. On the way down it is much easier to run because it is so steep. You can see on the picture to the left that we had to walk out and across to reach the top.

Afterwards, we went to see Weeping Rock which was amazing and literally very cool. I'm sure once the summer comes and the plants are grown, it is an amazing sight. Apparantly water travels from the top of the mountain, through to the sandstone which is very pourous, moves horizontally until it seeps out and drips down. They said it takes 4000 years for the water to run its course. All in all it was a wonderful trip and hopefully the first of many more to come.

This guy Chris arranged monthly hikes and I think I'll start going to them. He has been doing these hikes for over a year, but I haven't gone because they have coincided with my Bruin Trailblazer group. But I haven't really done that since the Christmas break, so I'll start going with the SA group instead. He organizes everything, so that's one less thing for me to organize. :)

Spring Break - part III

2009-04-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

After my trip to Sedona, AZ, I took Wed to recoup and have dinner and a movie with a dear friend, Michelle. But I had some research to do since I was off to Death Valley National Park in CA on Thursday. I tried to get some friends to come with me, but each one declined - so you know me, I went by myself. I left Thursday morning at 10 am and arrived back home half past 10 pm.

I went north to Scotty's Castle and toured that area, hiked up to his gravesight and walked around the guest shop/visitors center. It was a little chilly so I bought a Death Valley long sleeve shirt and of course my obligatory key chain. Death Valley is an interesting place with its unique beauty. There were a few wildflowers out; the tiniest yellow, white, purple, orange, and pink flowers I've ever seen. I contined south and stopped at Stovepipe Wells Village and Furnance Creek. I ate my linner at a yummy place in Furnance Creek and my waiter was from Dallas area. I recognized that he was from Texas because his "yes ma'am" came way too naturally. By then the sun was getting lower and I finished Artists Palette and Badwater with just enough sunlight left in the day. I headed south through Pahrump to get home to Las Vegas.

All in all it was a very fine and rewarding day trip. I am glad I went and can go again since I didn't get to see it all.

Spring Break - part II

2009-04-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

After returning from St. George on Sunday, I had to hurry and pack for Sedona because I was leaving at 7 am the next morning. Jackie, my friend who is helping me run, and I have a 2-day trip to Sedona, AZ. Everyone I've spoken to says that it is beautiful and that they love it there. Everyone is right. It is beautiful!! Even though Sedona is only 5 hour away, it took us just under 12. We stopped in Williams for a few hours and had lunch. Then we stopped in Flagstaff for a few more hours. Let's just say that I am doing my fair share (if not more) to support our suffering economy. There are so many cute and fun stores in these places it was hard to not buy everything I saw.

When we finally arrived in Sedona, we got our room and then met up with Jackie's brother, Bill, for dinner at the Cowboy Club. Then we drove out near Montezuma's well; the stars were brilliant.

Our next day was full of hiking. We hiked up Devil's Bridge and saw some firemen from El Paso, TX training on the bridge. They were learning rock climbing and were all in Hawaiian shirts, quite the sight. Next we headed to Cathedral Rock and enjoyed the river running through Oak Canyon. We stopped and dipped our feet in the refreshing river. Grabbed some lunch in town then off to Brins Mesa for our afternoon hike. We finished a little earlier than planned so back to town for some more shopping. Finally our drive back to Vegas.

It was such a fun trip and there is definitely reason for me to return. So much to see and do. I bought this book that highlights Sedona's Top 10 Hikes and I would like to complete them all. On this trip, I was able to do 3 of them, so 7 more left. Anyone up for a trip to Sedona with me???

Below are some pics from my trip. If you want to see the captions and/or stop the slide, put your mouse on the picture.

Spring Break - part I

2009-04-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Spring break started wonderfully with General Conference. Friday I drove up to St. George to stay with Kirk & Vanessa. It also turned out that Uncle Frank and family were down there celebrating his 60th birthday. I was able to visit with his family, which is something that I rarely have the opportunity to do. It was so much fun to see and talk with Cam and Carston and their families. Brooke & Tessa and Grandpa & Dottie came to be with us as well. And it also turned out that Dad and Jan came down as well. So Friday we had a BBQ at Uncle Frank's new home in St. George.

Saturday I woke up and put in my run before conference. It was wonderful to run in St. George; however it was a bit chilly in the morning. For the first time I ran with a sweatshirt and my face was really, really cold; something I haven't experienced in Las Vegas. I did my 3 miles and got my shoes really dirty from the back roads, but it was beautiful.

Dad, Jan and Grandpa came over for the afternoon session on Saturday and watched with us all day Sunday. Conference was really good and I feel a newness and am recommitted to living a better life. I hope you enjoyed conference too!!!

Waylan was very well behaved for our many hours of "church-on-tv". I brought up my Qwirkle game and we had a fun time mixing the shapes and colors.

I drove home Sunday after conference, unpacked, then packed again for my Sedona trip the next day (see Spring Break - part II).

Mom's Visit

2009-03-28T10:41:00.001-07:00

After our day at the Springs Preserve, we went to Uncle Don's office to visit with everyone there. We got to see Uncle Don after his luncheon with the Over 50 club, Linda on her way out to Oceanside with her family, Brent, and Bruce. It was nice to have some time to visit with them; I don't get to see them that often which is a little weird seeing as I live in the same city, but life is busy for everyone. After our visit to Tingey & Tingey we drove home to rest for a little bit and to get ready for our Vegas show. I got these tickets for free for donating blood; yes they really want your blood here.

Steve Wyrick is an excellent magician and a great show if you ever get the opportunity to see it. It is in Planet Hollywood/Miracle Mile Shopping area. We went to the 7 pm show and it was so much fun. He did big and small tricks, but each one was impressive. He has a good stage presence and uses the audience a lot. That night was extra special because his mother was sitting a few rows behind us.

Springs Preserve

2009-03-26T20:13:00.001-07:00

It is so good when Mom and Bob come down to visit me. It is so nice to see them and to just be around them. They came down and stayed with me 2 night and I took a day off from school to play. We had a delicious breakfast of pancakes and fruit with homemade syrup and blueberry jam. There is a relatively new Springs Preserve that I've been hearing about and I drive on the 95 and see the big roadrunner and iguana on the freeway wall enticing me to go.

So we went and enjoyed the afternoon walking around and learning about this wonderful oasis in the middle of the dessert. It is a wonderful place to take children and I hope to take my nephews if and when they come to visit me again. I loved it and would definitely go back. Locals even get a $4 discount.

You can see the interactive fun that we had at the Springs Preserve.

Gray slacks

2009-03-11T16:41:00.001-07:00

I have a dear friend that I work with and I just love her wardrobe. She always wears the nicest, professional yet casual clothes to teach in. And I asked her where she shops. Gap. All of my slacks are quite big on me now (yeah), but I still wear them because I just can't go out and buy new clothes. I was actually thinking of having them tailored since they are still in excellent condition. Anyways, I have been wanting to get some light gray slacks for some time now and decided that I would get some at the Gap. I went to the store in Las Vegas and they didn't have my size. When I went up to Salt Lake for Christmas break, I looked in their stores, but they didn't have my size either. It was coming down to the few last days and I was just itching to get these pants. So I got them a size too small. When I tried them on in the store, I couldn't even button up the tops and the thigh area was way too tight. Well, that was December. Now it is March and I was just thinking about wearing them and thought to try them on before going to work. I put them on and vualla (sp?). They fit! They are still a little tight, but definitely doable. I'm so excited because I've not been doing my best at exercising and eating right. But slowly I'm making progress. They are a light gray, long with a french cuff at the bottom, fully lined and side pockets.

Photo Tag

2009-03-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

I was photo tagged a few months ago by a friend

to post the picture that is in my 6th folder, 6th picture onto my blog. And this is what you get. I actually have a Friends file because my dear friend, Heidi, has an obsession with them and downloaded some pics onto my computer. And I just haven't gotten around to deleting them. But why would I, it's a funny show and it makes me think of her. So here's to you, Heidi, and all my dear friends out there. Love ya!

Free Show on the Strip

2009-02-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

After the race, I took a little nap and was woken by a call from Emily, a co-worker. She gets these free tickets to shows around Las Vegas and called to see if I wanted to go. It was tickets to Danny Gans and of course I wanted to go. I've heard such good things about his show, how delightful and clean and funny it is. So I got ready and we went down to the new Encore casino that opened recently. We both agreed that the decorations are quite hideous, sorry Mr. Wynn; I guess not if you like seeing red every where. The Danny Gans show doesn't officially open until next weekend, and he was offering this show to locals for free. He is a great impressionist, singer and comedian. He has a live band that plays with him and he is quite good. Some of the impressions were right on. It looked like he and his band were having a good time, which made us have a better time. Emily and I got front row seats!! All in all, it was a great ending to a great day.

My First 5K

2009-02-01T10:02:00.001-08:00

My first 5K was yesterday, Saturday, January 31st. It was so much fun. I went with a team from my school and there were 22 of us. It was at Towne Center which is like running around Gateway Mall for a Utah connection. The day was so beautiful and the race started at 9 am. We arrived and met everyone else, got our electronic tags on our shoes and then lined up. My race number was 641. We took off running and I surprised myself by running for 5.5 minutes before deciding to walk. I then continued to run 3 minutes and recover for 3. It was so fun to be with a lot of people accomplishing the same outcome. My two goals was to run at least half of it and make it in under 40 minutes. And I am pleased to say that I accomplished both of these goals. My official time was 38:33.

This is only possible because of my great support system of friends and family. Jackie and Lindsay have been instramental in getting me to this point. And this is only the beginning, so they tell me. I've now started and need to improve my time and hopefully by the May Race for the Cure I will be running the entire race. I'll keep you posted.

Santa Monica Sunsets

2009-01-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

MLK weekend

2009-01-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

Ever since Veteran's Day weekend, I've been wanting to visit my cousins, Mike & Becky, in Santa Monica. They live a few blocks away from the beach and it just sounds wonderful. So, the long weekend over Martin Luther King Jr. Day I went to Santa Monica. It was so much fun and so relaxing. Mike & Becky are the best and were very welcoming. I drove down Friday after school and my run. I got there 9:30 and we stayed up that first night talking until 2 am. I haven't done that in a long time (oh wait, since the reunion last July). They have 2 children living with them now, and I got to sleep in Arica's room. We woke up, had pancakes and then went to the farmer's market. We got such yummy and fresh produce that we enjoyed all weekend. We came back home to put the produce away and then went to the beach in the afternoon. It was so nice just to have a book to read, people to watch, and take a nap. It was so beautiful to hear the waves crashing down and then it would be silent until the next wave. That was my favorite part and each time was surprised at how loud the waves were compared to the absolute silence afterwards. Sunday we went to church and then we took a little drive around. I had heard about the famous Santa Monica pier and had to go and see it. I watched my second sunset that weekend and walked the pier. It was very nice and fun to walk. There were tons of tourists and I think extra busy because of the long weekend. I guess I wasn't the only person with the idea to come to the beach that weekend. We went to the LA temple grounds, which is quite close to their place. I am definitely going to return and do a session in that temple. It is so beautiful. This will be my second visit to this temple without going inside. The last time I came to this temple, I was with Heidi and we were a little lost in LA and just came upon it one day. Monday was my drive back, but I wasn't in a hurry and finished my book first and left around 11 am. It's only a 4.5 hour drive and a tank of gas. So, a very economical trip for all the relaxation I got in. They told me I was welcome to return and they don't know it, but I will!!

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-23T18:43:00.000-08:00

It's still January. . . It's not too late to say my resolutions, is it?

After seeing fine examples from Gary & Ashley and Mom & Bob, I've decided to join their ranks of one who recycles and lives greener. Although I don't produce a lot of waste, I still can do better. And lo and behold it was actually easier than I really understood. Apparantly I've had these containers the whole time that I've lived in this new condo (since last March). I never knew what these multi-colored bins were for. They were outside in the back turned upside down and backwards. I just thought they were garbage. But then I saw these bins outside every Friday infront of my neighbors houses. But it wasn't until Jackie showed me hers that it clicked that that's what they were. So, I dusted them off and put them right-side up in my garage and now can use them as intended. I now recycle cans, plastic, magazines and glass. And even better I just put it out on my curb on Fridays and they pick it up for me. I love when cities support the cause. I also decided to buy a Brita filter system. So now I use my own bottle (from Yosemite NP) and take that to work with me. When it's hot, I can drink 32 oz before lunch at 11:45 and then another 32 oz before dinner. However, the water at school doesn't taste anywhere as good. When it's not as warm, I'm lucky to get down 32 oz a day. I know I need more water and it's a daily quest. These are just a few of the things that I'm trying this year. I constantly look for easy things that I can incorporate into my simple life. So, if you have any ideas that work for you, let me know so I can try them in my house.

Running now

2009-01-23T18:12:00.001-08:00

Those of you who have been watching my blog since this summer know that I have been fighting the bulge. And it still confounds all my logic. I was able to drop around 20 pounds, but have not gotten anymore off since then. I guess I should be happy I didn't gain it all back over the holidays! Well, I have a wonderful friend named Jackie who is making it her personal goal to help me get fit. I am so grateful for her constant encouragement and high expectations. She's a runner and has decided that even though I've never ran before in my entire life, that I should start. So, my goal is to run an entire 5K by May. I had to laugh when she told me the plan because I've never liked running and could not picture myself ever doing it. However, she has started me out nice and slow and now I really enjoy it. She has helped me to get the items necessary to make running easier than I could have expected. We took a day to go and get me some running shoes. These are my first pair of running shoes that I don't wear except for when I'm running. Next, I needed a much better support and Jackie steered me in the right direction. I told her sports bras just couldn't hold my big girls, but she assured me they did and it's true; they do make over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders. I really, really like this bra and need to get a few more. The straps don't fall off and I don't get black eyes when I run anymore (hee, hee). I have to thank Champion USA for their exceptional design and comfort. I usually run with Jackie and we've worked out a good starting point. In her neighborhood, she's marked out a 3 mile loop and my first time around was 42 minutes walking. My first run/walk was to walk 4 minutes and run on the 5th minute for one minute. Yeah, that was pretty hard and I was there for a good few weeks. Then she thought I should bump it up to running for 90 seconds. And now, I'm up to running for 2 minutes every 5 minutes. Probably next week I'll be bumped up to 2.5 minutes. I'm now charting my progress and runs in this log book Jackie got me for Christmas. And I have this fancy watch that keeps track of the times/dates of each of my runs. As I get better and start logging my time in a mile, it keeps track of my best mile and averages also. Now that I've been running on this schedule, I really look forward to running now. And not on a treadmill. I have run outside everytime. It is so refreshing, fun, enjoyable, beautiful and energizing to be running in the real world. I am thankful that I can run outisde and know that I wouldn't do that in cold Utah. Also, Las Vegas has a lot of 5K runs and in fact, I'll be running in the Make A Wish Foundation 5K next Saturday (1/31). Wish me luck. My goal for this run is to run half of it and get a good time, which would be under 38 minutes. Jackie wants me to run another one before the May run and wants me to run 3/4 of it. That will also get me 2 good times so I can beat myself. I'm a little nervous about doing this one next Saturday and hope it will be a good first 5K.

So, I hope that you are working on your healthy goals this year. If I can do it, anyone can do it. Since I'm not really losing any weight, my new goal is to just run and get healthy. I'm hoping the weight will have no choice but to leave. Good luck!!

A Shout Out to My Utes

2009-01-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

I hope you all saw the Sugar Bowl last night. It was absolutely amazing. I am so impressed with my Utes I can hardly stand it. The first 3 minutes the Utes scored 3 touch downs and stopped the Alabama offense 3 times. Immediately we were up 21 un answered points. Alabama did not know what hit them. And all the commentators where so hesitant about Utah and how they shouldn't really be in a BCS bowl game. Well, we certainly proved them wrong. Alabama's only way to get on the score board was to kick field goals (from far away) to get on the score board. Then their special teams scored a touch down. Not even their offense could score because Utah's defense was so good. And that was just the first half. The second half was a little bit more scary because then Alabama scored another touch down, but never fear, so did Utah.

All in all, Utah has the BEST record in the nation. 13-0. Not one other team has been undefeated this season, not even the so called #1 team in the nation. Plus, Utah won their bowl game, which makes their bowl game record undefeated as well. Utah should be #1 in the nation, but they most likely will be #2, after the team who wins the National Championship bowl game.

Cooking Highlight

2009-01-03T08:35:00.001-08:00

Here's a little sample of what I had last night for dinner. A marinated pork tenderloin, thinkly sliced and cooked with onions, served on Boston lettuce as a wrap and a side of rice. It was delicious and took less than an hour to make.

It seems like it's been forever since I've actually cooked, at least 2 weeks with vacation and everything. I've had good meals, but it's different when you cook. I have missed cooking and when I came home, I made my list and went grocery shopping. For me, cooking is relaxing and fun; so it was a treat for me.

Let it snow

2008-12-15T16:33:00.001-08:00

Brrrrrr - we can feel the cold even here in Las Vegas. It snowed almost all day, so much that it stuck. Now this really puts me in the Christmas spirit. And it's supposed to continue all week. Tomorrow morning will be difficult driving on the ice. My SUV is rear wheel drive (a pain in the snow) and I'll be dealing with people who don't know how to drive in the snow. I'm sure it will be pure chaos.

Thanksgiving in Utah

2008-12-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was so wonderful. I drove up to Utah to spend time with family. This year was with my mom. We had fun preparing the meal with all the traditional foods. We were lucky enough to get Grandma this year. It is so nice to spend time with her, if not for her benefit, for mine. Grandmas just have a way of loving you no matter what. And I always remember the times when I was younger and staying at her house.

Mom got a quilt ready for us to tie. She found these 2 green sheets and we used brown yarn to tie with. It turned out quite nice and mom will donate it to the homeless shelter. It filled the entire living room the entire day, but we finished it! It's so fun to be with Gary and Ashley.

Wendover Trip

2008-11-30T08:04:00.001-08:00

I took a quick little trip out to Wendover with Lorrie and Wendi to see Wynonna in concert. It was a fun little jaunt there and back. We rode the fun bus, which was an experience in and of itself. On the way there we played bingo and had a complimentary soda. And then they give you a ticket for $5, a free cocktail drink and a free meal at the casino's buffet. We ended up eating at the Montego Bay and getting our 5 bucks and cocktail drink at the Peppermill. Since it was the weekend after Thanksgiving, the concert was a Christmas concert, but Wynonna did a good job combining in her music and the Christmas music. I of course got a keychain for my collection. We had a fun time just talking and being together; it was a fun girls night out.

UNLV Football Game

2008-11-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

I was the lucky winner of four UNLV football tickets for last Thursday's game. I was thinking to myself, "boy, I don't have anyone to take to this game" (the loser/loner that I am) and so I thought I should take some students. The tickets were given to me by my school, so I might as well pay it back. Since I was going to take male students, I thought it best to take another male teacher, just to be on the up and up. So, I asked a fellow teacher (far left), Mr. Ridgway, to come with us. I took two boys who are at a turning point in their lives and hopefully this little activity will remind them of the correct choices they can make. Iban (student in white shirt) is suspected to be currently in a gang and is quite the tagger. He is very talented and skilled in his artwork, but is wasting it on vandalizing property. Abrahan (student in blue shirt) is a very nice young man and I don't want to see him join a gang or get caught up in that lifestyle. These boys are both in my honors math class and not doing very well, however very bright. They have such an opportunity to change their lives for the better if they just choose to get an education. We met at the school at 5pm and I took them out to In & Out Burger, which Abrahan had never eaten there before (how crazy). We made it to the game at 6:30 and stayed until the last 2 minutes. We had such a great time driving to and from; I think that was my favorite part of the whole evening. Then I dropped them off at their homes/apartments. Boy am I grateful for where I live. It was a wonderful experience and I'm glad that I was able to go.

Tutrlehead Hike

2008-11-16T19:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday was our November hike with the Bruin Trailblazers. We actually split up into two groups to accommodate the different skill levels in our group. I should have chosen the other hike!! I went on the Turtlehead hike, which is a very difficult hike (in my opinion). The trail is not clearly marked, basically just climb up where ever you want. Of course you have to go over giant boulders, around hills, and through washes to even think about climbing to the top. The bottom right picture shows the peak Turtlehead and you can see where it gets its name from. I didn't make it to the top, but got a good portion of the way up. And it was even more difficult coming down. That's where your whole body gets a work out because you have to use your arms, hands, and bottom to fall down (oh I mean get down) the mountain. Needless to say, I am sore from this hike. I haven't been working out as faithfully as I did in the summer, and boy are my muscels screaming at me now!!

Veteran's Day Celebration

2008-11-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jan and Wendi, Paul and Brianna were able to come up to St. George for a few days. They drove down to Vegas to pick me up and then we proceeded to St. George to stay in dad and Jan's condos Sun night and Mon night. We had a great time just being with each other and getting caught up. Of course, we loved holding little Sydney and playing with the twins and Nikolus. We did have a little celebration for Grandpa and Paul to honor the soldiers in our family. Rand, Shauna & Paige came along with Brooke, Jesse & Tessa, and Grandpa & Dottie, and Kirk, Vanessa & Waylon. We had a full house, but boy was it fun. On Tuesday, we went to the St. George temple and took some pics of Paul's little family. Aren't they so cute? As we were finishing up, we walked through the visitors center and came across Mark Eubank - our very own local weatherman celebrity. He and his wife are serving a couples mission at the temple. It was fun to meet him.

New hair cut

2008-11-11T15:55:00.000-08:00

So, it seems that each time I travel to Utah I get a new hair cut. And that's the truth. I have the best hairstylist that always does a fabulous job. I have had many compliments and it's so easy to style. New hair just makes life more fun!!

Ward Halloween Party

2008-10-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

After the hike, I rushed home and started making chili. I entered the chili cook-off our ward was having. I grabbed a recipe from Michelle's Mad House and started throwing stuff into a pot. It turned out quite good, and none was left to bring home. So I would say that is a success, even if I didn't take the title. And as you are aware, ward party's are always memorable. I was coaxed into dressing up, even though I hand't planned on it. So in my moments of desperation, I dressed up as Cruella D'Ville from 101 Dalmations. I had worn this before, so there wasn't much scrambling involved, but I did add to my costume some little puppies, donated by my good friend Will (Strobel's son). As you can see, they really made the outfit!

North Peak Hike

2008-10-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

Well, Saturday was another fun day of hiking. We met at Red Rock Visitor's Center at 9 am and did some 4-wheelin' and hikin'. I went with my fellow co-workers, the Bruin Trailblazers. This time there were only 14 of us, but 2 actually ended up on a different hike. Not quite sure how that happened, but they had fun nonetheless. Here's a picture of the group, minus the picture takers, Kaz and Will. If you're thinking that I can't even add because there's only 8 in the picture + 2 taking it, that doesn't really add up to 14 - well, we had 2 stay at the bottom and explore around there.

We've got pictured in the back Wyatt, Burden & Strobel. Then in the middle Jackson, Hoak, Nelson, & Katie and Poindexter in the front. This was a 2.6 mile hike there and back and not terribly steep. However, in my rush, I did get heat exposed and lost my color vision. It was like that song, "Dreamin in color and Livin in black and white" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus for you non-country listeners. So, I laid down on the ground and drank a lot of water. Here I am getting up.

The day was beautiful, not a cloud in sight and low to mid 70's temp. Just beautiful. Even with my little incident, it was wonderful. I felt so good after the hike and I felt so alive and active. For some reason I forget how good exercising really is. Anyways, here's a few shots of the beauty of Red Rock Canyon. Maybe when you come to visit me, we can go hiking!!

Little Sydney Nelson

2008-10-18T16:50:00.001-07:00

I am so happy to see and hold little Sydney. She is so cute and precious. She and her mom came to visit me on their way home to California after staying 2 weeks in Utah. Here, she is 3 weeks old and so perfect. She was awake the whole time she was with me. It was so cute because after she ate she got the hiccups. I felt so sad for her, but had to laugh in spite of myself. I'm so happy for my little brother, Paul. He's starting his own little family. Brianna looks so good; motherhood suits her well. They will be moving from Lemore, California up to Seattle, Washington next year. They'll be moving farther, but hopefully airfare won't be that expensive now that they'll be closer to a major airport. This is our first girl baby on the Nelson side. That puts me up to 5 nephews and 1 niece now. It's amazing - the first time I saw her I recognized both Paul's and Brianna's features in her. With any luck, she'll grow out of dad's features and pick up more of Brianna's (love you Paul!).

One Year Later

2008-10-11T10:17:00.001-07:00

Well, I was shocked when I got my new name tag this year. I couldn't believe the difference between the two. I think here a picture is worth a thousand words!

Door Decorating Contest

2008-10-10T16:16:00.001-07:00

We have a class in school that's one hour every Wed and Thur that's called advisory. I, being the lucky person that I am, have been writing the lesson plans for this class for the entire school since the beginning. It has been quite arduous and trying on my creativity skills. But, thanks to my many years of teaching, and teaching at a wonderful school in Utah, I remembered that we did door decorating contests in advisory. October is drug and violence awareness month. So in advisory we discussed drugs and violence, which is quite prevelent in our school, with our students. Then the following week we decorated our door. My students were so creative! I was so impressed with them. They really pulled together to accomplish, what I think to be the best door in the school. We have Spider-Man hanging from the Stratosphere shooting his web. You can see the Luxor and Wynn casinos also. Then across the hall, we have the web. The words above the door say, "My spidey sense tells me. . ." then on the web it says, "Stop the Violence Stop the Drugs". My kids were so proud of the job they did and they are hoping to win this competitions. But even if we don't win, we accomplished so much. The students were working with each other and helping each other. They also brought in cupcakes, cookies, and chips on the second day for a little party. I didn't have to do anything but provide the paper, tape and markers. It was very student led with minimal teacher direction. I was up all night thinking about what a terrific job they did. I have a great group of students this year that I am growing quite attached to. It's almost reminiscent of my first year teaching. These kids are very special to me.

Biggest Loser Update

2008-10-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't have a picture, but wanted to post anyways to let you know what's going on. I am still eating healthy and have been drinking all my water. Just recently, I've been quite tempted to have a Coke, but have turned it down. I even got as close as to pouring a cup of Diet Caffine free Coke, but my good friends at school offered a me a water instead and drank my soda for me. It's nice to have such a good support system at school. I did get to the gym a couple of times with a friend from my ward, Andrea, and that was fun. But our schedules are so difficult (well, mostly mine) that we didn't get to go together as much as we wanted to. But, in the past 3 weeks, I've lost 10 pounds. That's more than my 5 weeks combined of bustin' my butt over the summer. I am so pleased that my weight is still continuing to drop and that I am getting closer to my goal. So, that makes a total of 17 pounds in 14 weeks. I guess I just needed a little time to trust the system of eating right and exercising more. I am more and more encouraged by this healthy way of living and know that it is a part my life.

Cathedral Rock

2008-09-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

For the first time since arriving in Vegas, I went hiking. It was so wonderful to be out and away from the city. Mount Charleston is beautiful in its own right. The trail ended at the top of this mamoth rock at an elevation of 8600 feet. The wind was blowing and kept us cool while the sun was out warming us. It was perfect hiking conditions. I loved seeing the Aspen trees and they were already changing colors in some parts of the mountain. There were 14 of us from school that went up. I created a little schedule of monthly hikes and invited the school teachers to come. We are called the Bruin Trailblazers. It was so much fun getting to know other teachers outside of school. We met at Brinley, then carpooled up. Some actually met us on the trail. There were cut out little chairs and resting points along the trail - so cute, I had to take a picture.

Martha Mishap

2008-09-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess even Martha has her days. Here is my most terrible cooking disaster EVER! I was making my own tortilla chips, and they literally turned to ashes. I lightly oiled them and salted them. Put them in the oven to broil. Proceeded to forget about them and soon enough, my oven was on fire (I have a gas range/oven). There were MAJOR flames coming out of my oven. It was the most horrific feeling I've ever had when cooking. I tried to blow on them, but that didn't help. I then reached for my fire extinguisher, but I didn't know how to use it. I guess you're supposed to pull the pin first and then squeeze. I then realized that I should turn off the gas, duh. It was like reaching through a ring of fire to reach the controls on the back of the oven. I had one burner on the stove on and I tried to turn that off as well. However, the fire was coming up out of the oven and engulfing the front panel. All the while, my smoke detectors were beeping loudly in every room. My house was filling up with smoke and smelled worse. My little cut, corn toritillas are burnt to ashes. They are all gray and have no substance to them and my pan is completely ruined. Next time I'll just buy a bag of chips!!

1st Week of School

2008-08-31T14:26:00.001-07:00

Well, I survived the first week of school. For the first few days, I had them looking at number patterns and sequences in math and nature. I really had a fun time showing my students how patterns are everywhere. I had my dean bring in some pine cones from her back yard and then we looked at their spirals. It all relates to the Fibonacci Sequence and the kids were totallly into it. I have a great group of kids this year and I am very excited to be teaching them. For the most part I'm around 25 students, but one class has 43 students. We all just squish in the room and do our best. This year I didn't start with any rules or procedures, I just went straight into math. And I think that is the best way to do it. I can teach procedures as I go along. They don't need a full day of "do this" and "do that". For the most part, they know how to behave. I wanted to get them from the start doing math so they knew what my class was about - MATH. I haven't even given them a chance to misbehave because we've been so busy learning. Hopefully, that will set me up nicely for the remainder of the year. I've almost learned everyone's name (except my big class).

I've been staying late at school to try and get everything done and I haven't been to the gym to work out. That's been bugging me a lot. I did still manage to lose one pound last week, so that has kept me going through this week. Thankfully, I have Labor Day off and I can go in the morning like I used to. I'm still trying to work out a schedule so I can work out, go on my RS visits, and be an effective teacher. It's quite the balancing act!

Week 5

2008-08-09T11:17:00.001-07:00

True to Biggest Loser, we had our make over day. We did this during week 4. We spent all day getting our hair colored, cut & styled. We had our eyebrows done and got new make-up. It was so much fun. I really like my new style. It is easy to work with and yet still keeps the length.

Well, here is the final weigh in picture. After 5 weeks of workouts, we weren't as happy with the results as we had imagined. I did lose some inches and a few pounds, but nothing like the show. I went down a dress size and am tanner, but other than that, not much has changed. We are at the part of the show where the contestants go home and try to keep losing on their own. We will have another final weigh in hopefully over Labor Day weekend. Lorrie and I are still working out on our own and are finding it much more difficult. We've both slacked off on our first week (I was in AZ, that's my excuse). We will just have to support each other from a distance. Your prayers are definitely welcomed.

Heidi's Wedding

2008-08-07T22:27:00.001-07:00

I had a fun time being Heidi's photographer for part of the time. I took these pictures when we went to the Mesa, AZ temple. She was so easy to photograph, especially when she already knew what the poses she wanted. Such an easy bride to work for.

Arizona Visit

2008-08-07T14:44:00.001-07:00

Heidi is getting married today. I've got a few minutes and thought I'd post. I came down to Gilbert, Arizona to be with her this past week. It is so nice to see her so happy; Bryce is an excellent man for her. It's been nice to catch up and have our girl talks before I lose her forever. . . to a man! Now all my girlfriends are married, and I'm left a lone single woman. Who would've thought? Anyways, we've had some good times this week. Some friends from her work threw her a bachelorette party. I've never blushed so many times in one night; it was so much fun. Needless to say, we both learned a few things that night. We also had a day of luxury thanks to Bryce. Did I say he was a great guy?? He paid for Heidi and I to enjoy a half day spa treatment. We both had 1 hour facial, 1 hour massage, manicure and pedicure. On my pedicure, I had a salt rub and hot stone massage. Very cool (oh I mean HOT). I've never stayed so long at a spa before; we were there for 4 hours. It was pure relaxation and contentment. Ahhhhh.

Brianna's Baby Shower

2008-07-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Since Paul and Brianna were up here in Utah, we decided to throw Brianna a baby shower. OK, not really me, but I helped. It was at Brianna's mom's house, Corby, and Brianna's family, friends and ward members showed up. It was so much fun and very simple, the best kind of baby shower. I helped and wrote down who gave her what gifts. Surprisingly enough, she only duplicated on a few gifts (she got 3 bouncers).

I think this is a great picture of all the girls in the family - starting from back to front: Wendi, me, Brianna, Jan and Lisa.

Copper Mine part 2

2008-07-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

So here's everyone who went to the Kennecot Copper Mine (except Jan - she's taking the pictures). From left to right: Paul, prego-Brianna, Treyson, Amy, Jaxon, Nikolus, and Hunter.

Copper Mine

2008-07-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Jan had promised her grandsons that she would take them to the copper mine. That would include Hunter, Nikolus, Jaxon and Treyson. She didn't want to go it alone, and asked if I would like to to go with them. Of course, I can never turn down good quality time with my nephews, so I went along. Kennecot Copper Mine is a great place for my nephews. There's tons of big trucks around, lots of machines and cool stuff for them to experience. The weather was perfect; overcast with a slight breeze. Jaxon and Treyson are so fun to put them in things, and they are so willing. Hunter is standing next to the life-size bronze statue of a miner. After visiting the museum and watching the trucks move a lot of dirt, we went to Subway for lunch and then back home. Paul and Brianna are in from California and they went with us as well. I would more pictures, but they are on different cameras. I'll try to get a pic with everyone posted soon.

Week 3

2008-07-18T09:28:00.001-07:00

I haven't had the best results. This week, I gained 0.4 pounds. I spoke to a nutrition counselor and she assured me that I didn't gain any fat. There's no way I could with the work out schedule I've been maintaining. She looked over my food journal, which I've been keeping meticulously, and said that she is impressed. She thinks I might not be eating enough. I can hardly believe that!! I've added in some classes more and more which makes the work-outs fun and mixes up the different muscles I use. This week I went to the Dance Jam in the evening and then followed it up with a fusion class which uses Tai Chi. Trust me, I can still feel the sore in my muscles now 2 days later. The counselor recommended the cycling class, which I will try next week. I'll let you know. This obviously is a mental battle as well as a physical battle. After putting in so much hard work and not getting any results is difficult to keep going. I don't think I've even lost any inches; my clothes feel the same when I put them on. Lorrie and I are about ready to throw in the "sweaty towel" since we aren't getting any type of noticeable results. But, we get lots of encouragement from family. James, my brother-in-law, is always so positive and has lots of good words of support to keep me going.

Week 2

2008-07-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Week 2 has come and gone and still the weight loss continues to go slowly. I am very surprised at how hard losing weight really is. The good news is, I lost 1 more pound than last week, but that isn't saying much. My goals are out the window as to how much weight I was going to lose over this 6 week period. The good news is that I am feeling much stronger and more confident. I am definitely feeling muscles that I never knew I had before. I attended a dance jam class at the gym and had a great time. It was fun and worked the total body. I will definitely attend this class again. I went to this barbell class that literally kicked my butt. It was the hardest class ever and every muscle in my body hurt; for days after too. My sister, Wendi, recommended the class and I left the gym and went strait to her house and gave her a piece of my mind. I don't know if I'll take that class again, maybe when I'm stronger.

For our "challenge hike" this week, we hiked up to Ensign Peak. It is a short, steep hike with an amazing view at the top. They have a little plaza at the base of the trail with informative plaques describing why this peak is important to Utah history. I learned that the monument atop the peak is 18.47 feet tall, in memory of the year 1847. As we were hiking up, a young men's group came. They were from Las Vegas and some of the boys had attended Brinley Middle School (the school I teach at). It was fun to talk with them and their leaders. The stake president gave a little talk at the top of the peak and they invited us to join. It was a fun day. I enjoy hiking and am glad I have the opportunity to go while I'm here in Utah.

Week 1 of Biggest Loser

2008-07-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Well, after one week, this is where I'm at. Not much of a change except I feel better and stronger. Not much weight came off, but some did. It was very disheartening that I didn't lose more weight for the first week. It was very difficult to keep on going and I'm trying to have faith in this process. You see so many different lose weight quickly programs and you want it so bad. But eating right and exercising is the best way to do it. We've been to the gym 6 days doing treadmill, weights, bike, and swimming. We're usually working out between 1.5-2 hours each day. Hopefully, next week I'll have better news and have higher spirits.

We had a temptation this week, called life. We decided that our temptation for the week would be if we could eat right during all the BBQ's around the 4th of July. I had a BBQ on the 3rd with my high school friends (Dan & Jen, Debbie & Mike, Lorrie & Scott, and Kristen). Then there was a parade and BBQ in the morning and another BBQ in the evening with fireworks. There was so much good food, but I was strong. I didn't have any of the salads with mayo dressings (which was all of them), no chips & dip, no baked beans, no desserts, no soda, . . . nothing. I had hamburger with one bun loaded with lettuce and tomato, fresh fruit and vegetables and water. I tried to stay out of the kitchen to remove myself from the temptation of all my favorite foods. So overall, I'm pretty impressed with myself.

Our challenge for the week was to hike up Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon. You can see how it got its name, the water runs right into this hole and comes out a little bit further down. It was so much fun! Lorrie brought her whole family up with her, which made it even more fun (or funner as Alex would say). There's a little bridge that crosses the river, and Alex (Lorrie's daughter) was trying to get on the bridge through the water. Needless to say, she fell in. The water is quite cold from all the snow run-off and is quite high. Lorrie ran towards her and lifted her out single-handedly (it must be all the working out at the gym). Alex was soaking wet and quite scared.

We then, after being invigorated by the hike, decided to go up to Brighton and walk around Silver Lake. They have a boardwalk around the lake and it's just a short mile around. We ran into a small family at both places and they mentioned going over Guardsman Pass. It was a beautiful day and just perfect for a little adventure. Once over the top, we headed into Park City and drove thru Historic Main Street and stopped for lunch. Then down Parley's Canyon to Salt Lake. It was a wonderful morning of hiking and sight-seeing.

Biggest Loser is ON!!

2008-06-29T09:18:00.001-07:00

After watching every season of Biggest Loser, I decided to do something about it. This is the summer I change my life; and armed with Bob and Jillian, I just don't think I can fail. I'm up in Utah for five weeks which I'm calling my Biggest Loser campus (mom's house). I've got my partner in crime, Lorrie, who is working out with me every day; so it's Biggest Loser Couples edition. We've joined Lifetime Fitness and have already gone each day since I've arrived for at least 2 hours each day. We're reading these books, writing in journals, keeping food logs, drinking gallons of water, and exercising a lot. We've set up different challenges, temptations, and rewards just like the show did and each week we will weigh in and will calculate the percent of change (that's the fun part!) every week. Hopefully each week you will be able to see a change and by the end of the summer I should be ready to start school as a whole new person.

My California Trip

2008-06-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

After much debate, I decided, at the last moment, to take my tent instead of sleeping in my car. I was worried about setting it up by myself, but as you can see, I did it! I had great neighbors camping near me both nights and enjoyed their company. I took my guitar and sang songs in the twilight; it was so much fun. I have forgotten how much fun and how easy camping is. I took my little chimney and used that as my stove with one pot for cooking; I had stew for dinner and hot chocolate and cereal for breakfast. The nights were warm and the morning brisk and the days were in the 70's. Perfect temperature for hiking around.

Yosemite was just beginning to bloom. Just as this bee is gathering pollen, I wish I could have gathered all the scents and colors of each wildflower. These purple flowers dotted the hillsides while yellow and red flowers were in the meadows. To my Texas friends, do these look like Blue Bells? I wish this blog was more than just sight; if I could infuse the scents that went along with Yosemite you would have a better understanding of its beauty. The dogwoods were in full bloom and their dizzying sweet scent was everywhere. The entire time driving around, I had my windows down and sunroof open so that I could enjoy the sight, sound and smell of Yosemite.

Going on vacation alone does have its drawbacks, for example taking pictures of yourself. This is one of the best ones I could manage. I will have to practice more. Here I am sitting infont of Cascade Fall. I had driven this road at least 4 times perviously and had never seen this fall before. It was only on my way towards Mariposa Grove that I decided to stop and look around. I am glad I did because this beautiful fall trailed down the mountain side. I was hesitant on coming to Yosemite alone, but I am so glad that I came. I had a wonderful time and was glad I didn't miss it. June was the perfect month to go; all the waterfalls were in full force, the flowers just coming out and the temperature was ideal.

After my trip to Yosemite, I headed down to Lemoore NAS (Naval Air Space) to visit Paul and Brianna.

Brianna is pregnant and keeps the house quite cold, as you can see in this picture. j/k

I had made lots of plans and places that I wanted to see, but found that there's not much to do. I had wanted to visit 2 museums, one in Lemoore and one in Fresno. However, these museums were not open. I just didn't understand why they weren't open, but they said not enough people were interested. The only days they were open were Saturday and Sunday. Our Saturday was quite full already, and Sunday wasn't an option, so I missed both museums. Just a little frustrating to say the least. But we managed to fill our days and in the evenings. I had time to watch a few of their movies that I hadn't seen before. So, what did we do??

After dinner, Brianna and I would break out the puzzle. She had the edges finished, but hadn't started filling in the middle. But we soon remedied that. I must say she chose a difficult puzzle; the only colors it consisted of were shades of blues and browns with an ocasional red speckled throughout. Brianna worked the sails of both boats and I worked the water. By the time I left, we had at least 3/4 of it completed.

Now I was in the heart of California and fruit season has arrived. There were all different types of fruit stands popping up. As I drove down from Yosemite, I saw stands for peaches, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, plums, nectarines, and all kinds of nuts. They also offered fresh vegetables like tomatoes, onions and varieties of squash. So why not take advantage of all this fruit. One day it was our goal to find some fresh fruit and make jam. I had never done it before and neither had Brianna; it was our "doing something new" day. We found a blueberry stand up the road about 15 minutes on hwy 41. The workers were out harvesting, so we knew the blueberries were fresh. I had never heard of blueberry jam before, but the lady selling (of course) assured me that it can be done and that she had just made a batch a few days ago. We bought some and continued on our way to the commissary to get the pectin and containers. It was fun and easy making freezer jam; Brianna was hesitant at the first sight of squished blueberries, but she got over it. If you're lucky enough, you might get a sample of our hard work.

Of course no visit with Paul is complete without the tour of his squadron and ops area (don't you love how I use military lingo with such ease?). Paul showed me around the hangar and parts of the F18 planes. I met his coworkers and they all love him; one of them even calls him Admiral Nelson. He is on the largest squadron on base and they are responsible for the most number of planes. The temperature is quite warm and it must add another level of difficulty to his job. My car temp gage read 113; quite hot for an outside job and it's only June. Can you imagine August?? Paul's work schedule is quite sporadic. I came to visit them specifically on this week because he thought he wasn't going to be working that weekend, needless to say he worked on Saturday. Some days he left at 5 am, others at 7. One day he was home by 2:30 and another day he was off by 10:30. Very difficult to plan things when you never know when he'll be around. And you know how I love to plan!

If you can see our faces peepeing thru, Brianna and I took a herb tour in Squaw Valley, at the foothills of Sequoia National Park. We learned about different types of herbs and different recipes and remedies (and can we forget the song with that same title?). We got to see, smell and sample different herbs and learned how to use lavender. I have always wanted a lavender plant and now even more. She made it sound so easy and so beneficial. Lavender is quite the plant. On our way back, we stopped at a fruit stand, of course, and bought the best tasting and perfectly ripe peaches, nectarines and plums. Paul loves plums and by the time I was leaving, there was only one plum and one peach left. I had peaches and cream later that day and was the happiest person alive.

Talking about things that aren't open, the Fresno temple is only open by appointment. So, we called ahead and made an appointment to do initiatory work. I had some names given to me from a ward member and was anxious to get the work done. Brianna hadn't done initiatory work, so it was a first for her. We left for Fresno dressed and ready to go. We were over half way to Fresno and I just happened to ask if Brianna had her recommend. Expecting her to say yes I was quite surprised when she gasped for air and threw her hands to her mouth in shock. She had left it sitting on her dresser at home. When we got to the temple, we explained our situation and they called for the temple president. We were able to go in and perform the work. It was such an amazing and spiritual experience and am grateful that we had the opportunity to attend together.

I also went to church with them on Sunday and met some of their ward members. They were very nice and I enjoyed worshipping with them.

So, that was my trip to California. I am very grateful to Paul and Brianna for allowing me to stay with them. Now for the fun facts:

I drove a total of 1520 miles
Average price of gas was $4.65/gallon
Highest price of $4.98/gallon in Yosemite
Average of 21.8 miles per gallon
Best gas mileage of 23.3 miles per gallon in Yosemite
Total of 9 days (driving days included)

Yosemite Slide Show

2008-06-24T10:57:00.001-07:00

Here's a slideshow of Yosemite National Park. These are just some of the sights which I enjoyed. Remember if you want to hear the slideshow music, pause "my elevator music" and then click the speaker on the slideshow.

Refinishing my Dresser

2008-06-11T14:38:00.001-07:00

Here's a little slide show of my little project I've been working on for the past 2 days. Since I had such good results from my last refinishing project, I thought I'd try my hand at it again. This old dresser was the eye-sore of my bedroom and needed to be fixed. I had left over stain and top coat from the vanity, so I was off to a great start already. All I needed was more sandpaper and hardware. I got the same brushed copper knobs as my vanity to tie the two pieces together. I was able to borrow a hand sander from Cami; she's in my ward. It's amazing how much time and enegery that little sander saved me. My whole garage was covered in dust, including me! As I was staining, I found a sticker located on the inside of a drawer that read "Property of William Tingey". I never knew this dresser belonged to Grandma & Grandpa Tingey. Now I'm really glad I didn't just get rid of it and get something new. It's amazing what you learn by turning something old into something new again. Maybe it's the whole refinishing process or rebirth that strikes a chord with the soul.

Friends for Dinner

2008-06-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Last night, I invited the Mainz's over for dinner. We had such a fun time together. It's nice to have good friends around. Part of the fun was cooking. As you know, I love to cook and it had been so long since I put on a whole meal. I sort of went out of control, as you'll see. I wanted to make the weekend dinner in the June issue of Food Magazine from Martha. So, I started the rosemary fried chicken. Well, it had to soak in buttermilk and I had extra buttermilk and I didn't want it to go to waste, so I made buttermilk biscuits. I made this celery pasta salad and a fresh tomato salad with lemon-parsley dressing. I had some fresh fruit (strawberries, pinapple, honeydew and bannanas) and so I made that yummy fruit dip to go with it. Oh, and I wanted to make the mint lemonade, so I did (hand squeezed). Then for dessert we had a coconut-pineapple loaf cake with lemon sherbet. After dinner, we watched an episode of Big Bang Theory, which they've never seen. Liz brought a Scene It game which I've never played and came in second, with a few hints. You, my friend, are a winner! All in all, it was a wonderful evening and thought I'd share. I should have taken a picture so you could meet my friends and see my dinner, but I'm still new at this blogging and forgot. So, you'll just have to read about it and imagine it in your mind.

Spring Break Cruise

2008-06-06T13:32:00.001-07:00

Spring Break came early this year, in March. I guess you could say we had a Mavis Green family reunion, but with only 5 people in our family can you really call it a reunion?? Mom, Bob, Gary and Ashley flew in to LA and Heidi and I drove in. We all met up on the ship. Our port of calls were San Diego, Catalina Island, and Ensenada Mexico. It was a fun 5 day cruise, just perfect for a week off school.

My New Home

2008-06-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

At the end of February, I moved into a condo that I absolutely love. It is perfect for me. It is much safer than the apartments I was living in and I have great (elderly) neighbors. I love having a garage and lots of storage space. 2 bedroom, 2 bath with a great room and office area. It's spacious, yet cozy. All my stuff fits and I still have room for visitors - so come on down to Vegas!!

New Blogspot

2008-06-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

After much persuasion, I have decided to start my personal blog. I appreciate all the blogs I've seen already and have taken what I've liked and have added it to my own (gosh, that sort of sounds like a Borg!). Now that school's out, I've got some time. I've got a list a mile long to work on and we'll see how productive I am this summer. I'm looking forward to posting my projects and adventures.