We all need a Vacation!

I've been sitting like an old lady in a rocker lately and reflecting on the things that make me happy in life. There are SO many and I too often forget my blessings.
I realized this week one thing that I will always live for is a VACATION. I love travelling - I love vacations - I love everything about it!! I like staying in all kinds of hotel rooms, from the Hilton to some scary super 8 where I know dead bodies hide. I love meeting the strange people and eating weird food and I love the long airpline rides or car trips. Jake and I have been so blessed in the three years we've been together to have some unforgettable vacations.

One of the most fun ones was pretty close to home when about 9 months ago we decided to just get away. We drove up past Boise and stayed at this little Victorian hotel and went water-rafting and hiking. Check me out in my hot wet suit. Rarrrr.

Yeah, I don't know that all albinos went out in the sun like me :)
This is in front of the hotel. This weird fish was sitting in the middle of the road. I think this made us laugh for several hours. The thing about Jake and I is that it doesn't take a lot to get entertained..
I know it looks like I'm pooping but I think I was just .... squatting?? (What's WRONG with me?)

Also this year we were fortunate enough to be asked to 'chaperone' Dad's choir trip to Southern California. I think Dad thought I would use my Probation officer skills to do some beating. No, it was a vacation and we weren't much of what you'd consider 'chaperones.' Jake got the kids cited in riots and even had a sugar-packet eating contest. I also tried to pimp out my little sister Carrie and embarrass her as often as I could. It was an awesome trip. We went through Vegas, Sea World, San Diego, and even stayed in the Embassy Suites. I hope he'll ask us to 'chaperone' again but the riots might have been a bad idea...

Me with Carrie. so cute!!! And date-able. She's 16!!

And of course I've already posted this but my favorite vacation of them all this year has been to Switzerland. It was so neat to spend a week in one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I just want to say I'm grateful for America - for the food, the toilets, the non-spitting language.

We have a few more vacations planned for this year that I can't wait for. In March Jake and I will be heading to New York City for a week. We are going with USU with an art history class. I decided after spending three weeks alone last summer, I'm not letting Jake take any more trips without me :) We also are hoping to join Jake's family on a church history tour this summer and then take an Oregon Coast trip of our own in the fall.

I live for this!! And if anybody else out there likes a vacation, I urge you to consider Franklin Idaho and come see us. We have some of the biggest potatoes. And trees. There's some dirt too. :)

President Hinckley

This was a hard weekend. I had just put my jammies on and got ready for bed when I decided to turn on the TV and found out about President Hinckley's passing. I admit I cried for quite some time. I know that so many others feel the same way - I felt like I had such a personal connection with our Prophet. I will never forget the first experience I had meeting him. Back in high school, with the Madrigal Choir, we would go down to Temple Square every year. My dad had arranged it so we would sing on the steps inside the Church Office Buildings. I remember we were in the middle of a song when this amazing feeling, an amazing Spirit, started welling up inside. Sooner than we knew it, most of the choir was crying because of that same Spirit. President Hinckley had entered the room and was standing there, listening to us. He spent the time to joke and talk with us and then left, but it left us shaking. And I remember feeling that exact same spirit every time I would hear him and see him speak at Conference. I truly have such a testimony that he was truly a man of God and called of Him to direct us. I am happy that he is with his wife, but what a loss. And I hope I will never, ever, EVER forget that same spirit that he always helped me to feel.

Yep, tagged again!

As a pre-note, I am always so impressed by people's taggings. I totally stalk blogs and love tags to get to know people you THINK you know. It's been good to know all about people's feet and eating habits.... It's been awhile since I've responded to a tag. Di, I liked this one!! But you win in the funniness.

ABC's of you. Each player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
A- Attached or single: Attached. Almost siamese. I cannot sleep unless I have so much as a foot touching him.
B- Best Friend: As cheesy and corny as it is, it's my husband Jake. There has never been a person so as insane as me that understands me and my drooling so well.
C-Cake or Pie: If we're throwing them in someone's face, I'd say both. I won't eat either. As you can see from previous posts, cake and I have a troubled history. I would prefer not to talk about it.
D-Day of Choice: I wanted to say 'No Pants Friday' but that's already been taken. I will go with Tuesday. At 7.
E- Essential Item: My slippers. I cannot be at home and not having something fuzzy on my feet. What can I say? I like fuzzy!
F- Favorite Color: Green.... not the color of boogers or mold but sagey, pretty green.
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Gotta go with worms. I like squishy things along with fuzzy things.
H- Hometown: Tremonton Utah!!!
I- Indulgence(s): A good snuggle, popsicles, chocolate covered cinnamon bears, playing Killer Bunnies, and being a rap-star.
J- January or July: I still choose Tuesday. At 7. I don't like either of these months. I like spring and fall!
K-Kids: I spend all my time taking care of my little 26 year old Jake.
L-Life is incomplete without: Game and date nights with my Jake, Grey's Anatomy, calls to my friends to see if THEY'VE seen Grey's Anatomy, a good book with a fuzzy blanket, and sugar.
M- Marriage Date: December 1, 2004.
N- Number of Siblings: 6 beautiful, although clinically mentally ill sisters :) And seven in-laws.
O- Oranges or Apples: Totally, hands down in any contest, the big bad orange. They can squirt things - the apple just sits there.
P- Phobias or Fears: Heights, Jake dying, forgetting to wear pants in public.
Q- Quote(s): "I like waking up to the smell of bacon.... sue me" - Michael Scott
R- Reason To Smile: Jake and his dimples, puppies, my young women class.
S- Season: Fall... fat, fat fall.
T- Tag Three: Becca, Em, Camille
U- Unknown Fact About Me: Before I served in 'Nam...... oh, wait. Really, I once licked an octopus. Really.
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Dumbest question ever. Can I have some more ribs?
W- Worst Habit: Jake has started growing gray eyebrows and I will attack him to cut them out. He thinks this is abnormal. Everyone does this, I know.
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: I have a totally funny story. In December they did an ultrasound of my kidneys.... That day at lunch we had potatoes and turkey.... my belly was so full of gas they couldn't see the kidneys. I always thought gas was invisible. So I choose x-rays.
Y- Your Favorite Food: Pudding, halibut, and anything that makes my hips wider.
Yes, there's no Z. I make one up too, Di.
Zig-zag or zits: Close race, I'd go with zig zags.

Life in a Bathrobe

Here are pictures of my new tiled kitchen that I love. Why am I posting these pictures now?? Because I'm in my fuzzy purple bathrobe. I never pegged myself as a bathrobe kind of girl... I used to think they were for hairy-legged, hairy-chinned, hair-netted old ladies. But not anymore. I love my bathrobe!! And I better get used to it because I am on a two week leave from work to heal from some complications I've had. So I am trying to use this time to admire my new tile and to think of my life. I have realized, as I sit here with anxiety about what is happening at the court without me, that I put too much into work and need to put more into me. Work is not what matters - I need to get back to life!! So I'm trying to enjoy my bathrobe days the best I can. And since I can't post pictures of myself, I'll post them of my kitchen. We tore out and built this kitchen from the ground up and I am pretty dang proud!!
This is the view from the office. Jake tiled the kitchen first and he let Rob & Brandon help. Somehow, they probably just got into mud-fights and belly scratching contests, because when it was done it looked like a 3 year old had tiled. We had to unfortunately tear it out and we hired Jake's friend Jason to come in. He did an amazing job. I love my floor, I could kiss it!
So there you have it - pictures I promised over two months ago. I guess bathrobe girls don't have too much else to take pictures of!! :)

I

Bad stinking day

I have had a pooper scooper of a day. Seriously. And it has left me un-believably worked up and upset right before a what-should-be-good three day weekend.
Does anybody have any good tips on how to get rid of smelly, poopy stress???? Or maybe I'm beyond help. HELP!

Revenge - Eat THAT, you stupid cake!!

I hope the past cake catastrophe is cleansed from everyone's mind. On December 30th, Jake had his 26th birthday... (yeah, geezer). I decided to plot my revenge of the last killer cake. Yes, this time I re-attacked the double layer, yellow cake, chocolate frosting. And I WON!! And get this = HOMEMADE FRIGGIN FROSTING!! I guess there's hope for me after all.
And yes, Jake still thinks he's five.

Glow in the Dark!!

I am officially radioactive. Yeah, I'm freaky. And I totally hate it!!
I am literally sitting here at midnight, in my special bathrobe, with my special leopard slippers, with rubber gloves so I don't contaminate the computer. I have sat on special sheets on the couch since Friday and I tell you, I'm especially more than a little bit bored!! I guess being radioactive has some perks - when Jake pisses me off, I chase him with my freaky radioactive neck. :)
Really, it has been a long week. I got my first radioactive Iodine treatment Friday. Before that I was in the hospital for about a weeks worth of tests. I set a hospital record (I seriously feel it is such a great accomplishment!) for the most over-active thyroid they have seen. Yeah, I'm freaky.
Friday was the big, freaky day. They made me go into the middle of a sterile room with all those yellow scary signs that you see on monster cartoons. The radiation was in the form of liquid iodine that I had to drink out of a straw through a big lead cup. It is so funny because they were so worried about touching it, and I had to pay like a thousand dollars for a special transport vehicle to bring the stuff to the hospital, but yet they make me put it in my mouth.... Something's wrong with that!!
I have felt a bad sore throat and like I have the flu but it's totally not bad and I think I've seen worse....
So no glow-in-the-dark pictures today. Although, I did have a re-match with cake-baking and some pictures are soon to come!!!! Freaky.