Happy Easter

 

We hope that you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday and that you were able to spend it with the ones you love! We were fortunate to get to hang out with our cute nephews (and their parents) and some of our cute nephews friends! Throughout the day we got our sugar fill from caramel popcorn, rice krispie treats, jell-o jigglers, and of course, Easter Candy! We had a wonderful Hawaiian Haystack filled dinner that filled our tummies and a great day that filled our hearts. We are grateful for this time of year and for the Spirit that it brings!

Havin' A Little Fun

Saturdays with no agenda are my favorite! So far today I have played a little computer, downloaded a bunch of CD's, did quite a bit of homework and now I am catching up on my Ellen! I never thought that I'd be a person who "has" a talk show - but once again this shows how well I know myself! The Ellen show never fails to crack me and make me smile! I think that Ellen is witty and is a great entertainer and I can't wait for the evenings or weekends so that I can catch up on my Ellen! (I also have to give a shout out to our Tivo as well - for which without I wouldn't be able to catch up on my Ellen!) Anyway, there is really no reason for this blog - just that I am having a wonderful Saturday and that I love to laugh along with Ellen! May you all have a Saturday with no agenda and a little happiness - wherever you may find it!!

Spring Break

Doesn't this picture just make your heart swell with joy and warmth and lack of snow! I would love to say that I took it somewhere completely exotic on a big trip during spring break - but it was actually found online thanks to the National Geographic website! Nevertheless, my spring break was perfect and exactly what I needed! Sunday - Tuesday Nate & I tucked ourselves away at a hotel to celebrate Anniversary # 8 and the fact that we could actually spend a couple of weekdays together with no school or work! On Wednesday I got ahead on a little homework and watched my adorable nephews S & J for a few hours! S enlightened me about our Rascal when he told me that she was cleaning her "leg pit." Thursday & Friday I worked all day long to make up for my hours and to give my co-worker a little break as well! It was extremely restful and exactly what I needed to get me through my last few weeks of school!!!

8 Years!!

As of this morning, we have officially been married for spectacular 8 years!! We have been together for 12 years, but today is our technical anniversary!! We are celebrating by spending a couple of nights at a hotel and a couple of days off of work - so far it has been restful and wonderful!! I just want to take a minute to tell Nate that I love him "more than life itself" and I am so grateful to be his wife! He is my best friend and he is so good to me - even on days when I am grumpy! I love you babe! Happy Anniversary!!

Klutz

A klutz is a person who is clumsy, foolish, inept, or accident-prone. Or, you could just stick my name in there. Klutz = Clar. I was walking up on campus today, minding my own business along with the other hundreds of people who were just getting out of class, and all of the sudden, I am on the ground. My feet hit a patch of ice and down I went. (If I could see you all in person and sign this story to you it would be much more interesting - facial expressions are key!) Some nice people stopped to see if I was ok and after I assured them that I was, I stood up, brushed off any ground that I had acquired, and walked to the library with my head hung in shame and embarrassment. Now, a few hours and sprained shoulder later, I am preparing to go back up to campus to conquer walking (which apparently I don't know how to do), I find it quite comical - but that doesn't mean that I won't be taking extra careful steps!

QUESTIONS???

So, my mom has started sending out weekly questions to my sisters & I, and we, in turn, answer them & send them to everyone else so that we can stay in touch in spite of the miles that separate us. They have been pretty entertaining to read, so I decided to post some of our favorite answers on our blog, just for fun! So, without further adieu, here is the first batch!

QUESTION 1: What are four places that you want to see? He says: Australia, Mayan Ruins, Alaska (in the summer), Rome & Egypt. She says: New Zealand, Ireland, Niagara Falls, Hawaii.

QUESTION 2: What are some foods you strongly dislike? He says: cottage cheese, most pastas, sprouts & processed meats. She says: most meat, vinegar, raw eggs, raw onions

QUESTION 3: If you could be someone famous, who would you be? They say: someone who is recognized for making the world a better place.

QUESTION 4: What are your favorite things to do? He says: Spend time with Clar, watch movies & snuggle (with Clar - this is not an open invitation!), play racquetball & play video games. She says: Spend time with hot hubby, take photos, surf the world wide web & hang out with family and friends.

QUESTION 5: What are some things you detest doing? He says: cleaning, paying bills, mowing the lawn & explaining computers to people who should never have one in the first place. She says: eating (it takes so long & you just poop it all out anyway), cleaning the toilet, taking out the litter box & waking up to an alarm clock.

QUESTION 6: What are your four biggest wishes? He says: to have some kids, "ten MILLION dollars," world peace & to live in a beach house. She says: to be a mommy, to be forever financially secure, to cure Nate of his headaches for FOREVER & to make it through school with my sanity still intact.

QUESTION 7: What are your favorite candy bars? He says: Baby Ruth, Snickers, Milky Way, Twix & a Symphony Bar with toffee bits! She says: Snickers (in small doses) and recently Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears.

QUESTION 8: What is your favorite sandwich? He says: It's a toss up between the Turkey, Bacon, Guacamole from Quiznos or the Spicy Italian sandwich from Logan's Heroes. She says: Turkey sandwich from Old Gristmill!

QUESTION 9: What are your favorite cereals? He says: Captain Crunch, Fruity Pebbles & Honey Nut Shredded Wheat. She says: Honey Bunches of Oats, Life, & Yogurt Covered Cheerios.

That's the end of the questions for now, but we'll be back with more soon!

Digital Scrapbooking

There was once a time when all I wanted to do was Scrapbook! I dreamed about it, I had notebooks full of page ideas, I had more pictures than... well... I don't know who but it was a lot of pictures, and I had the time.
Now, I still have my notebooks, I still have my pictures (although they are all digital) but I don't have the time that it takes to pull out my boxes and boxes of Scrapbook Supplies (which I can't seem to get rid of no matter how many times I let our nephews & nieces go through).
Then, one wonderful day, Nate surprised me with a Digital Scrapbooking Program! He even downloaded it for me! I then spent hours looking for free digital scrapbook downloads and I now have a pretty good collection of papers & embellishments!!
Now, I all I have do is turn on my computer and wah-lah - I can expend my creative juices with half the stress and mess. How can a person not love the convenience of computers??

Waiting for the Washer

It is 10:30 p.m. We have been up and going since 6:30 this morning. I'm tired and I want to go to bed, however, the washing machine just keeps on running. My eyes are droopy, my brain is shutting down for the evening but the washer just won't stop. You would think that it would respect the necessity of sleep, but it doesn't seem to care. So, we are watching a little "Still Standing" and just listening for that glorious moment so that we can put Nate's work shirt in the dryer & go to sleep!! That's it! No deep thoughts, just killing some time!!

Valentines Day

I think, that out of our almost 8 years of marriage and 12 years as a couple, that this Valentines Day tops them all!! We have been discussing for the last week or so what we were going to do, and nothing was ever decided! My sweet husband, however, suprised me with flowers on the table when I woke up yesterday morning! I was very surprised at his sneakiness because I was with him the whole previous night! Anyway, throughout the day I tried and tried to think of something that would surprise him in return, and about 10:00 in the morning, it hit me! I started calling around to ALL the hotels (well, the nicer ones anyway) and finally booked a room for the evening (turns out that's a popular thing to do on Valentines Day! It was hard to find a room)! Through a series of twists & turns and with the help of Ollie & Lynnette (thanks guys!) I was able to surprise Nate with a romantic night out!! We had a great time and I am very blessed to have my Valentine not only as a Valentine, but as my husband and my best friend for all eternity!!

The Bacon is Burning!!

Okay, here's my story! My mom is in Colorado visiting my sisters (the suckers!), so yesterday I called up my dad and invited him over to Sunday Dinner! I stewed and thought and wondered about what I should make for dinner, and then my sister in law (with whom I was shopping at the time) suggested that I make breakfast for dinner! You know - pancakes, hashbrowns, eggs - the works! Fabulous idea? I think so! We wandered around the store, picking out the perfect foods to add to the Sunday dinner when we came upon the bacon! (Before this story goes on, I must remind you that I eat nothing that has to do with pork, red meat, or the ocean - I am a chicken & turkey gal, and that's on a good day!) So, I think, hmmm... special occasion... Sunday dinner... dad for dinner... I could get some bacon... so I did - and that's where my wonderful Sunday dinner went awry. I can count on, well, no fingers the number of times I have cooked bacon. If Nate wants it, he cooks it! Not because I won't, but because, (I'll admit it)I am not that fabulous of a cook! I tend to ruin recipes (no joking) and stick to things like salads, fry sauce (I make a killer fry sauce), mac 'n' cheese, deviled eggs... you know, things that I can't break! So, I pull out the pan, throw on the bacon and let it cook!! The house starts to smell, the air starts to cloud over, and I hear, "Clar... I think the bacon is burning..." Alas, it was BLACK! I was fired from cooking the bacon (not remorsefully) and went on to whipping up the eggs for French Toast, when I hear, "Clar... I think the hash browns are burning..." Alas, blackened hash browns... There's not really a moral to this story... the French Toast was good... but I smell like burnt bacon, I have to scrub a scorched pan, and I still don't like cooking! Dad - I love ya and you know it, but next time you come to my house for dinner, don't expect bacon!!

Wonderous Weekends!!

Can I tell you how grateful I am that every 5 days a weekend begins? During the week I fantasize about what we will, or won't do, on Friday night and the fact that we get to sleep in (usually till about 8) on Saturday morning! The rest of Saturday brings relaxing, a little homework, catching up around the house (sometimes) and usually a little time with our families! Sundays are my day of rest (except for today - it felt like I've been busy ALL day long) and my Spiritual renewal! It's amazing how much strength just walking into the Chapel gives me!

My weekends are extremely precious to me because it usually means at least 48 straight hours with Nate!! It doesn't really matter what we do, even if we are just sitting at home, because we are together! For instance, at the moment, Nate is playing X-Box with a Rascal resting on his lap, and I am checking e-mail, blogging & mentally gearing up for Monday morning - yet, I am completely content because he is sitting by my side!! I usually feel a little guilty of all that I didn't accomplish because we were enjoying our day off a little too much, but I think I'm okay with that! We do have clean laundry for the week and we are both caught up on our homework, so if we must be, we are ready for the new week to begin! I can promise you, however, that when our alarm clock goes on at 6:40 tomorrow morning, my longing for the next weekend will begin!!

Across the Universe

So, Friday night Nate & I went and wandered around Hastings before meeting up with some friends for dinner! We ended up renting the above mentioned show and watched it on Saturday afternoon. It was trippy and wonderful and we can't wait to get the soundtrack!! All of the music in it are BEATLES songs - remade - and the way that they are incorporated into the show are clever and at times a little strange! If you are a lover of music and art, you will appreciate this movie!!

President Hinckley

What a wonderful man we were all blessed to know and to follow. President Hinckley was a very inspired man who showed great love and compassion for the members of the church and for mankind alike. He was such a great example and dedicated man. The news of his passing was for me, unexpected, yet I can't help but be happy for him and his loved ones that he has been reunited with. He will be remembered with great respect and fondness and will be truly missed by all who knew of him.

In Red Purse Memory

The Red (Faux) Prada Purse was purchased on May somedateish 2006 in Times Square, NYC by me, it’s loving owner. The Red Purse was sought after because of a sweet boy named K telling me that I needed a Red Purse to match my red hair. It was love at first sigh (and haggled down from $40 to $20). The Red Purse lived a very fulfilling life – it traveled around New York City, New Jersey, Colorado, but happily spent most if it’s days at home in Utah. It held many precious items including a digital camera, keys, a cell phone, tampons, and it was the keeper of my cash and notebook full of ideas and thoughts that my brain had produced (both very important). The Red Purse was a true friend and keeper of my stuff. The day that the zipper started sticking was a very hard day for the both of us but the Red Purse was a trooper until those last days right up until it was emptied out and retired to the garbage can. The Red Purse will be greatly missed, but it will always be remembered with great happiness.

 

Ready, Set, Watch

All right, here's the truth! Running is not my thing. I have never enjoyed it, I have never wanted to do it, in High School - I walked around the track with my friends and sang songs when we were supposed to be running the mile (I was so cool)! However, one of my New Years Resolutions is to get into shape. Not lose weight - I feel I am at a pretty healthy weight, but to be physically fit. So far this week I have completed the mile three times (I'm not going to embarrass myself by telling you my time - I'll wait till it comes down a little) and I attribute that success to the best running companion ever - ALIAS. We are ALIAS buffs - we have the complete collection - but it's been quite a while since we have watched it! My rule is that I can't watch it now unless I am on the treadmill - I get to get in shape and be rewarded at the same time! It is full of action, great music and a captivating story line! I don't look down at the treadmill screen until I feel like I am ready to collapse because I am so entertained! So, if you are a fellow un-enthused runner - give it a whirl! You may just find yourself inspired!