Spoon Full of Sugar

a lot on our plate

2012-01-19T18:06:00.000-08:00

The next several months are going to FLY by-here's why:

*Lindsey is in her FINAL semester of the online BSN program for nursing. As such, she's taking 13 credits and much of that is independent learning. Unfortunately, she does much better with scheduled tasks and tests because she can't procrastinate those. She can't wait for graduation in May!
*Did we mention we have twin boys that are absolutely adorable? They are busy, active, and FUN!
*Lindsey is working 12 hours a week, weekends mostly, when Matt is home. Matt is still working his usual days, plus overtime lately!
* Matt has been submitting resumes to several different airlines and opportunity has opened up with two airlines! The crazy thing is that the jobs are in the middle east. (Like the middle east of the entire world.) We are deciding between taking a job with Qatar Airlines or Emirates Airlines. As such, we would be moving to either Doha, Qatar or Dubai, UAE this summer! Matt has already been to Qatar and we are both going to Dubai in March to get a feel for which one airline we should go with. We are in the middle of deciding to rent our home or put it up for sale. Either way, there is a lot of fixing up the house to get done.
*We are having another baby BOY in May. Three boys age 2 years old and under. It's gonna be a mad house!

Ok, so that pretty much sums up why I'm overwhelmed and will be for the next several months. Just typing it all out makes it feel like organized chaos, haha! I really can't complain though-everyone is healthy and happy and I feel very thankful for that.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the last month or so. Enjoy!

Sister's gettin' hitched!

2011-12-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

My sister Brooke is getting married on December 29th, which just so happens to be mine and Matt's 5 year wedding annaversary. Anyway, I stole these pics off of the photographers website and included the link, so I hope that is Ok with her! Aren't they cute? We have never met Ryan before, but get to at Christmas this year. So excited for them--here's to forever!
To see more of the cute couple visit the photographer's website, listed below.
http://www.carlybinghamphotographyblog.com/2011/11/r-santa-clarita-couples-photographer.html

The House!

2011-12-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

I realized that I have not really posted any pictures of our new house! Matt snapped a few photos this fall

when the colors were nice and pretty. He also took a few more last week right after the first big snow! Those pictures are taken from the boys bedroom on the second story. We love our house! It's perfect for us. Great neighbors, great neighborhood, great ward, and I love the size of our house. Not too big, not too small. We have really enjoyed being homeowners!

And who couldn't love them??? Jamsey and Jakey, you're so cute!

Family Pictures

2011-12-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

My talented friend Liz took some family pictures for us a week or two ago. She is a budding photographer that is generous with her talents and offered to take pics of the boys at the end of summer and then again for our family pictures this winter. I think she's great and took on a big challenge right off the bat by trying to photograph wiggly little boys! I can't say enough good things about her! Anyway, here are a few of my favorites from our two photo sessions. Enjoy!

the 31st and more

2011-11-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

Halloween, oh how I love you. I have been planning our costumes since, I kid you not, last Halloween. I have a list in my journal of future family costumes and add to the list whenever it suits my fancy. (thank-you, Pinterest.) As most of my ideas go, I got to to the costumes kind of last minute. The boys were American Astronauts, Lindsey was the planet Saturn, and Matt was the moon. Our little "out of this world" family.

We trick-or-treated to about 10 houses and by the end, the boys got the hang of picking a piece of candy out of the bowl, and waving bye-bye. It was darling.

There were hoards and hoards of kids in our neighborhood!! It being our first Halloween here, we had no idea what to expect. Trick-or-treating goes from 6-8pm here and we ran out of candy way before end time and had to replenish with what we collected from the houses we went trick-or-treating to. Lame.

(oh, and P.S. WHY do kids always ask 'How many?' when they come to the door? Rude! It's always one, kid, unless I tell you otherwise. Maybe if you actually said 'trick-or-treat', I'd think about giving you 2 pieces! Kids these days....)

Don't mind my 'ring' that was falling off and the pillow coming out of my costume. Minor malfunction.

We were also lucky enough to have my parents and Dallas come visit a few weeks ago. It's safe to say that my dad is the boys favorite person.

Loves to the grandparents! We love you!!

Jammies

2011-09-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

I bought the boys new jammies today. (It's 60 degrees here--just a diaper at night just doesn't cut it anymore.) I get so excited when the boys get new clothes!! I can't wait to pull off the tags and dress the boys in them! Anyone else feel that way?? The Children's Place $8.00 robot jams didn't disappoint. I love the onesies because it makes my toddlers still look like babies. Jakey and Jamsey--you are darling, energetic, smart, cuddly, silly, and messy and we wouldn't change a thing about you. I love them to pieces!

I love this picture: One going up and one going down. It sums up a daily busy life with them!

Hilton Head Island, SC

2011-08-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a family vacation to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and we had a blast! We think this is going to be a tradition for our family each summer because we all want to go back again. It was kind of a default vacation--for the two weeks prior to this we tried and tried to catch a flight out to LAX, with absolutely no luck. We were bummed that we weren't able to see my family, but tried to make the most of it by heading to the east coast beaches instead. The flights all looked like they had room, so we went for it and got on the first try! Standby is such a gamble. It felt like all odds were against us to get out to Cali. Being able to catch a flight down to Hilton Head gave us a little more faith in the standby flying system after having been rejected so many times before. Just a little.

Anyway, Jake and James LOVED the beach. Jake especially. He sat there in the sand playing and being content for longer than I have ever seen him content in his life. It was awesome. James liked to explore--he would follow the dogs walking on the beach and go stand in someone's family picture with them. We all got some needed sunshine. We ate delish seafood (including the boys). We were just happy to be on the beach together as a family and not have to work!

Until next year Hilton Head.....

*you can click on each of the collages and they will enlarge; and keep clicking to zoom in- in case you didn't know*

Summertime

2011-07-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

I was browsing through videos of the boys and thought this one was cute. They have been fascinated with straws for a few months now and I'm glad they got the hang of drinking from one. It's a good life skill...haha.

The one about the MOVE

2011-06-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

It feels like tons has happened since I last blogged, but I am just going post about what we've been up to for the last 2 weeks. WE MOVED! Can I get a 'Woot, Woot!'
Seirously. After 7 years of apartment renting, I for one was more than ready to settle down into our own house. It has been cleaning and unpacking 24/7 around here but it's all good and we're getting settled in. Jake and James love the new place, too. They are on the stairs like white on rice! They can go up in about 12 seconds flat (shorter if there is food at the top) but have not attempted to go down. Yet. Time will tell and I am holding my breath until then.
We made an offer on this house in the dead of winter (Valentine's Day, to be exact), so we didn't know what the yard was going to look like as there was about 3 feet of snow everywhere. We lucked out because we LOVE it! There's a giant Maple tree with ivy growing up the trunk, a slight decline in the backyard, an above ground flower garden, and a landscaped patio area. It has become our favorite part of the whole deal.
Anyway, more pics of the outside front of the house after we paint but for now these are mostly of the move and our new backyard.

James climbed into the drawer and got his head stuck coming out.

Thanks for the shirts, Jess! They wear them all the time!

View from the patio of our new backyard!

Jakey took a spill off the front porch-if you look close you can see the giant scab on his nose:(

Matt mowing our lawn for the first time. He chose a day that was about 95 deg and 100% humidity. His reward was multiple glasses of lemonade.

A date worth waiting for

2011-04-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

Matt and I rarely get a babysitter and go out on a date- but this past weekend we did. Seirously, it was one of our favorite dates ever! It was an incredible evening together and made us both realize that we should 'date' more often.

We went to this new Cuban restaurant in town called Frita Batidos. The words 'cuban food' meant nothing to me before this restaurant but they mean everything to me now! They presented the frita on the leaf of what looked like a bird of paradise plant. It was a unique way to serve the food. I was thinking, "We should write out 'thanks' with the leaf" in my head, then looked at Matt who was tearing the leaf into strips and spelling 'thanks' already. It was funny. As we were leaving we looked back to see the bus boy showing the chef and owner in the back of the restaurant what we had left. They were smiling and showing all of the staff our words of appreciation. It made us laugh. We had churros and chocolate dipping sauce for dessert--a combo I had never entertained before but will do again. It was some unbelievably delicious food. Good food turns average dates into unforgettable ones, no?

After dinner we walked the long way back to our car, stopping in at a little bookstore with a band playing upstairs. So Ann Arbor-ish. The band was local and had that Jack Johnson sound to it. Relax and Chill. It was called the Billy King Band and that's them doing their thing.

From start to finish, the date was only an hour and a half long but it was just right.
Good food. Good company. Good sounds. Good sighs. It's a good life.

Our two little walkers!!

2011-04-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Jake and James are 11 months old today. 11 MONTHS!! I've said it before--these boys LOVE to jump! We put them in one of the cribs together and just watch them jump around. Usually this is right before bed; it helps to wear them out! They love it, and so do we:)

Last Tuesday, Jake took his first unassisted steps. Then, on Thursday, James did the same. They haven't stopped since. It's adorable. After they take a few steps, it's apparant that they know they did a good thing. They are visibly proud of themselves and usually clap afterwards. It's been one of my very favorite milestones to witness. Way to go boys! We love you!

Brothers

2011-03-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

This one's for the RN's.......

2011-03-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

This week I worked the night shift.

I only had one patient but he kept me busy.
I didn't consume any caffeine but I could have used some.
I didn't call a doctor, but almost.
I didn't chart my assessment until now but no one is going to tell the 'boss lady'.
Instead of call lights it was crying.
The verdict wasn't 'chronic back pain'--Instead it was teething (but who knows...)
My nursing interventions were cuddling, cheek kissing, and rocking--Instead of guided imagery (who even does that?)

The up side?
At least baby diapers beat adult ones.

PS- My patient was Jakey and yes he is feeling better. Thank goodness!

Seirously So Cute!!

2011-02-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

Love this video! Doesn't get any cuter than that. Jake and James 9 months old.

the big 2-5

2011-02-10T19:35:00.000-08:00

Well, it happened. I turned 25! Halfway through my 20's! The birthday was nice; full of mom-ish activities and Panera.

When I was in high school, I wrote this list of goals for myself. Apparantly, I chose the ripe age of 25 as the cut-off point to have met said goals. At the time, I'm sure it sounded old and matronly and forever away. At any rate, I gave myself several years to accomplish these goals and now I'm 25, so I'd better re-assess! Shall we? A HIT is accomplished and a MISS is, well, a miss.

*Black belt in tyk-won-do, MISS (Um, ok, this was a summer fling. I took classes once, never to take them again. I think I got to 2 stripes yellow. It was fun, but not I-can-do-this-every-day-and-get-a-black-belt kind of fun)
*Go on a mission, MISS (Matt and I would love to go on a mission one day but I was married by age 21 so....)
*Be fluent in sign language, MISS (I can sign 'Love one Another' but so can you, so it doesn't count)
*Be fluent in spanish, MISS (I actually really want to learn Spanish still so maybe I should have asked for Rosetta Stone for my birthday)
*Become a Registered Nurse, HIT! (Sweeeet! 1 for 5)
*Be an aerobics instructor, MISS (This is also something I still want to do, hopefully in the very near future)
*Build a home in a 3rd world country, MISS (You can tell who my role model was at this point in my life. Kara Oates is my cousin and she was currently doing this. I wanted to be just like her apparantly! I would still like to travel to a 3rd world country and give medical service one day. Now that we can fly there for free this is not a bad idea....)
*Married in the temple, HIT! (I love that I even specified exactly what temple I wanted to be married in, too. Because Bakersfield is so close to Washington DC it makes perfect sense to get married there. I am so glad we got married in the St. George temple and it has become my favorite one.)
*sell products, MISS (WHY I ever wanted to sell stuff to my future friends is a mystery to me. Lame goal.)
*Do another pageant, MISS (no. no. no. not again.)
*Take voice lessons, MISS (I like it when Matt sings. He has a really good voice. We will let him take the voice lessons.)
*Have a pottery wheel and black room, MISS (I must have just watched 'Ghost' and thought pottery was cool because when I wrote these goals I had never actually worked on a wheel. I guess the thought of my future self throwing clay pots was enough to land a spot on the goals list. And the black room....it's just not practical now with digital everything. Sorry old self, but no.)
*Make a baby blanket for my kids, HIT (I made Jake and James each a baby blanket among other things. I like this goal and I think I'll keep it.)
*Hike Mount Timp, MISS (This would be awesome. And difficult. I would love to one day.)
*Be in the Oprah Audience, MISS (I'm still bummed about this one. I gave it an honest effort! I have the Oprah show's number saved in my phone but it's nearly impossible to get through! Now that it's her farwell season I think the chances are looking even bleaker.)
*Be on the Price is Right, MISS (Now that Bob Barker is gone, who cares?)
*Go on a cruise, HIT! (This was so much fun. A must-do-again vacation!)
*Learn to sew well, HIT! (I'm a decent sewer and actually love it. Yea for another HIT)
*Learn to play the organ, MISS (The piano would be a practical start....)
*Go skydiving, Uh, MISS (Excuse me, old self. You couldn't pay me to do that nowadays. I have kids and they need a mom.)
*Run a marathon with my husband, HIT! (St. George Marathon, wahoo! but seirously I'm never doing that again.)

6 out of 21. I think the moral of this post is to make shorter term goals. I have changed a lot since my high school days and as you can tell many of the things I thought were cool back then aren't really my thing anymore. Cheers for 25!

Update: 8 months

2011-01-12T19:14:00.000-08:00

It's late and I'm tired but I couldn't go to sleep tonight without blogging. Jacob and James turned 8 months old today. As I watched them play on the living room floor, it just made me so happy inside. It's as simple as that. Their little personalities are adorable and unique, each already displaying different strengths. I love to watch them interact with each other. I have often had the thought that they are so, so loved. Not only by myself and Matt, but by many others. That is such a blessing. To be loved. To be taken care of. To be wanted. I know they don't comprehend that love, but I think that they can feel it.

James

Jacob

As their mother, sometimes I get overscheduled and overwhelmed and forget to appreciate the simple things in life. Today, I appreciated my ordinary life. I love these little boys for everything they are.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-09T23:05:00.000-08:00

Another year has come and gone,

Can you believe it's true?

Our little family's doubled in size,

For we had not one baby, but TWO!!

Matt enjoys the flying,

In fact, he says it's quite a cinch.

Though he looks forward to the day that he can say,

"Guten Morgen, It's Captain Wintch".

Lindsey stays very busy,

Trying to keep up the house just right.

Her nursing skills have served her well,

Literally, and the classroom type.

Blonde hair, blue eyes- that's our Jakey-Jake,

We love his gummy smile.

He likes bright lights, puppies, and fans,

Although his feet also entertain him for awhile.

James is our little wiggle worm,

Boy can he really move around!

He is the patient and tenderhearted one,

And flashes his dimples all over town.

As we reflect on 2010,

And the humble birth of Christ,

Family, good health, jobs, church, and friends,

We realize are the blessings of this life.

Merry Christmas!
The Wintch's

Matt, Lindsey, Jacob and James

Halloween 2010- robot style

2010-11-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! 5 years ago, on a fateful Halloween night, Matt and I met! We were both saying how we can't believe it's been 5 years. Now days I say that about everything, but it's still true; time flies! It being the boys first Halloween and our 'annaversary' we wanted to make it a big deal. I contemplated their costumes for hours, debating and debating, you know since this such a monumental decision. I finally settled on robots. Such 21st century babies! I wanted to make thier costumes but got over that in about 2 seconds when reality hit me and I realized, again, that I have zero free time. Anyway, the Friday before Halloween we trick or treated down main street Ann Arbor. The stores were handing out candy and it was a nice day outside so we were all for it. I wished the whole time that Matt was with us, but we went with our friend Audrey and her little sweet pea Daniel and had fun regardless of missing Matt.
Like most hats, the boys hated these as well. I would try to velcro them under their chin the way they were meant to be worn but that always resulted in screams. I think the hats made the costume look more like an alien than a robot anyway. Below is baby blue eyes, Jake.
I tried to get smiles out of them, but to no avail. When they would see themselves in the mirror or look at each other, a blank stare would result. They were just not sure about their costumes, which made the whole ordeal even cuter.Jakey all tuckered out. I just love pictures of them asleep. They always look so peaceful. That night I headed to our ward Halloween party. It was a great turn out and even the adults dressed up. Our good friends Matt and Becky and their little lion, Brady.

On Sunday evening we decided to take pictures of the little guys in their Sunday best in our backyard. What cuties!!

We dressed up the boys one last time in their costumes on Sunday night since Matt had missed it on Friday. All in all, it was a great Halloween weekend and fun to think back to 5 years ago. Love you Matt! Thanks for being my 'boo'. (cheesy, I know:)

This video is a crack up. Told you they hate the hats!

Our Jumpin' Bean

2010-10-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

James LOVES to jump. Blogger is being picky and won't let me upload some other videos of the boys but this one I like. We put James in the Jumperoo and he usually goes to town and catches tons of air. He's being really shy in this video but oh well. A few minutes before he was bouncing all over the place! He is too small for the Johnny Jump-Up, so this is the in-between toy. We rarley put Jake in it because he has no idea how it works.

Our family

2010-10-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

Life is good for us Michiganders! I haven't gone back to work yet, so I get to stay home with the little guys and I am so grateful for that! Matt usually works Tuesday-Friday so we try to stay busy when he's gone. Nothing out of the ordinary to report over here--just thought I'd give you a little taste of our life through these pictures. Jake and James are almost 5 months old.....it feels like I blinked and they gained 10 pounds. We love them to pieces and spend most of the day trying to make them laugh!! Most of the pics I get of the boys are either on our bed or in their car seats. That's the only way to be able to manage a camera. I did take this pic of Jakey, though. James was in the baby Bjorn strapped to me, I was on the phone with Matt while trying to make Jake laugh by pushing him with my foot (the swing has no batteries) and snapping pictures. It turned out decent and I may have discovered a hidden talent: Multi-tasking.Matt on bath-duty. He looks mad, but he's not! James doesn't know what to think about the weird hat.

Smiley Jake and Sleeping Jake.

The fall in Michigan is "two words for ya: geor-geous". (Shout out to those who get that). These are photos of the trees we see on our walks. Jake is so fascinated with them and usually has this look of wonder on his face.

Little James enjoying our walk, too.

Me and my babies!!

Meeting thier newest cousin, Amelia. Yes, lots of babies under one roof.

We love these little boys!!

For the Fam

2010-09-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

Before I had kids this was a typical conversation with my mother over the phone:

Me: Hey, Mom!

Mom: Hey, sweetie, how was your vacation?

Me: Oh it was good! We took lots of pictures- I posted some on my blog you should check them out.

Mom: Your blog? You have a blog?

Me: (sigh) Yes, Mom, I have a blog. We have been over this, remember?

Mom: oh. yeah. hummmm. Ok, yeah, I'll have one of the girls look at it for me.

NOW, now, that I apparantly have meaning in my life (our boys) this is what happens regularly:

Me: Hey, Brooke how's it going?

Brooke: Good. How are the boys? Will you update your blog? Seirously. It's been awhile.

Me: Yes. I will. I'm kind of busy these days you know.

Brooke: Ok, well, do it today. Like, soon. I really want to see pictures of the boys. I need a new screen saver. Hey, David wants to tell you something important.

(pause.....background chatter)

Brooke: Ok, he says to put up new pictures of the boys on your blog. He wants to see them.

Me: I'm on it, people!

(I secretly love all the attention and don't mind it at all!)

So, Dad....I hope that the Chemotherapy goes as well as it can today. Enjoy a little tidbit of the boys! Love you!

it's 'go' time

2010-08-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Ok. 20 minutes.

I've got about 20 minutes before one of the little guys wakes up. so much to do, so little time. it's a constant battle in my mind over what to do when I'm given those precious 20 minutes. there are the 'want to do's' the 'should do's' and the dreadful 'need to do's'.

quick think-don't waste another minute! you're now down to 15 minutes because of this silly little blog post.

oh but look at them. so darling. sleeping. ahhhh. sleep. that's what I want to do.No, no. I've got to call about getting the oil changed. I need to do that. But look! Look! they are just too precious. I want to squeeze them! agggh....now T-minus 10 minutes because I uploaded pictures!

oh how adorable! Look at this one I found of Jakey. I remember Matt taking that picture one morning. the lighting was perfect. the colors turned out good, too. the bum on those little pants has a monkey's face. oh i love it when he smiles in his sleep.and little James! I caught him smiling as his dad was playing with him on a lazy Saturday afternoon. That was a good day, too. I love it when James smiles-he's got dimples you know. Man, his skin is lighter now than it was when he was born. His hair, too. Oh what a cutie!Wait.....shush!

yup. they're awake. Well, that's the end of this blog post. I say it's been a good use of time. Until next time 20 minutes....

sum of the summa

2010-07-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last night I slept from about 10:30pm-4am. Back to bed around 4:30 and up around 8am.

I feel like a whole new person. I am in a really good mood and my face zits have cleared up (for the most part). In almost 11 weeks, that's the most sleep I have ever gotten in one night. BY FAR!! Being the mom of these two boys has been so much fun- and that little extra sleep last night just made me realize it even more today.

Going for a walk with Grandma Wintch, one of our favorite things to do!
James, the little guy. He has such a sweet personality! He's the calmer of the two. He has darker skin and hair. His eyes change colors depending on the day and lighting. He is very snuggly and was when he was inside of me, too. He has the most beautiful smile and facial features. He is a few pounds lighter than Jake but is a really good eater these days. When he cries it sounds like a little lamb--so cute! Today was probably the last day he can fit into his newborn clothes--even though he's almost 11 weeks old. I love this little boy.Jakey. Jakey-bug! This guy has bright blue eyes that are open more often than not. He has lighter skin and soft blonde hair. He is very interactive and some days I think he is just going to get up and start walking. It's no wonder that when my water broke, it was his because it seems that he's always ready to get up and go. He smiles all the time now and I think I even got a laugh or two out of him. When this guy wants food-just give it to him. He knows when he's hungry. He is so beautiful to look at. He's going to teach little James all the ropes one day. This little boy, I love.Love this one of the little guys. Just hangin' out--what we do best.
James on the rocker. He owns this pic--love it!
The lighting was perfect one afternoon for this shot of them on the hammock. James didn't think it was so great and wouldn't stop crying- but oh well it's still cute.
Self explanatory. James hearts his dad.
Love my little boys!!
Jakey

Jake and James

2010-06-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

My Jamsey

My Jakey

baby love......squared!!

2010-05-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Jacob Bryan and James Richard Wintch

Born Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Jacob at 7:20 am 6 lbs 4 oz

James at 7:22 am 5 lbs 9 oz

It was the perfect day

Above is Jake and below is James Little Jake
Saturday, May 15th-Finally on our way home:)
Gammie Jolley is in heaven with her little angelsBrothers in their crib 3 days old
We are all in love with these little angel boys!!

'Twas the night before our babies birth

Lest I ever forget!

about to pop!

Keeping it Real

2010-05-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. Everyone has been texting me for weeks now to post a picture of my feet; you know because they are so cute and all.

Uh, right.

You would think I had just been on a long walk at the end of the day looking at these elephant sized limbs. However, you're sorely wrong, my friend. I sleep with these puppies up on pillows and wake up to them still being unbelievable swollen. Just like this.

Ugghhhh.

I realized that most of my previous posts are all peachy and infused with pregnancy induced happiness-which is true; but not all the time.

Today I decided to just keep it real and complain--tell it like it is.

My feet are so swollen I can hardly fit my flip flops on anymore. Actually, I'm swollen EVERYWHERE! I've got pitting edema (the kind where you touch it and you can still see you finger mark...yea that!) all the way up to my stomach.

I have gained the 'maximum weight' for carrying twins. Enough said.

I have cholestitis--meaning I itch all over the place! Like itching so badly I thought we had bed bugs. It is the worst at night. They say it's "pregnancy induced" and the only thing I can really do is load up on benadryl at night and calamine-type lotion during the day.

I have a fungal rash on my face around my nose and mouth. Also pregnancy induced.

I have acne. Like, bad. Worse than I ever had it in high school. What the...?

I can't lie down for two hours after I eat anything, otherwise I feel like I'm going to throw up. Indigestion. Bad.

I'm so big now that I only have one or two shirts that actually still fit.

I cry. A lot. And I really don't even know why. Like when I was walking into sacrament meeting on Sunday and cried all the way to our bench. It wasn't the spirit, I can tell you that. The tears just come sometimes and I can't stop them.

Sleeping well has become a thing of the past. Sigh.

That's it. I'm done. I feel better now. I just wanted the world wide web to know how uncomfortable I am because somehow it helps.

The silver lining to this grey-clouded post is that I only have to stand this for 7 more days.
Scheduled C-Section for next Wednesday, May 12th.

This mama couldn't be happier about that!!

My Sweetheart's 29th

2010-05-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

On April 30th, Matt turned 29! The day of he had to work, so we ended up celebrating on May 1st instead. We had been trying to go out to a German restaurant in Ann Arbor for some time with some other couples in the ward whose husbands also served their missions in Germany, but it never worked out. Luckily, it was perfect timing and we were able to go on Matt's Birthday weekend. I was nervous about the food.......the last braut I had in Vienna was not nice to me.....but was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was here at Metzgers. We had a great time together and talked up all of our European memories.

Nate and Amy Priddis, Dan and Andrea Richards, and Matt and I. We had a great time together!

LOVE YOU MATT!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Showered

2010-05-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to have such good friends and co-workers here in Michigan! Here's a few pics of the baby showers. Melanie, Jessica, Sarah, and Lea who all helped put on the shower.

The cake- YUM! All the guests wrote down some advice for us and put it in this little booklet.

I thought these were the cutest party favors. Inside were 3 different kinds of mini mousses. They were adorable! I had never seen anything like that before. They are the perfect size for a little treat.

This was a shower put on by my friends in our ward. My sister in law, Laura just s0 happened to be in town that weekend and was able to come. She became the photographer, too. Thanks for being a good sport Laura!

These diaper cakes were so darling!

Thanks so much to everyone! It was really special for us!

Doctor's Orders

2010-04-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

So.... I've been on 'modified bedrest' now for the past 4 weeks. Long story short--they thought the babies were coming, admitted us to high risk labor and delivery (at not even 28 weeks!), told us I'd possibly be in the hospital on bedrest until I delivered, gave us some steroids, then sent us home the next day and said I can't work and to take it real easy. To say the least, we were terrified. Matt and some friends gave me a blessing and my family fasted for us the next day.

All in all, we just feel so grateful that they have stayed put and are not here yet--as much as we want to meet them, at 2-3 pounds it would have been a long road in the NICU.

So here I am, in all my biggness and 31 week prego glory.(I'm backtracking here to review the past several weeks.) The crib set-up. I was so excited the day these cribs arrived on our front door. I found a sweet deal online for them- by them, yes, I mean TWO cribs. The reccomendation is to keep the boys in the same crib for about the first 3 months or so, then put them in separate cribs. In February we got to meet baby Evelyn, such a cute baby! She's the newest addition to the Wintch family, soon to be followed by our boys and Emily's little girl. Emily and her boys stopped by this week and we had lots of fun feeding the ducks and going to the park. Some of my girlfriends from work: Emily, JoJo, and Julia. We have some of the best friends we could ever ask for. They have been so supportive and helpful. Stopping by for visits and bringing us dinner--we feel so lucky to know such good people.We had some friends over on Easter Sunday for dinner and enjoyed Conference and playing with Brady. He is such a doll!

That's the last several weeks in review......today I'm 31 weeks and 4 days.......but who's counting.

Tried and True

2010-02-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE Cafe Rio! And I mean LOVE it! Matt had a stop in Salt Lake City last week and came home with this beauty in hand- my Valentine's Day present.

A pork burrito:) After digging in we decided that it tastes much better at the restaurant (go figure) but it was the thought that counts. Love you honey-- thanks for thinking of me and the hungry boys!!

Fortunately, friends of mine supplied me with thier own versions of the coveted Cafe Rio Pork Salad recipie. After intertwining many of the recipies, I think I've found a winner. We've made it a couple of times now and also for my family at Christmas. I got the affirmative "Yeah, good." from my brothers, mind you, after they went back for thirds, so I'm sticking with it.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

Pork:

3-4 lbs pork roast

Cook roast in a crock pot filled half way up with water. Add orgeagno, salt, cumin, and cloves. Add a cut up onion. Cook for about 4 hours, then drain and shred the pork.

Add

1 can (14 oz) red enchilada sauce
1 can coke or Dr. Pepper-anything really just not diet

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

Cook in crock pot for another hour.

Black Beans:

1-2 cans black beans

minced onion

garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 c. tomato juice *dont' skip this one!

1 can green chilies

salt

cilantro

Fry onion in some olive oil with garlic and cumin. Add beans, tomato juice, green chilies, and salt. Heat through until beans soften. Add in cilantro at the end.

Cilantro-Lime Rice:

2 c. uncooked rice

1 tsp butter

garlic

3 tsp lime juice

4 chicken bouillion cubes

4 cups water

Combine ingredients and cook rice like you normally would, until it's tender. Remove from heat and add more lime juice, sugar, and cilantro to taste. Fluff it in until it's the consistency you like.

Creamy House Ranch Dressing:

1 dry Hidden Vally Ranch Dressing package

1 c. sour cream/mayo

1 c. buttermilk *dont' skip this part, either!

4 tomatillos

cilantro

garlic

lime juice

jalepeno/ cayenne pepper- if you like it hot!

Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve cold over the top.

The best tortillas I've heard are from Trader Joe's. Sprinkle cheese on top and broil for a few minutes, then serve all ingredients over top. You can get the crunchies that go on top too to make it real legit. Enjoy-it's hard not to!

And just for fun--here's me at 24 1/2 weeks prego. I am continually amazed with the human body. Between helping cure cancer at work and watching my belly grow and grow- I am in awe at what our bodies are capable of! I really don't know how my belly can get any bigger, but I know it has to! These boys are about 2 pounds each now! I can hardly stand it- I can't wait to meet them!
Disclaimer: Supposedly, with twins you show like you're 8 weeks further along:)

boy oh boy

2010-01-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's an announcement.....we found out that our two little babies are in fact two little BOYS!! I know, we couldn't believe it either. We needed this additional ultrasound picture to confirm. This is Baby Boy A kicking Baby Boy B in the head. Yup, two boys. I'm not even going to go into details about how I was positive that they were girls, how that morning I told Matt that the only combination I didn't want was two boys, how I had already bought matching baby girl clothes, and how I cried my eyes out when we found out. No, I'm not going to admit to any of that. That would make me look really lame.

The truth is, now, I couldn't be happier that I'm pregnant with two adorable, perfect, healthy little boys. What more could a girl ever want? 5 Months Prego-more than half way there! Time is sure flying by! We are so excited and already decided on an airplane nursery theme-fitting since their dad is a pilot. This has definately been an amazing experience for both of us and we feel so blessed to have two healthy baby boys coming our way. We can't wait unil May!

A Jolley Holiday

2010-01-07T13:33:00.001-08:00

We headed to sunny CA for Christmas to be with the Jolley side of the family and had tons of fun together. It's always sad to leave, but here's a re-cap, mostly for us to remember the good ol' times. Most of the pics are of us just messin' around, what us Jolley's do best!
Us sisters malled Dallas. Nevermind the face he's making.....he secretly loved it and wants to make this his profile picture on FaceBook. He's 6'9" and didn't stand a chance against us!
We bowled. My dad said he hadn't bowled in 30 years, then got a near strike on the first swing. I think he plays on his lunch breaks. Erin smoked everyone, but I'm happy to say I took 2nd place. (First the worst, second the best, Erin!)

We ate homeade Cafe Rio Salads!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got the recipie from girl friends of mine awhile ago and wanted to share with the fam. Here's my cute mom chowing down. I have to say, it was delicious! Tasts just like the real thing!

We celebrated Brooke's 30th Birthday, which is in just a few days! Don't judge the 2 candy cane oversized candles on the store-bought Marie Calendar's pie--it's the thought that counts.

David is so cute. Senior stud-muffin.

We enjoyed our gifts from Santa, who, P.S. was VERY generous this year. (I've been good, but still.) One of those gifts was our new camera. We got the Nikon D3000 and let me tell you, it's a beauty. We're still trying to figure out all its bells and whistles and took lots of random pics to play with the settings. LOVE. IT.

A beautiful Sunday afternoon at the park. My dad is a semi-pro and was our mentor with our blossoming camera skills.Erin and I. Because high 5's are not as cool just standing on the ground. I told her it's sad that I can jump higher than her and I'm 4 months prego with twins. She's very competitive and did much better the next jump.

My mom was INSISTANT that she buy me a pair of maternity pants. So naturally we made it a family affair. She kept saying, "Oh I'll never forget this. This is such a good memory. I remember when my mom bought my maternity clothes." It was pretty funny. I really didn't want to get them, since I can't fit into them yet, but the check out lady happened to have twins too and said, "Oh girl, let your mama buy them for you, you're going to need them." So we did and in a few more weeks I'm sure I'll be glad I have them.

Sisters are the very best!

Tis' the Season

2009-12-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Spirit

I really liked this YouTube Video about Christ and Christmas. Hope you enjoy it as well.
Merry Christmas!

**Prego Update**
Everything is going GREAT! We will post pics soon, but our camera decided to punk out on us so Santa is bringing us a new one in his sleigh, I just know it:) Pics to come--I've definately got a belly bump and we find out the sex of our little angels in just a few weeks!

Seeing Double!!

2009-11-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

(This ultrasound was at about 7 1/2 weeks. I'm now 12 weeks:) I love that they call our babies

Baby A and Baby B. So cute!

WE TRULY COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!!

TWINS!!

DOUBLE THE FUN!

COMING SOON......MAY 2010!!

Lately...

2009-10-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

I've neglected our blog but I have a good excuse!
Being a student again has definately gotten the best of my free time!
We are doing well though and just enjoying the Michigan fall weather. It's been about 50 degrees and rainy around here and the leaves are starting to change colors. It's really a beautiful time of year!
Some of my girl friends and I ran a 5K a few weeks ago. It was called 'The Red Carpet Run: Glitz, Glamour, and Glisten' and you were supposed to dress up. We found a cute way to make these no-sew tutu's and made an afternoon out of it. When I was running a little girl on the side of the road was cheering me on saying, "Run fairy, RUN!" It was so cute--and I tried my hardest to go a little bit faster for her. From Left to Right: Jonelle, Lindsey, Natalie, Rochelle, Andrea, Marti.
Matt is changing airplanes.......he goes to training on the jet in a few weeks! He is excited for that because that means he gets to stay in nicer hotels and get the free breakfasts that go along with it. This airplane is about twice the size of the one he has been flying and holds about 70 people. He is so handsome in his pilot's uniform, I just love it!

That's about all for now! Even though I don't post very often, I check all of yours, so thanks for updating us on your lives. We love to see what's been going on!

Critter Cove

2009-08-11T09:30:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago Matt went fishing in Critter Cove, British Columbia with my dad, grandpa Oates, uncle Rodger and his boys Kevin, Nathan, and Brian and the White's. From all the pictures and stories, it seems like they had a ton of fun. I kept begging Matt to take pictures before he left, and, like a good husband, it looks like he busted out the camera at all the right times! I thought about going with them, but 'critter' cove was a little too ambiguous of a name for me.Rodger and his boys in the 'other' boat. There is a competition every year of who can catch the biggest fish and who can catch the most fish. There is even a trophy! This year my dad took home the gold.In between the adrenalin of the salmon biting and trash-talking the other boat, they took in the beautiful scenery of the great outdoors.Then, right when you least expect it, the reel starts bending, hands start sweating and heart is a thumping, and lo and behold......you've caught yourself a 30 pound fish!It's a team effort.Surprisingly, for a week of fishing, the limit you can catch is only 4 fish per person!! I couldn't believe it! If I went shopping for a week, I'd surly come back with more than 4 articles of clothing! Somehow, they assure me, it's not the same.As fun as fishing sounded, I opted for land and went to Seattle and enjoyed seeing my pumpkin of a nephew, Gavin. I cannot get enough of him! Is he not the cutest little boy you've ever seen??We had fun at the park and McDonald's play pen. Dev and April are such good parents. I miss these guys so much! Wish we lived closer! Love you to pieces!Gav going in for the kill.Matt had to leave Friday night to get back for work, so I took his place at the fishy slaughter house. The scraps are used for catching crab.
Those fish caught turned into a freezer full of salmon--we've got enough fish for a year! If you have any good salmon recipes--send them our way! And if you come over for dinner, you know what we're having!
Thanks to everyone for letting us stay with you! We had a great time in Seattle! Can't wait to see you all again soon!

Summer Readin'

2009-07-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

I've been semi-in-charge of book club in my ward the past few months and let me tell you--it's been so much fun! I've always wanted to be in a Book Club and this ward is perfect for it since the women are amazing and I adore my ward. I feel like I read the books more deeply so that I can add somthing to the discussions.

Here's the skinny on the reads we've discussed so far:

January- "The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands" by Dr. Laura

(this book made for a VERY interesting conversation, highly reccomend it for a book club discussion)

February- "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
March- "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

April- "Rebecca" by Daphne DuMauir

May- "My Antonia" by Willa Cather

June- "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

And this month's book:

July- "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer

I haven't read July's book yet, but I'm sure it's not going to dissappoint.

We need fresh ideas! What books do you read in your book clubs?

Marrow.org

2009-06-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hey friends and family,

As you know I work on the Adult Bone Marrow Transplant unit...a sad floor but happy in many ways, especially when our patients find a great match that they can receive a vital transplant from. This post is to inform you that YOU may make a huge difference in someone's life. There is a promotion going on now through June 22nd and you can get HLA tested FOR FREE and possibly be a match for someone who needs a transplant!! How awesome would that be!!!!

I know you're wondering......how does it all work? Well, go to marrow.org and find out. All the info is there. Basically, to get started you fill out a questionnaire and if you qualify, they will send you the kit in the mail, which you need to follow the instructions (naturally:) and swab your cheek. They do the rest and determine if you're a match for some very deserving patient.

Now, if you are a match (which statistically is about 1/200 people) then the process is much like donating blood or plasma; they pharese the cells they need from you and then YOU, my friends, have helped to save a life.

What a miracle modern medicine is! I'm so grateful for it! So please, help out if you can! Now's the time--after all it's free (normally about fifty dollars) so try it out!!

Thanks for reading! I know all of my patients appreciate it, too!

Marrow.org

Europe '09

2009-06-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a 2 week stint in Europe about 4 hours ago! Before the jet-lag sets in I thought I'd blog about it. WE HAD A BLAST!!!!! Here's a few things I don't want to forget about our

"trip to the fatherland".

#1. Matt's wonderful Aunt Kathy and Uncle Freddy live in Veitschochheim, Germany. They were awesome to take us around their area and show us some of the sights. I love this picture because it is a typical little German town street: Cobblestone sidewalk and a woman hanging outside of a second story window just watching what's been going on. In the neighboring window sill is a box of flowers, and ivy coming up the house walls. It was so welcoming and homey and so classic European--LOVED it:)

#2. The FOOD!! Oh my goodness, the food. This was a typical bakery dangerously close to one of our hotels. I loved the pretzel breads made into a sandwich with salami, cheese, cucumber, and LOTS of mustard. We had a fair share of Bratwurst and Schnitzel, which were dang good. We also went to town with the ice cream. Pretty much we had dessert after every meal....and pretty much we don't regret it at all!Enjoying various desserts at Demmels....mmm,mmm good. #3. The countryside and views of the city. I could never quite capture it on camera. I just kept looking at it and thinking 'How beautiful. I'm never going to forget this.' Below we are overlooking the city of Wurzburg, Germany right outside the walls of a fortress.
The Alps from a window in Neuschwanstein.#4. The CASTLES and castle grounds!!! We visited 6 in total but in Europe, they are a dime a dozen and there were plenty we didn't get to! I couldn't believe it! One of our favorites was the Residenz at Wurzburg. One of the rooms was all white and reminded me of the temple. This is overlooking Eisenoch, Germany from a tower off of the Wartburg where Martin Luther translated the Bible into German. Here we are on the medieval draw-bridge at the Wartburg. This place was built in the 11th-13th century! And it's still standing! Below was an awesome mosaic room--each ceramic tile was so small and detailed!Inside most of the places we were not allowed to take photographs, but I 'forgot' a few times and snapped a quick one. Below is a tapestry in the Wartburg that Matt was impressed with. This was another great castle in the heart of Vienna, Austria called the Schonbrunn. This castle had a lot of history with it....and a lotta BLING!! Here's another 'oops' picture:)For me, the outside gardens were as impressive as the insides were. Matt found this shot of the Gloriette at Schonbrunn.This is the Disneyland castle, or Neuschwanstein. The guy who built it was crazy and basically took ideas from all the old castles and tried to copy them on the inside. It was only built in the 18oo's. It's way up the in Alps and had a great view. When you look at Neuschwanstein, it always seems like it's off centered and leaning a bit.... #5. The Cathedrals of the Catholic and Lutheran churches. The cathedral below is in St. Stephens in Vienna. We took a tour of the catacombs and saw thousands of human bones from when they were burying people in masses from the black plague. It freaked me out.The Catholic cathedrals classically have more gold in them and are more flashy, like the one below. It was built around 1650.
#6. The AUTOBAHN! Or at least I thought it was exciting diriving 100 mph:)
#7. Hearing Matt speak German!!!! Matt served his mission in Germany and wow, the man can speak! I was so impressed. He hasn't spoke it for years but he picked it right back up! Good job sweetie! Thanks for being our translator!

#8. The company of these wonderful people:
This is Phil. He kept us all laughing. Phil knows the lyrics to just about every 90's and probably 80's song and loves to belt it out in the car. Even though he's white. We often heard Phil's imitation of a local vendor "Kebab, Kebab bitter shurn?" Phil, you rock. And so does the lady in red, Lisha! Even though she's prego and probably very uncomfortable, she NEVER complained. Lisha puts the 'awe' in awesome.Laura, oh Laura. It never seemed to bother her when we endlessly teased her about only packing SKIRTS (really, what were you thinking?) or her oh-so-suttle laugh. We love you Lars. I'm so glad you came!! (And I hope you don't hate me for not sharing my food with your strep-infected throat:) She is a walking, talking historian and when she's around......THE HILLS ARE ALIVE!!
Well, that's the end of our "love affair" with Europe, as Laura would say. I'll never forget Europe '09!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Neglected but not Forgotten

2009-04-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile again, I know. I just can't seem to find the time to sit down and blog when the weather is so nice; there are kites to be flown, gardens to be planted, walks to be taken hand in hand with my sweetie, and joy rides around beautiful Ann Arbor with the windows down and sunroof open!

Which brings me to my first update: Sunroof you ask? Did you get the cheap after market one in the Honda Accord fixed so that water doesn't leak all over on you right after you curled your hair and are running late to church? No, my friends, that one is still a piece. BUT, this beauty has one that works perfectly!

This is the newest addition to our family...introducing The Honda Pilot.

Name: miss thang

Date of Arrival: Saturday, April 4th, 2009

Time: About noon

Cost: Insignificant because of how much I love it

I don't know if I could love another car as much as I love this. Seirous. Maybe it's just the thought that this next winter I won't be getting brain freezes as I wait at the bus stop in -100 degrees. Oh no, not me. I will be enjoying my heated leather seats and U of M parking pass.

So there you have it, after two and a half years we're a two-car family. Wahoo!

For your viewing pleasure

2009-03-09T19:40:00.001-07:00

A co-worker shared this with me at work last night. I don't know who this poor kid is, but I think it's hysterical. Enjoy!

March Maddness

2009-03-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's March of 2009!

All of you interpeeps are fantastic about updating your blogs regularly. I LOVE reading about you and yours and visit your blogs often. Thanks so much for keeping us informed about what you're doing and how life's been treating you. I feel like even though we're far away from many of you, you're still a part of our lives because we can go to your blog and see pictures of your family any time.

We've been doing well, despite the lack of blog posts on our part. Tonight is Matt's first flight as the captain! He's flying to the upper peninsula of Michigan and I am so happy for him. Here's a picture of him and his buddy with a Northwest airplane. Soon the airplanes will all be changed to Delta colors. That's the actual plane he flies. It holds about 30 passengers. What a cutie!

This past month or so we've been able to travel quite a bit.

It all started with a long weekend over my 23rd birthday! We decided to go home to Bakersfield and visit my family. Here they are enjoying tort. Our family friends the Hayes came too. My favorite part was planting flowers in my mom's garden with my sisters. The weather was beautiful and it felt so nice to be outside again! I miss the SUNSHINE!!!

The next day my sister McKaye had a club volleyball tournament in LA. She is the youngest one on her team AND the starting setter! It was so fun to watch her play. She's a little stud! A trip to California wouldn't be complete without visiting my sista Brooke and her hubby Josh in Sacramento....so away I flew up to her house! It was super-bowl Sunday and in our family it's practically a national holiday so we just hung out at Brooke's house and played with her puppy, Brody. As you can tell, Brooke adores him. Brooke and Josh love Sushi and got me hooked on it, too! Man of the hour, Josh. It was so fun to visit and see their cute house and just chill together. I miss my family so much!

Now decrease the temperature by about 60 degrees and go east 3/4 way across the country and you'll end up in Kirtland, Ohio! Some of Matt's relatives, the Christensen's, are serving a mission there and they were so kind to take us on a personalized tour. Both of our testimonies were strengthened by their examples and faith. They have loved their mission and have touched many lives for good and are such wonderful missionaries. It was great to see them and inspired me to be a better missionary and example to those around me. We also got to see Matt's Mom while she visited in Cleveland on our drive down to Kirtland.

Here we are inside the N.K. Whitney store. They are kind of blurry, but I posted them anyway because of the significance of the place. The table we're sitting behind is the only original item in the store. It was where Joseph Smith held several meetings with the quorum of the twelve apostles. We also visited the room of the School of the Prophets. I loved feeling the Spirit and being on such sacred ground that holds so much importance in our lives. It was an experience we'll never forget.

As you can tell, it was a cold and windy day! But that didn't stop us from touring and taking pictures in front of the Kirtland Temple. It's a beautiful building, right at the top of a hill.

And most recently, we had good old fashioned fun at a water park in Ohio called Kalahari with some great friends in our ward. It was an African-Themed resort with an indoor water park and indoor/outdoor jacuzzis. In other words, it was perfect.

All of these kiddos thought so, too. They kept us entertained and laughing a lot!

Thanks so much to the Curtis's for such a great vacation. We have met such wonderful friends here in Michigan. We love you guys!

That's all of our adventures as of late! Thanks for reading!

Detroit City

2009-01-27T11:22:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest.
I don't love Detroit.
I think COPS has given it a bad rep. COPS and the BIG 3 automakers.
However, there are entertaining things to do there. Things to do that are indoors. Indoors where it's NOT -8 degrees.
This past weekend we borrowed some bullet-proof vests and ventured into Detroit City.
THE AUTO SHOW was our destination.

(For those of you who are completely car-illiterate like me and can't tell what car it is just by looking at it--for you, I will narrate:) This is a Mercedes-Benz. A really expensive one. Like half a million dollars or something. Apparantly, it's so cool that it doesn't even need a windshield.

But, the Mercedes isn't as cool as this Ferrari. You know why? Because the Ferarri's had models standing next to them, just looking pretty and not saying anything. Occasionally they would smile. Now that is cool.

But this trumps all. A car that you can actually touch. Which for me was the COOLEST part of the whole show. But I'm just weird like that.

Anywhoo, those -8 winter days are perfect for ICE SCULPTURES! We went to a nearby town called Plymouth to see this exhibit. Guess who we saw there???

Hello, Mr. President! He was accompanied by Big Bird and Oscar, his bodyguards.

The batteries died on our camera after this so we didn't get many more pics.

It was a fun weekend to be together.

For Brooke

2009-01-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

To my Older, Wiser, More Beautiful, Funny, Talented, Friendly, Generous, Witty, Giving, Trustworthy, Cute, Sassy, Stylish, Tall, Skinny, Loving, Greatest Friend Ever Sister: HAPPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE!!!

Love ya! Thanks for being the awesome older sister that you are. I wish we lived closer:(

BUT--See ya in Cali in a few weeks!

(Her husband loves her too......look what he got her for turning 29! A little bulldoggie:)

Two years and counting!

2009-01-03T20:52:00.000-08:00

December 29, 2006

Looking back, two years ago seems like just yesterday. It was a beautiful Friday in St. George. The sun was shining and my heart was pounding and I knew I'd just made the best decision of my life. It was the beginning of a new chapter in both of our lives and it couldn't have started out more perfectly. Surrounded by family and friends, we were sealed for time and all eternity. Isn't that something? Wow, it still makes me tear up just thinking about it.
I love this picture because of all the happy faces, especially the ones that aren't with us anymore. I love this picture of Matt and his mom. It's so precious!

I love you Matt! Here's to forever!!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2008-12-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

September 2008

This is our "backyard", shared by all the residents of the apartment complex where we live. It's got a cute pond and little bridge and usually it's home to the local birds, although in this picture you can't tell. It really is so beautiful, and almost doesn't look like a real picture. Along the far side of the pond there is a running trail.

December 2008

And here it is today! SNOWY! We just had a big storm blow through and got several inches of snow! We have yet to make snow angels, snow-men, or ice skate on the pond, but we will!!

May all of your Christmas's be as white as ours!

Grateful for Grandparents

2008-12-08T17:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a very special day. Yesterday, December 7th, would have been my Grandpa Jolley's 80th Birthday. I miss you Grandpa.

That cute grandpa holding my cute little nephew Gavin was the best grandpa in the world. He told the best jokes, had the best one-liners, and let me mow his grass on his cool riding lawn mower. I love him and will miss him dearly.

Today I am grateful for grandparents. Between Matt and I we only have Grandpa Oates left! Boy is he going to get spoiled! Because he, like Grandpa Jolley is also the best grandpa in the world. No one calls me 'darlin' like Grandpa Oates. And Grandpa, when you tap me on my left shoulder, I'm going to look to the right and catch you every time:)

A little while ago I had a humbling scare.

One night I found a mole on my back that caused me to worry. Being an oncology nurse, I don't take these things lightly. When I went in to get it checked out (the very next day), it was on a day that I had randomly got called off from work and the doctor's office had one apointment left for that day. I revealed the mole and the doctor told me to show her any others on my body I might have. I had another one behind my knee and as I went to show her she stopped me and said that a freckle above my knee was very concerning. I had absolutely no idea. It's been there my whole life and no one ever seemed worrried about it before.

They proceeded to tell me that it's probably pre-cancerous and that I needed to get it removed soon--and they needed to biopsy it.

I know every day worse things happen to people and on a scale of one to ten this is pretty low; but still it caught me off guard and was such an eye-opener for me, especially because I deal with this sort of thing with patients every day!

I know my Grandmas were watching over me that day and the following days up to the biopsy. They really are my guardian angels. I felt their presence and it made me miss them even more, and grateful that they love me enough to keep watching over me. The sequence of events leading up to it was not just chance, I know they were looking out for me.

The Family at Grandpa's Funeral.My Dad and his silly siblings pretending to pick their noses!

************************************************************************************

On a lighter note and completely unrelated.......we have good news to share!

Are you ready???

Well.....

Matt is now the CAPTAIN!! How cool is that?

He just found out today that he is going to upgrade in about a week! I am so excited for you sweetie and know you are going to do a great job! Yea for Matt!

Fall Festivities

2008-11-09T14:38:00.001-08:00

Matt and I haven't made any crazy, random trips lately...........all the action's been local! Here's some pics of what's been going on in and around AA!

Fall wouldn't be fall without a little FOOTBALL! The U of M stadium, aka, THE BIG HOUSE, is within a mile of our house and holds 110,000 people or something crazy like that. So- you can imagine trying to go downtown around game time. Yeah. Impossible.

We did finally make it to a game: U of M vs Michigan State, which turns out they are huge rivals so it was extra rowdy and fun. Our tickets were pretty good, all the thanks to the scalpers! Like my fake tat?

Here's a picture of that 'downtown' that we never get to on game days. Mostly it's restaurants with outside sidewalk dining. There's always tons of people out and it's fun to just window shop. And yes, that is a Starbucks on the corner. After all, this is America.

Another fall favorite, unique to Michigan are the Apple Cider Mills. They have fresh, cold apple cider and homeade cinnamon-sugar donuts. Here's Matt out back enjoying both! P.S. The autumn around here is sooooo beautiful. The yellow leaves on that tree are just one of the many beautiful fall colors we've been enjoying.
And, a little more of the Henry Ford Museum. They had an exhibit featuring costumes and props from the movies. Such as----the actual BATMAN costume--worn by George Clooney.

And of course his super-cool ride, the one and only Bat-Mobile!!

Matt and Darth Vader (This one's for Phil:)
AND......THE GHOSTBUSTERS car! That's right, "Who you gonna call.....? Ghostbusters!"
Matt and the Indiana Jones jacket, holy grail, and whip. The jacket's actually kinda small. We concluded that Harrison Ford must not be that big of a guy, contrary to popular belief.

We've had a fun autumn and are looking foward to Thanksgiving with family! See you soon!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

My dad sent this to me and I thought I'd share..........Happy Halloween!

St. George Marathon!

2008-10-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well we did it!!!! All 26.2 miles of the marathon.....sweat, pain, RAIN and all! It was awesome and we had such a fun time. It wasn't half as bad as I thought it was going to be, easy for me to say now.......now that I can walk again. For the first 20 miles it poured rain. Relentlessly. It was a blessing in disguise though because when I'd want to stop or slow down I wouldn't because I knew I'd freeze to death if I did. So we ran, and ran, and RAN all the way to the finish line!
Us holding up our medals......and a big ice cream bar:)

Thanks for coming to cheer us on Cheryl! And for the cheetah blanket, which would have been really cold without it!

This pic was actually on the front page of the Spectrum (St. George's Paper) on Sunday. Haha. Can you spot us?
Finish Line! Matt was so nice to stay with me the whole way; he would have finished before me but he stayed by my side! What a sweet husband!

And of course a trip to St. George wouldn't be complete without Les Meserables at Tuacahn. This is us with friends Braden and Cassidy. Cassidy is 5 months prego and still ran 6 miles in the marathon!

A view of the stage. I absolutely love the red rock background! Matt, Jake, and Braden-the best of friends. We all got together to watch conference and hang out. We had such a great trip and miss St. George! It was so fun to see everyone....even those who we didn't get pictures with. We miss and love you all and hopefully we'll see ya again soon!

Blimpie Burger Balderdash!

2008-09-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

BLIMPIE BURGER...............an AA origional! It was shown on the Food Network's show Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives. Well, we were so privlidged to be customers at this infamous joint. I have to share because it's pretty funny and I want to blog about it so that I don't ever forget the experience.
Matt and I walk into this house-turned-into-restaurant and it smells soooo good. We're excited. We wait. and wait. and wait. For 45 minutes we wait. I decide to have a seat in line......bad idea. The cashier tells me "Stand Up! If this was a bank, would you sit down in line? No, I didn't think so. We have to stand and so do you!".......(delayed reaction by me)........Alrighty then! (Mind you, I'm the nicest dressed person in this joint and again, the name of the restaurant is BLIMPIE BURGER!!! And, as a matter of fact, I would sit down in line at the bank if I had been waiting there for 45 minutes!)
Some other privlidged customers walk into the restaurant and leave the door open. Another worker yells, "Shut the door. The door cannot be left opened. If you don't fit in here, wait outside." Wow. This place has some intense rules.
We get up in line to order and.......
THERE ARE RULES TO ORDERING!!!!!
1) First, the deep fryer order: french fries, fried veggies, etc.
2) Then, what size Blimpy: double, triple, quad, quint
3) Next, decide what kind of roll: plain, onion, kaiser, etc.
4) Any grilled items: onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc.
5) Just before the burger comes off the grill, you will be asked to pick what kind of cheese you prefer, if any. (This is the step where the lady at the grill made my burger and said "That looks nasty!")
6) After the burger comes off the grill, you will be asked what type of condiments you would like - please start with "wet" items like mayo, ketchup or mustard... and only say what you want and NOT what you don't want!

Oh and P.S. --If you get it wrong, you'll be yelled at and embarassed in front of everyone else and possibly have to go to the back of the line! (yes, that same 45 min. line)

So, there are some highlights of THE BLIMPIE BURGER experience. The kicker was at the end when the cashier called Matt a "naughty word" because he didn't handle paying correctly. (Cash only and do not remove your tray from the counter until it's paid for.)

All in all, the burger was excellent and I'd go back. Matt on the other hand was a little offended and might not go back for awhile. It was funny to be customers at a restaurant that prides itself on NO customer service, but still has tons of customers.

Laura's Home!

2008-08-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Matt's cute sister Laura got back from her mission to Japan this past weekend! We went to Utah to see her and go to his cousin's weedding. I feel bad that I didn't get more pictures of the wedding, which was georgeous, but I did capture Paul's car not starting up-even after the jumper cables. So, they ended up taking our rental car over to their reception! Christi was a good sport! Yeah for family and the new phases in everyone's life! We're glad you're home, Laura!!!! I wish my hair could get as curly n cute as yours!!

Niagara Falls

2008-08-16T05:27:00.001-07:00

Matt and I just got back from beautiful Niagara Falls. My pictures don't really do it justice, but we tried. It was so breathtaking and amazing. So, here's an overdose of pictures from our trip:) Below is the Horseshoe Falls which you can see up close from the Canada side. I had never been to Canada before, so that was cool too. I loved the color of the water.....that turquoise color was spectacular!

Below is us in between the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls.

The American Falls....so rocky at the bottom, which only adds to the beauty.Below is the American Falls up close from the American side and the Horseshoe Falls in the background.

Matt and the Horseshoe Falls. Below is us on the 'Journey Below the Falls' which takes you right under the falls!!! It was sooooo wet and cold! Yeah for ponchos!

It was a great vacation, thanks honey!

Henry Ford Museum

2008-08-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Matt and I went to the Henry Ford Museum. We both had the day off! It was funny because we were the ONLY Honda in the entire parking lot. I guess what else do you expect? The museum was amazing! We bought a pass to be able to go for the whole year. This summer they had a Chocolate Exhibit and it was awesome. I LOVE chocolate!

This is Matt by the chair that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in! So sad, but humbling to see at the same time. You'll have to excuse Matt's expressions. He doesn't really like to be in pics:)

Me by the original Oscar Mayer Winnie-mobile! I hate hot dogs but can't help but sing "Oh I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener...." brings back memories!

This is one of my favorite pictures. This is the actual bus that Rosa Parks got on and took a stand against the prejudices of her time. This act, along with others, started the Civil Rights Movement! She sat in that exact same seat we are pictured in!! What an incredible woman! And below, here we are outside of the bus. It has been restored, but looked just like that back in the day. Lime Green and Yellow...nice.

Here's Matt by Northwest's DC-3. It was one of the original airplanes that Northwest flew and it held about 25 passengers. We heart airplanes! Below, here he is again just under the prop and cockpit. Needless to say, he LOVED this part of the museum!

This is us by the Kennedy Presidential Car, unfortunately, the very one he was killed in. They have on display almost every Presidential Car from years past. The price tag was about half a million dollars-back when they bought it!
This is a steam engine that we rode on just outside of the museum. It took us all around Greenfield Village, which is another part of the Henry Ford experience. Matt said his dad really likes trains, so this picture is especially for him:)

I'm back!

2008-07-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in forever............the main reason being I didn't have Internet access unitl I'd go to the local bagel place and use their WiFi. But now.....tadaa!! A new computer complete with Internet and a printer. I feel so spoiled. Needless to say, it's been pretty convenient.

Funny story from one recent trip.......I went with Matt on a flight one night while he was working; I the passenger and him the pilot. It was just an overnight trip and I didn't have to work the next day so it worked out great. Our destination was Alpena, Michigan and we got in late at night. The flight attendant comes on and says, "I'd like to thank you for flying with us tonight and welcome to Pellston." Concerned, confused passengers all start whispering to each other. "Seriously are we in Pellston?" The man next to me leans over and says, "She had more than coffee on her lunch break!" It was pretty funny and she didn't even realize what she'd said. In the morning on the flight back she welcomed us back to Detroit and said "I hope you all have a good evening." It was 7 am! Poor flight attendant......maybe she did have more than coffee after all:)

Matt and I in Dallas, Texas for my little sister's junior Olympics for volleyball! They did awesome and got 10th place in the country. Go Erin!Us in the cockpit. Sooooo many buttons!! In Charleston, West Virginia. I came home from work the other day and Matt had made me a traditional German dinner. Bratwurst on the grill, boiled potatoes and onions, cucumber and tomato salad in vinegar and dill, and a brown gravy. I was so impressed, he just threw it all together, no recipe! Thanks honey, it was so delicious and a very nice surprise! And yes, the Germans do drench their dinner in gravy the way Matt did on his plate.

Work, Church, and a Tag

2008-07-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I started my new job at the University of Michigan hospital. After over a month off since my last job in St. George ended, this was a big change. I had been 'livin in up' and traveled all over trying to get as much in as possible until my next job started. Is it possible to love your job, but hate to actually work? Well, that's me. Oh well. Once I get back into the swing of it, I'm sure I'll enjoy it much more.
I've been reading the July Ensign article on using the Internet as a tool to share and expand the gospel, so I thought I'd implement it on my blog. After meeting some girls at work, and them finding out I moved here from Utah, naturally you get asked the 'So, are you Mormon?' question, among others.
The other day one girl asked me why Mormons get married so early and why they have so many kids. Yikes! How would you respond?

Answer #1: We really believe in families and the importance of them. Getting married and having children is just part of that.

Answer #2: Make it into a joke......Really, is 19 that young? And, who doesn't want 10 kids??

Answer #3: That often is the case but not everyone gets married really young and has tons of kids right off the bat. My brother is 31 and he's not married. ( try to smooth over the misconception that you HAVE to get married young if you're LDS )

So, help me out, would ya? What would you honestly say?

Now, to play along with a tag from my sister in law, Emily. Mine isn't nearly as witty as hers but here goes.

3 Joys:
- answering questions about the church from co-workers
- being a good example and missionary
- my own little missionary that went to Germany

3 Fears:
- having to work every day for the rest of my life
- not doing my very best
- airplane crashes

3 Obsessions:
- washing my hands
- over-analyzing seemingly simple questions
- vacuuming

3 Random Facts:
- I originally wanted to be a dental hygienist but my dad talked me into becoming a nurse instead
- I wanted to go on a mission and took mission prep 3 times, then got married
- I don't like olives

Consider yourself Tagged if you read this and care to participate!

Ann Arbor

2008-06-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

We've been in Ann Arbor for a few weeks now and absolutely L.O.V.E. it!! Here is a little bit of what we've been up to.

Bathroom Makeovers:

Since we have two bathrooms we designated a HIS and HERS bathroom. This works out great so I could paint mine pink without feeling guilty that he would have to be in there feeling all 'girly'.

It's pepto-bismol pink.......i love it!! Sponge painting is so easy because you can't mess it up. I bought the paint at Lowe's from their mis-tinted section and the whole can was only a dollar! That's the way to go-especially for first-timers. The apartment management said it was fine to paint and I'm glad we did because it makes it feel more like a home.

We painted an accent wall green in Matt's bathroom. As you can see, he had a good time with the paint. Isn't he cute!! Note to future painters: Masking tape does not work like the blue painter's tape. They are not the same. Splurge and get the blue tape!

Our secret garden:
Since it has rained every day since we've been here (including right now, as I'm typing this), I only thought it appropirate to plant a garden. Everything grows here! As you can see, we're still in the 'wait and see what pops up' phase of gardening. More posts to come when we reap the rewards of the harvest! This is out on our little patio.

The BIG FIND:
The apartment we have here is about twice as big as the one we had in St. George so we obviously needed a little extra furniture to fill up the space. I have been wanting to get back into playing the piano, but didn't have one. Lo and behold, CRAIGSLIST pulled through for us and we found one for FREE!! The man even delivered it to us! It is a Kimball Piano and has the origional warranty and manufacturer's info included. The color is a beautiful walnut and all we had to do was polish it up a little. It definately needs a tune-up, but other than that it plays great.

HP

2008-06-19T09:20:00.001-07:00

For those who love Harry Potter as much as I do.......(even if you don't admit it out loud:)

48 hours

2008-06-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

Matt and I had a breif stent in NYC- 48 hours!! We stayed on Long Island with Matt's brother, Steve and his family, and took the train and then the subway into Manhattan. We tried to do it all, but anyone who has been to New York City knows that is impossible in just 2 days. I was BLOWN AWAY by the magnitude of the city. How on earth can that much steel, glass, and concrete fit on that island and it not sink????? It's AMAZING!!!! If any of you haven't been, make it a lifetime goal. It will be well worth it!!

TIMES SQUARE-busy, busy, busy filled with tons of people. you don't even have to do anything to be entertained. there are so many smells, sights, and sounds that it will keep you entertained just standing there taking it all in!

I totally looked like a tourist. As if my face in the map and dangling camera didn't give me away, I bought a I LOVE NY shirt and sported it one day! It was 95 degrees both days in the city, so a breezy white t-shirt was the way to go, tourist or not! The rest of the city was not used to the hot weather as evidenced by McDonalds and Ben and Jerry's being out of ICE CREAM!! They must have made a killing that day!

Anyway, I indeed do HEART NYC!! Enjoy the pics!

Trip to the Big Apple

2008-06-13T11:46:00.001-07:00

Apostle Song

2008-06-04T18:36:00.001-07:00

I was hoping they would make another song.....and here it is!

It's a small world

2008-05-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

My interpeeps, I'll let you in on a little secret.

I have famous relatives. And those famous relatives have famous friends. Those famous friends do filmed documentaries for worthy causes, WHICH in a round about way relates back to me.

Let me explain.

My unce Bart played professional football for the 49ers back in the day (when they were good). I didn't realize how famous Uncle Bart really was until in high school I was at my friend's house and his picture was on her wall in their game room (three super bowl rings just wasn't proof enough that he was famous). Then I googled his name, Bart Oates, and found pictures of him and his wife with individuals like Kathy Lee Gifford and Tommy Hilfiger.

Famous Uncle Bart!

Anyway, Steve Young narrated a touching true story about a teenager from St. George who was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident and how he overcame so many obstacles and defied the odds. It's called "Tyler, A real Hero." Since my famous Uncle Bart and famous Steve Young were good buddies (the only two LDS guys on the team), Bart sent us this movie one Christmas. I grew up on 'Tyler, A real Hero'. I can quote it! 'Tyler, A real Hero' holds the same place in my heart as 'Saturday's Warrior's' does for most Latter Day Saints! A treasure!

When Matt and I were engaged, he saw it on the shelf at my parent's house and said, 'Hey, Tyler is my next door neighbor!' Matt and Tyler--the HERO, went to school together, Young Men's, and their parents are next door neighbors! I was totally blown away!

To top it all off, he states, "You know the man who is going to marry us --is Tyler's dad."

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

So there you have it my friends, it's a small, small world after all!

Please post your 'small world' stories, too!

What I am going to miss about St. George

2008-05-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

1. Family and Friends! It's been so nice to live a few blocks from Matt's parents and in the same state as so many of our relatives. We hope we'll make as good of friends in Michigan as we did in Utah.

2. In-N-Out comes in and out we go...what's up with that? Also Cafe Rio of course!

3. The red dirt, the 'D', and Dixie hill.

4. Being within walking distance of the temple and admiring it wherever you are in town.

5. National Parks that are so close!

6. Going to Harmons and seeing someone you know every time.

7. 100+ degrees summers. Really. I love them!

8. Our 500 square foot apartment. NOT! (but kinda)

9. Nice paved roads. In most areas, Michigan has not caught up yet.

10. The familiarity and memories of a place we call home! And the place where we met:)

*********************************************************************************
We found this German restaurant in Ann Arbor called Heidelberg. Matt hadn't eaten German food in the US since his mission. It was a good find-very authentic (or so i'm told)

Week at a Glance

2008-05-09T03:20:00.000-07:00

What a busy past week we have had!

First of all.......HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MATT!!!! He turned 27 and is getting cuter with age:) We had a little birthday party/going away party/graduation party with friends Peter and Madelyn, Ereka and Todd, Matt, and Braden, Shelby, and Cassidy. We are going to miss these guys when we move!!

Next it was my GRADUATION! I can't believe it's finally here (and now gone) but still it felt like a long time coming. My parents flew to St. George with their friends the Hayes's, and the "pinning ceremony" was in Springdale just outside of Zion Canyon. It was a beautiful day with a beautiful view of the canyon.

My friend Normandy and I........I'm going to miss her!
It was such a warm day we decided to do a few hikes inside the canyon: weeping rock and the narrows. For dinner we ate at the Gun Barrel and tried the buffalo which is surprisingly delicious!

My parents and the Hayes's took off on Sunday and Matt and I.....

.....drove to Detroit in our little green Honda. (I've never been so grateful for airline benefits until this trip:)

30 hours! Of driving! We laughed at the fact that we were one of the only people in the whole state who drove a Honda. Detroit, motor city, is chuck full of GMC, Ford, Chrysler, and Buicks. Hondas and Toyotas are just not the popular vehicle.

Anyway, Detroit is our honda's new home for the next little while. We still have a few more weeks in St. George until we pack up our things and head out.......we are going to miss southern Utah.......but are excited for the midwest's adventures that await.

All in ONE day

2008-04-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

Several funny things happened in one day.....I MUST share the hilarity of it all.

First of all.....I dropped a glass vase on my toilet lid and the porcelain lid broke but the $1 worthless glass vase did not. So, I go to 3 different stores trying to find a new lid for the toilet because we're moving soon. Get this: To buy just the lid it costs $50.00. If I buy the whole toilet it's $30.00. Odd.

Second......my cell phone decided to stop working. It won't turn on no matter how long I charge it. I go to Verizon and discover that my one year warranty on my phone ended 2 weeks before. So, they tell me I can buy any new phone for sticker price or get the same phone I've got brand new for pretty cheap. But, the 'brand new' phone only has a 3 month warranty. What's up with that?

Third........our dreaded yellow 'check engine' light is on again. It's on so often I pretty much just ignore it now. It's like a normal part of the dashboard. I take the car to the mechanic--mind you this is all in the same day--and find out that the cadillic converter and oxygen sensors are faulty. The same cadillic converter and oxygen sensors that we replaced just three months ago. Very odd.

The kicker.........I run to Harmons late Saturday night to grab a few things for lunch on Sunday because we're having guests over. I get to the check out and the cashier asks for ID since it's a new policy if you use a credit card. All I have is the Visa. No ID. He grabs his manager and she tells me all about the new policy and why they check ID and how it's for my benefit. I totally agree with her, however, I still have no ID. So, she says she'll let it slide this time if the signatures from the reciept and the credit card match up. I was so nervous and flustered trying to sign my name that I signed L. Jolley on the reciept. The lady takes it and says, "Maam, the signatures don't match up." In all the embarassment, I signed my maiden name!!!!
I explain that I signed my maiden name and she looks at me skeptically. No kidding because I didn't even grab my wedding ring on the way out of my house.

Basically I'm mortified.
Somehow, she lets me go and trusts that I am, in fact, Lindsey Wintch. I get out to my car and find my wallet sitting there! I had just taken my credit card out for easy carrying and didn't even remember! Part of me wanted to go back in and flash my ID in front of all the cashiers and verify my identity. Instead, I drove home:)

For my momma

2008-04-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Last May, Matt got the opportunity of a lifetime to transfer some planes over to Africa and drop them off with another company that purchased them. He stayed in cool places along the way such as St. Johns, Canada; the Canary Islands; Banjul; and Legos, Nigeria. It really was a once in a lifetime opportunity and he had a great time.

When he came home he was sick for about a week and we thought it was the flu. Well, my mom was just convinced that he had Giardia. She kept telling us to take him into the ER because he would fall deathly ill.

Luckily, she was wrong:)

But now we laugh every time we think of it and how serious she was. So, mom, these pictures are for you.

We went to Zions a couple of weeks ago and the Weeping Rock had this sign posted below its waterfall.

If Africa didn't give him Giardia, Zions just might!

p.s. he didn't really drink from the waterfall

Result of Harmons strawberries being on sale......

2008-04-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

12 jars of strawberry freezer jam

and two strawberry pies:)

26.2 miles

2008-04-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. No backing out now. We've signed up.

I've got some new kicks.

And my iPod is fully loaded with Shania Twain, Guns and Roses, and The BEST of EFY to entertain me for hours on end.

I'm gonna do it, 2008 is my year. Matt is in for round two.

Here we come, St. George Marathon!

Tagged: A-Z

2008-04-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my cousin Shantelle. Here goes:

A-Attached or single: Totally attached, to my sweet hubby Matt.
B-Best friend: Matt and my sister Brooke
C-Cake or Pie: Homemade pie, all the way. Unless it's homeade cheesecake, then it's a toss up. (In that case, have one of each:)
D-Day of choice: Friday or Saturday nights. I love going on dates with Matt and out with our friends.
E. Essential item: Chap stick and lotion. (hello, I live in the desert:) And also my cell phone, I'm not gonna lie.
F. Favorite color: Dark Green.
G. Gummy bears or worms: Probably worms. I especially like the sour kind.
H. Hometown: Bakersfield, California. (Shout out!)
I. Indulgence(s): Currently smoothies from various vendors around town. (ie: Perks, The Orange Peel, Emerald City Smoothie) When I'm sick of these, the defalt is always chocolate.
J. January or July- July because I love summer time.
K. Kids: Not yet:)
L. Life is incomplete without- FAMILY and FRIENDS!
M. Marriage date- December 29, 2006.
N. Number of siblings- 7; 4 brothers and 3 sisters
O. Oranges or apples- Oranges, especially from the tree in my parent's backyard....they seirously taste like candy.
P. Phobias or fears: Someone breaking in my house, snakes, and spiders. Moving on.......
Q. Quotes- "I like the smell of bacon in the morning. Sue me." (The Office) ALSO "You don't have to think less of yourself, just less often."
R. Reason to smile- WHY NOT? I'm happy and healthy and so are all the people I love.
S. Season of choice- Summer for sure! I'm wary about these upcoming Detroit winters......
T. Tag: Anyone who wants to :)
U. Unknown fact about me- I try to use a coupon at almost every store I go to. It's a blessing and a curse from my mother. Also, I'm mildly allergic to chocolate. I sneeze every time after I take the first bite. Minor setback.
V. Very favorite store- The World Market and TaiPan.
W. Worst habit-Being Late. Also going over on my text messages every month.
X. X-ray or ultrasound- Never had either, but I'd say ultrasound.
Y. Your favorite food: Cafe Rio. (shredded lettuce, pork, black beans, and house dressing, fyi)
Z-Zodiac sign: Aquarious? Not really into all that.

Easter Funnies

2008-03-28T03:23:00.000-07:00

For those who know and love Phil like we do:)

Phil's impersonation of L. Tom Perry.

I'm back!

2008-03-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Ahhh......I loved my vacation! Here are some highlights:

Detroit was nice and chilly, just like the news said. We got a sweet hotel for cheap (airline discount:) and ate at a yummy restaurant called Leonardo's that served the best Italian you've ever had. We slept in and didn't get around to hunting for apartments, unless you count online window shopping. The indoor heated pool was also lovely. The best part (do I even have to mention?) was being with Matt!

Then off to San Diego.......I LOVE MY FAMILY!! All my brothers and sisters, parents, both grandpas, and fun aunts and cousins showed up for the 'big day'. Thursday night we went through the temple with my sister. Funny story.......only appropriate to tell in person.....

Friday we discovered Old Town San Diego, whose Spanish flavor and haciendas were awesome. That night was the BBQ with family and friends which turned out fabulous. We finished up with a little sand volleyball girls vs. boys, winner took bragging rights. The evening was so nice, not to mention we were RIGHT on the beach, hearing the waves crashing and breathing in the cool ocean breeze.

Gavin Dale my adorable nephew!

Saturday morning my mom, Erin, and I went with Brooke to get her hair done then scrambled to be ready on time. Everything worked out perfectly. The wedding was great and so special. I bawled and bawled. Brooke looked soooo pretty......her dress fit like a glove and she seemed so happy! Luckily, I snagged some pics outside before we all almost got blown away by the wind.

Outside of the San Diego Temple
I just thought this one was cute!

The rest of the weekend we enjoyed jogging on the shore, sun-bathing, eating, and relaxing. It was a great trip; I wish we could have stayed longer!

A Joke and Some Fun

2008-03-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am at work again. 4th night in a row, sitting. Even though I've got my LPN, there is always a need for sitters. A 'sitter' is precisely what it sounds like. You sit in the room with a patient for 12 hours. Why, you ask? If the patient comes in and is confused and getting out of bed or pulling at their IV lines or whatever; then they put someone in the room with them to babysit.
ALL NIGHT LONG!!!
Dear reader, I know you are thinking, that sounds boring, or horrible to be babysitting an adult who is acting like a child. Well, it can be. Trust me. But, it's a job, and often times I work the floor and do my LPN thing but the last four nights....well, let's just say I haven't got much exercise. So.....I work nights because I don't enjoy being at home alone when Matt is gone. However, I'm really not a 'night owl', it's kinda out of desperation. Last night 2 am rolls around....then 3 am. Lights are dim, TV's off, I'm bored, jealously observing the peaceful, deep respirations of my patient who is sound asleep. Not to mention, my bum is numb from sitting. So, I decide to prop up another chair and get comfy. I usually fall asleep for at least some period of time on nights, I'll be honest. Last night was no exception. I dozed off.....sue me.....anyway, right before I got to my deserted 75 degree island, one of the aides on the floor decided it would be funny to put on a hospital gown and wake me up and scare me. Well, he did. I screamed- LOUD. He looked just like the patient I was 'babysitting' that night. Anyway, adrenalin pumping, heart thumping......... I couldn't go back to sleep, to say the least. Joke's on me! Oh well, it was well worth my meager 10 minutes of much needed shut eye. (If you're wondering about the patient, he didn't wake up-luckily:)

Tomorrow I'm off to Detroit to meet my sweetie pie and look for some apartments in the area. Then- CLIMATE CHANGE- sunny San Diego for the wedding!! I'll catch you bloggers in a week or so...............Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Things I Love

2008-03-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

1. I love my handsome, perfect-for-me husband. He is the sweetest, most wonderful thing I've ever known. You know that store, Build a Bear, where you can go through and build your own teddy bear just the way you like it from the color of the fur to the clothes it's wearing? Well, if there was such thing as 'Build a Husband,' I'd choose one just like Matt. I wouldn't change a thing- he is completely perfect and wonderful in every way. I miss him bad when he's gone and quite literally count the days until he's home. Only 3 more days honey! I love you so much!

2. I love that even though I'm 22 and married, every time I get together with my mom we go shopping and she tries to buy me a new outfit. This last time, we succeeded:)

3. I love it when a nice teacher tells you there is going to be an in-class final then when you get there she hands you a paper that says "Have a good spring break, here's an extra 50 points, there is no final!"

4. I love it when the mechanics at the car shop fix your sunroof and all they want for payment is a box of donuts. Thanks guys!

5. I love that my sister Brooke is so excited to get married and that I am just about as excited as she is. Planning a wedding is the best! I can't wait to get to San Diego and have a girls night out the night before she gets married. It's going to be awesome to see how happy marriage makes her and how great of a life she's going to have with Josh.

6. I love whenever my grandma Oates would greet me she'd say "Hello Georgeous" in the most up-beat, sincere voice you've ever heard. Same greeting even when you look horrible.

7. I love all the sweet people who take the time to read my blog and care about what I'm up to. Thanks fellow bloggers!

My Tonsils are Gone!

2008-02-25T16:04:00.000-08:00

Here's the best and worst parts of my weekend:

Best:
My mom and grandpa were here!
I got a tonsilectomy and the surgery went great with no complications.
Lots of smoothies, jello, tapioca, and ice cream.
I haven't had to work!
Pretty get-well flowers and balloons.
One on one time with my mama:)
Finding 2 really cute dresses when shopping.
A pedicure and manicure, also with my mama.
Yummy dinner from the best cook ever, my mother in law!
I'm reatively pain free-considering.

Worst:
Matt wasn't here:(
I'm apparantly allergic to the pain meds they ordered-I've been itching like crazy!
The craters in the back of my throat are deep and disgusting.
My dad is also really sick with the flu, sorry dad!
The doctor said that the tonsils were worse than he thought and that he spent an extra 5 minutes digging around back there!
Reality check: Back to school tomorrow:(

The Gift

2008-02-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

It's very unlike Matt to actually tell me what he wants for Christmas, his birthday, etc, however this year is different. He turns 27 in April and I already know what he wants. A Shotgun. A Shotgun?? What can I say, he's a guy. How on earth does he think I'm going to go about getting him the type of gun that is cool or that he even likes? Plus, do I have to buy a permit or register it or something? Clueless, that's what I am. Good thing I have a few months until it's due:)

Pics!

2008-02-06T11:13:00.001-08:00

Brianhead Skiing

2008-02-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

This last weekend Ereka, Madelyn, and I went night skiing at Brianhead about an hour and a half north of St. George. It was tons of fun, but freezing cold when the sun set! Ereka kept skiing while Madelyn and I sat in the warm logdge drinking our hot coco and wishing we could feel our fingers and toes. We plan to go again soon!

A Few Random Thoughts

2008-01-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

1. As I waited in InstaCare for 4 hours the other night (they told me the wait would be 1.5 hours, HA!), I seriously thought my eardrum was going to rupture, again, and that my throat was on fire. All I needed was to see a doctor, any doctor, to get a simple strep test, confirm my misery of an ear infection, and order some antibiotics. As I was feeling sorry for myself, I looked around and nearly the whole waiting room was full of young mothers with restless, coughing little babies. Suddenly I didn't feel so sorry for myself anymore.

2. Creme Brulee is my new favorite dessert. My mother-in-law let me borrow a book about several different brulee recipies, and I must say, it is delicious! I guess I really haven't had it a lot before, but wow is it yummy.
Recipe:
Heat oven to 300 deg. F.
1 c cream - heat on stove top, just before it starts to boil
In a separate bowl,
Cream 1/3 c sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla
Nutmeg and Cinnamon
Then pour the cream slowly while stirring into the creamed mixture. Do not whip, just gently stir (this will reduce bubbles on top of the brulee once you cook it). Put mixture into the ramekins and bake in a water bath for 35 minutes. It should still jiggle slightly in the middle once it's done. When it's cooled a bit, chill it in the fridge. If you like the sugar on top, torch it up! I prefer it without:) So simple. Sooo Good.
*I bought the ramekins for about $1 at TaiPan-gotta love that store!

3. Don't you just love hearing from old friends? I talked to an old friend the other day whom I hadn't talked to for over a year. I am so bad at keeping in touch, which is one reason why I started this blog. Anyway, it totally made my day, Thanks Tex!

New Inventions

2008-01-16T19:59:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'm old-fashioned but my mind can't keep up with all the new technology. I still remember when I got my first cell phone. Wow, that was a big deal. Then I started texting a few years later when it really caught on. Now there are inventions that I can't even comprehend. For exapmle, blogging....who knew? Not me. I'm still trying to figure out my iPod Nano that I got for Christmas. It's hard to imagine what the year 2050 will be like! Kudos to technology nerds!

Car, Compacted!

2008-01-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

Time Magazine put out an issue that featured the Best Inventions of 2007 and beyond. Here are a few of my favorites:

#1: The City Car

Aiming for the sweet spot between the comfort of a private vehicle and the efficiency of public transportation, the City Car from MIT's Media Lab is a stackable electric car that can be checked out like a luggage cart at the airport, then returned to any station around the city. Electric motors in each wheel eliminate the need for a mechanical drivetrain, and these 5-ft.-long (1.5 m) two-seaters zip along at 55 m.p.h. (about 90 km/h). Available in 2011.

Hot or Not?

2008-01-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

#2: Saving time in the fitting room. Now this is sweet.

You know the feeling. You try on a shirt at the store and think you look pretty fly, but you need a second opinion. With Social Retailing, developed by IconNicholson and shown at Bloomingdale's in March, you can send a video to your friends' cell phones and instantly get their vote. You can also try on outfits virtually using a mirror that shows how fab they might look—or not. Available in 2008.

An ATM for Books!

2008-01-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

#3: Redbox DVD rentals....and books!

The Espresso Book Machine—meaning "fast," not coffee—can churn out a 300-page paperback on demand, complete with color cover, in just 3 min. The $50,000 machine could transform libraries into minibookstores, making hard-to-find titles as accessible as cappuccinos. At $3 a book they might be cheaper too. They are available now.

So much to learn, so little time

2008-01-12T01:18:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, the life of a nursing student!

Just gettin' started

2008-01-12T00:33:00.000-08:00

After much contemplation, I decided to start a blog! I've loved looking at my family and friend's blogs and wanted to be a part of it. So, ta-da! Since it's just Matt and I and we like to travel, I decided to enlighten you all about our most recent adventures and fun places that we have been together. So, stay tuned......:)

P.S. Any typo's in this post are due to the lateness of the hour. I'm at work and trying to stay awake. Only 4 hours to go!