Addiction

As I stated before I love my iphone, and as my brother informed me I am a geek for posting about my iphone. But seriously anyone who has one will totally understand….right…you understand…. don’t you fellow iphone lovers!!! Anyways I have been downloading free apps and paying for a couple, but really just trying to figure this whole thing out. I want to spend a day messing with it but so far I have been in love with all the free photography apps that will enhance your photos. But the one app that has my attention morning noon and night is Tiny Tower. Its free and its addicting. I find myself updating my bities (what we tiny tower addicts call our peeps or our people). I have to get my bities in their dream jobs and build my tower to 100 floors and make money and update my elevator and….can’t you see why its so addicting! Get it and let me know what you think.

Go BSU?

Why the question mark? Well I am probably farthest from a BSU fan but it seems like if you live near Boise you have to love the broncos and everything blue and orange. My husband and I are not the types to go along with the crowd, in fact just the opposite. If all the kids are doing it then we most definitely are not doing it! Its how I have always been and its how the hubs has been too. I like it this way. I like to try and be my own person and stick out from the crowd when it comes to my thinking anyways. So this brings me to the whole BSU things. As I stated before I started a new job a few months back which I totally love. It’s a great company to work for and a great group of people. The only downfall…..almost everyone there are huge BSU fans. Normally I would just turn my nose up to the whole idea but I just couldn’t believe how much blue and orange I saw while not being at the BSU campus. So queue my great idea. I decided to make some blue and orange hair flowers and headbands to sell at work. I know….it sounds like I’m giving in doesn’t it. I guess in a way I am but as the hubs said I have to capitalize on this opportunity! This is what I’m telling myself so that its okay.

So off to hobby lobby we went in search of blue and orange fabric. It wasn’t hard to find because this time of the year you can always find blue and orange but with all the variety I wasn’t sure what to do. After spending about $15 I headed out of the store with fabric, ribbon, hair clips, and headbands. Well what do you know I was able to come up with a couple of ideas and I have to admit they look pretty darn good. Now I hope someone buys them because I don’t know what I will do with all this blue and orange considering I am not a fan….

Below are some pics of the headbands and hair flowers. I swear they are BSU blue and orange but the pictures don’t capture it just quite right.

Grease Lightning

Friday night Matt and I met his siblings and their other halves at the botanical gardens to watch Grease outside on the grass. I wasn’t sure what to expect and had never been to the botanical gardens but was up for watching one of my favorite of all time movies! We packed a cooler and bought some beach chairs and headed to the end of Boise. Once we got there I was surprised at how many people showed up and how many Sandy and Danny’s I saw, it was so cool. My sister in law Celesta, Matt, and I went exploring a little in the gardens but there was a party going on there and we weren’t sure where we could explore.

It was beautiful and the perfect temperature. It’s cool because the gardens are right next to the old penitentiary which I have never been to but it’s supposed to be haunted and I really want to go there in a month or so but my hubs is scared!

After some exploring we headed back to the grassy area to get our spot and get cozy. My nephews, Izayus, Gabe, and Michael were having a good time getting drunk.

Just kidding, it was root beer but you know how teenagers think it’s funny to act like they are drinking. Michael gave me the dirtiest look because I was eating a twix and wasn’t going to share!

Watching Grease outside was so cool and we were all singing along during the songs which made it so much better. I would recommend going to one of the outside shows at the botanical gardens next summer, a must do date night.

The 30 Day Photo Challenge

I am going to do this photo challenge because I feel like I have neglected this blog as of late. I originally wanted this blog to be a journal, a place where I put random thoughts, ideas, and happenings that go on in my life. The last few months have been sad, happy, and exhausting and I don’t feel like I have written much about any of it! So I am going to start doing a better job and start writing more.

I will begin this challenge on the 1st of October but for now I will leave you with this little gem! Cid our beloved little Pekingese mix doesn’t much like pictures but I love this one because its so close up!

The 30 Day Photo Challenge - Days and Descriptions

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Day 04 - A picture of your night

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

Day 19 - A picture and a letter

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Day 25 - A picture of your day

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

A Must Read–The Hunger Games Trilogy

I just finished reading the Hunger Games Trilogy and the word that comes to mind is WOW. Here is background about the book:

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

When I read these books I couldn’t put it down and I even re-read the last chapter. Suzanne Collins does an amazing job at making the characters feel like family. You are rooting for them and you are also sad for them which is what makes this book a page turner

There will also be a movie out in March that I’m super excited about but not getting my hopes up because they may ruin it… I have seen some of the character casting and not so impressed. Give them a read and let me know what you think.

My New Gadget Love…..

My hubby bought this for me on Saturday and I am in LOVE! I have an iPod touch which has been strapped to my hand so this little baby was a much needed upgrade. Instead of carrying around a phone and an iPod I have it all in one and it does so much more. I can’t wait to mess around with it some more but as of now I love it and am so thankful he got it for me. he said he bought it as a gratitude of appreciation for all I have been doing as a sacrifice so he can go to school full time and work part time. I too go to school and work full time. I am willing to sacrifice for my family when it will be good in the end. This little present sure helps.

Running….

This is so true. I really need to start running again. I need to make this a priority and I will feel so much better.

My Life

Started homework today at noon, took a two hour break for dinner and Modern Family then went back to homework. Been at it for six hours and probably have at least another three hours left tonight. Its hard to get back into this groove when I haven’t had school for six weeks. It was nice being able to do what I wanted when I wanted to do it. I just have to tell myself this is all worth it.

Life Changes In An Instant

I am realizing that life is really short, shorter than I would like to admit. When you’re a young teenager/adult you think that you have a long time to live and you wish you were older and you wish your life would move along. I used to think this all the time. I wanted to get married, have a house, a good job, and a lot of other things. Now I look at what I have and am so grateful for all of it but I realize I am almost 30 and life is just whizzing by. I feel like putting my life on slow motion so that time will slow down a bit. Especially with Matt’s step mom Cheryl battling cancer life feels like its moving at lightning speed. I think about all the things I want to do and still need to do. I think about the fact that Matt and I don’t have kids and it makes me extremely sad to think that Cheryl may never know our children and they won’t know her. I think about Matt’s dad and how heartbroken and lonely he will feel if she loses this battle with cancer. I think about how our family won’t be the same. Get togethers won’t be the same without her. I realize life is so short and for some it’s shorter than they realize. I know God has a plan for all of us but I wonder why he takes some so soon. All of this makes me think of my step brother who passed away not long ago. His life was cut so short and none of us realized we would have such a short precious time with him. I think about his daughter Taylie and how she won’t get to know her dad as she gets older. He won’t be able to walk her down the aisle if she gets married and he won’t be able to be a grandpa to her children. I think about my parents and how they lost a child. I feel sad for my step dad since he lost his only son.

I hope people realize how short life is and be thankful for the time you have and the family and friends you are given. Love them like today is the last day you may see them and make sure they know how much they mean to you.

Random Stuff

Just finished my first week of my new job at MWI and it was exhausting. Its hard going from knowing it all to knowing nothing. Friday I finally felt like I was getting the hang of things. My position is purchasing assistant, I work for five buyers as their assistant. These buyers buy supplies for the vets that MWI services. I also order rabies tags and other duties as assigned. The buyers that I work for all seem very nice but it has only been the first week!

There are some really cool things at MWI that they offer their employees. We can bring our dogs to work every two weeks. So far I have seen two dogs come to work and it was weird. I have been contemplating whether or not I want to bring Cid to work.

On other news Matt gave me my birthday present early and bought me a gun. I love it and Matt and I tested it out shooting today. Its heavy, shoots powerful, and has a pink handle. Soon Matt and I will get our concealed weapons permit and I will be packing heat!

Heather got me a pedicure as an early birthday present and I’m addicted. I love pedicures. I told Matt that even if we were poor I would get one! I don’t think I could ever paint my own toenails again.

Exciting Things Are Happening

I have some exciting, scary, and nerve racking news….. I got a new job!! Monday I gave my one week notice at Home Federal and will be starting my new position at MWI Veterinary Supply on May 31st. As I say goodbye to HF I can’t help but remember some good and bad times.

I started HF in 2003 when I was 20 years old. I was excited about starting a grown up job at a bank. Previously I had worked at Idaho Pizza and Home Depot, both of which were not grown up jobs. When I got the job at HF Matt and I barely had any money (we were living together in an apartment). I wasn’t sure how I was going to buy a new wardrobe as I didn’t have any nice clothes since I mainly worked at casual wearing jobs. So after talking to my Aunt she sent me $100 dollars which I used to buy two pairs of pants and three shirts. I think this is funny since this is not the case now and funny because I am going to a place where I can wear jeans! I just had to go buy some casual clothes which was a weird concept. For the last eight years I had two wardrobes; a casual one and a professional one!

I was hired onto HF as a teller at the Caldwell Wal-Mart location. It was definitely interesting (anyone who has worked in a  Wal-Mart will know). I learned a lot but was ready to move on. After 8 months I decided to be a roving teller as this would help me move around and find the branch that was right for me. I was the roving teller for about another 8 months mainly working at the Boise Wal-Mart, Parkcenter, and Mt Home branches. I hated being a rover and got burnt out very fast. I was sent to Mt Home for six months making barely over minimum wage and not getting paid for the gas. When an opening came up back office in Nampa I applied. It was in the HSA department as an operations specialist. I got the job and loved it. It was the first time I truly enjoyed going to work, loved the people I worked with, and really enjoyed what I was doing. I learned a lot while being in that department and grew a lot as an employee. When HF created a help desk I was hand picked to be on that team. This is what I have been doing for the last six years and for the most part have enjoyed it. My role has drastically changed over the last year but I don’t regret anything. I have learned so much about business and about myself. I look back now on my first day at HF and realize I have grown so much as a women.

Its bittersweet leaving HF because its comfortable and safe. I have made some great friends and this new step is scary but its time. HF has changed a lot over the years and that spark is gone. When I went to MWI it reminded me a lot of how HF used to be and I so desperately miss that. I miss the fact that we used to feel like a big family and everyone cared about each other even the executives. I am ready for this change but will always have a soft spot for HF.

California 2011

Matt decided that we should head to Mt. Shasta California for our yearly vacation. So a few months back we started planning. I got online and searched for places to stay and was surprised how expensive things were. A basic hotel was a decent price but we were planning on staying for four days so we wanted to stay in a house or a cabin. After doing much searching we decided to invite Matt’s cousin Alex in order to split some of the cost. Matt, me, Alex, and Matt’s mom Heather all headed to Cali. The drive was long, actually nine hours long but once we reached Mt. Shasta the scenery was so worth it. The weather was awful because it rained the whole time but we went hiking, went to the caves, and did some sight seeing. It was a nice trip and very nice to be away from our lives for a while. Below are some pictures from our great trip.

Hedgecreek Falls in Dunsmuir California.

Matt and I in front of the falls.

The Caverns at Lake Shasta.

All of us feeding the birds at Turtle Bay Exploration in Redding California. As you can see I was a little nervous of the birds. I especially didn’t like them landing on my head.  They were pretty cute and we all enjoyed this.

Overall this was a nice trip. We all had a great time and the house we rented was right in town at Mt. Shasta. It was good coming home and still having a couple of days left of vacation.

My Dearest Friend

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEST FRIEND (one day early)**

Have you ever met that one person who gets you, like really gets you. That one person you can be yourself with, tell your secrets to, and stay friends no matter what. Well I have that someone and her name is Misty. Her and I go way back, back to seventh grade which is now around fifteen years. Let me explain how we met. It’s a great story that my dear friend Misty doesn’t like me to tell. But I’m gonna tell it because its our story, its why I love her, and because I want to tell it!

I had moved to Salem, Oregon the summer before seventh grade. I moved a lot so this wasn’t any big deal but I was shy and I hated making friends. The first few weeks at middle school I got on the bus, minded my business, and just tried to make it through another day. After a day or two on the bus I noticed this blonde haired girl who sat in the back of the bus with another girl. They were always being loud and getting in trouble from the bus driver. At first I was a little scared of her. They picked on all the kids on the bus and she seemed mean. I considered her the bus bully.

After a few months we started to talk and I realized this blonde haired girl was actually really cool. She wasn’t mean like I thought and we instantly became friends. We became best of friends and did all kinds of crazy dares together, hung out, and told each other our secrets. She had my back and would do anything for me and I would do the same for her.

In ninth grade I moved a town over which was hard because we would walk home together and only lived a few blocks away. Misty vowed we would be friends. Halfway through eleventh grade I moved to Idaho which was a long ways from Salem Oregon. I figured we wouldn’t be friends and I think I even told Misty it was over, I was breaking my friendship with her. Even when I tried to break off our friendship Misty said no way, we were to be friends. Because I had moved so much, ending friendships really wasn’t that big of deal, I mean it was hard and sad but soon I got over it. It was pretty normal to me. I was shocked that she wasn’t going to let me go that easy. Even though I was moving a state away she wanted to be my friend.

So I moved and we continued to remain friends. I went to her graduation and cheered her on when she received her diploma, I was so proud that my friend had graduated. She came to my graduation and did the same for me. We had each other’s backs, no matter what, and always. Misty was there for me through some difficult times and I was there for her, hundreds of miles away we always remained friends.

Fast forward to when we got married and I asked her to be my maid of honor, I guess she was surprised since our friendship had drifted a little. To me this was an easy choice. Other than the man I was marrying Misty is my best friend, she gets me. She came and helped me get ready for my big day, she calmed me down when I had a mini bridal meltdown, and she was ready to kick anyone’s butt on my big day for making me upset!

When Misty got married I went to Salem a couple of days prior to help her prepare for her big day. I wanted to help with anything and everything, basically I wanted to be there for my best friend. I got to take part in her wedding and really help her prepare. When I saw my beautiful friend in her wedding dress and I put the veil on her head I lost it. All those years of being friends flooded over me. I realized I had never had a friend so long and I had never had a friend like her. She is the best friend anyone can ask for and I was just so happy for her to be getting married. So many people get married to the wrong person and I knew my friend had found the one.

Through it all Misty and I have remained friends. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know and would literally go the extra mile for any of her friends (and she has gone the extra mile for almost all of them). She has been hurt by friends because she’s so nice but she continues to befriend people. She lets me be who I am and never leaves my side, she is my best friend. She accepts me for who I am and all my flaws, I know we will be old together and still remain friends.

I love you Misty and Happy Birthday. I hope your day brings lots of joys and here’s to many more years of friendship.

Happy Anniversary (yesterday)

Three years ago my hubby and I got married. It was the best day of my life so far. I was super nervous right before walking down the isle. I’m not sure why I was so nervous, I mean we had been together for almost seven years at this point. I think I was nervous because it was a commitment. I told him before we got married that divorce wasn’t an option. I didn’t plan on getting married to then get divorced and if we were going to have kids I definitely wasn’t going to get divorced. The last three years of married life hasn’t been all that different than the first seven years of “dating”. We were already living together and had joint accounts together and we were very much committed. I think the biggest difference was that we had a piece of paper saying we were committed.

In the last three years we have bought a house, got a dog, added a roommate to the house, and both started going to school. In these last years we have had several heartaches with my grandma passing away, my brother passing away very sudden, and learning that Matt’s step mom has cancer.

I thank God everyday for bringing Matt into my life and allowing us to connect in a way that I never imagined. He is my best friend and the person that I want to grow old with. I can’t wait to see what the next five years holds for us; even if its bad or good we will be in it together.

Happy Anniversary Hubby, its been the best three years of married life!

Karma Sucks

Yesterday was such a nice day that I pulled out my new pair of capris. I had bought them a month ago and was so happy because I was able to get a size smaller. I kept them in the closet with all the tags on just in case I happened to gain my weight back and had to return them. Well I put them on yesterday and they still felt great, were super cute, and I was so happy the weather had warmed up enough to wear them.

Matt and I got a late start yesterday but headed out for lunch and a new weed hacker (the fun outings of being married and owning a house!!). We went to Idaho Pizza and had some yummy lunch then to the gas station for some drinks and gas. On our way to Sears we saw a petition stand to recall Luna so I made Matt pull over so I could sign. Since I am going to be a teacher all this Luna stuff is much more important to me and my family. I got out and these two nice ladies told me where to sign and helped me fill out the petition. As I was signing one of the ladies told me I still had the size stickers on the back of my NEW CAPRI’S! I was mortified but trying to keep cool. I had just been to Idaho Pizza and the gas station where I’m sure many people saw the stickers on the back of my leg and just laughed! She pulled them off for me and was super nice about it. I thanked her for saving me and it was all I could do to run back to my car! Once I got in I told Matt what happened but since he’s a guy he’s pretty much oblivious to anything! He swears he didn’t see. I was embarrassed but happy and thankful that lady saved me!!

So the karma part you ask… well as Matt said to me after this whole incident, “Karma’s a Bitch” wow was he right. A few years ago this somewhat dorky guy started at the bank in the IT department. I had seen him standing in the employee entrance when I got in one day and noticed how nervous he was. As I was passing him something struck me as funny. I looked back and noticed his tag was still on his brand new pants. This tag was the biggest tag I had ever seen. It was probably 5inches by 7inches and cardboard. I have laughed at this for years and told this story to many. This is why Matt said that karma sucked because I was finally getting it back…… I hate when he’s right!