Christina's Crazy Commentary

The Manny

2012-02-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

My brother James came to visit for 2 weeks. While he was here, he stayed where I live, which is also where I work, and hung out with me on the job. He loves kids, so he was a perfect assistant. I started calling him my "manny" assistant. The girls really enjoyed him and started calling him "brother". The day after he left, Madelyn's teacher said there was a rumor around the school that Courtney and Madelyn have a brother named James. I asked Madelyn about that, and she replied "yep!"

While he was here we had a great time seeing sites in ATL and also driving down to Destin to visit our grandparents on the beach.

I taught him a game called "Skipbo" and we spent our evenings having "Skipbo" tournaments. I miss having a "Skipbo" buddy. He also ate plenty of icecream and played plenty of Wii games while he was here. The girls thought he was awesome because of all the "cool tricks" he can do. Flips on trampolines, flips off swings, walking on top of the monkey bars, carrying them on his shoulders etc. He will sure be a good Dad one day!

Having him helping me nanny foreshadowed how it feels to be a mom. James got to have all the fun being wild and crazy with them, like Dads do, while I had to do the disciplining, keep the schedule going, and kiss their boo-boos. I thought that was kind of funny! The girls and I both hope that "the manny" comes back to visit.

The Year of the Board Games

2012-01-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

Playing board games on New Years Eve has always been a tradition with my family. But since I have not been at home for NYE recently, it's not something I have done. This past New Years my friends and I decided to get out the board games again. It was so much fun! Who knew? Maybe we are just a bunch of dorks nerding out over board games, but I'm not afraid to admit it!

I have had several "game nights" already since then and I'm loving it! I want to learn some new games this year and play the oldies but goodies as well :) Let me know if you're up to playing games with me and if you have any recommendations of fun games I should try.

My Top 10 Favorite Oldie But Goodies Games:

1. Clue (1992)

Love this game, love the movie. Play the game while watching the movie!

2. Life (1991)

Go to college or not? In the game of Life, I do NOT go to college.

3. Guess Who (1991)

Hate the new versions--keep it simple people. "Does your person have a mustache?"

4. Party Mania (1993)

Complete with an interactive VHS. It was ahead of its time. Do you get your chores done and ready in time for the party with the hot boys or are you stuck at home with the Schlumper brothers?

5. Dream Phone (1991)

Imagine this, guys calling on the phone asking you on a date. But you don't know who! Oh the tragedy. But you can figure it out by the clues and hope it's the cute blonde.

6. Trouble

Who can resist pushing the dice popper? POPOMATIC

7. Mouse Trap

Build the trap along the way and earn pieces of cheese. Can you catch the mouse?

8. Battleship

D-10? You sunk my battleship!

9. Chutes and Ladders

Just when you think you're going to win, your stuck sliding down the chute.

10. Candy Land

Don't get stuck on the sticky spots. I always liked Queen Frostine because she was so pretty.

Games that Stressed Me Out as a Child and I Still Refuse to Play:
1. Perfection
Seriously way too stressful. Trying to put all the pieces in while the timer ticks away and the nerve wrecking explosion of pieces when the timer spots.
2. Operation
No idea why but this game was really scary to me. I found the whole idea of it creepy.
3. Don't Spill the Beans
Don't be the unlucky one to put the wrong bean in the wrong spot or they will all spill!
4. Don't Break the Ice
Tell me how it's possible to knock ice out of the piece and not cause everything to break through?

Games I Currently Enjoy:

1. Rook
2. Racko
3. Rummikub
4. Parcheesi
5. Scum
6. Apples to Apples
7. Compatibility
8 .Mad Gab
9. Mancala
10. All of the games in my Oldies list. :)

*All the photos posted are of the versions I played. I do not like all the new "modern" versions. Well time to stop blogging, I have a game night to get to! (I'm totally serious! hahaha).

Good Home Cookin'

2011-12-31T10:41:00.000-08:00

I have an amazing family. And most importantly, I have the most amazing mother. And although there are several reasons I enjoy going back home to visit family, one of the highlights is my mom's cooking. One of her favorite things to do when we come home to visit, is to cook our favorite meals and desserts. Hunger is a very rare feeling in my mom's home. I was home for four short days for Christmas, and was able to eat all my favorite foods and more.

Here were some of the Christmas food highlights this year.

This was a new one, Peppermint Oreo parfait. So delicious.

My mom makes AMAZING pies. From scratch. So yummy.

Apple Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

Christmas Dinner, the works.

The most important part: Mom's Famous Rolls

Ribbon Jello Salad

This was new too. Ghirardelli brownie with Peppermint Ice Cream.

I love my family :)

Sugar and Spice...and more sugar!

2011-12-21T17:58:00.001-08:00

I love so many things about Christmas. One of my favorite things is Christmas baking (followed by Christmas eating of course!). The girls I nanny also love to bake. Since they were out of school this week, we got right to work baking goodies. Here are my favorite baked goods to make during the holiday season:

Just your basic M&M cookie. Something about the red and green M&Ms make it taste so much better!

If you love mint, these are must haves! Andes Mint chocolate Cookies. Oh yummy.

Peanut Blossoms. I actually don't really like these very much, but most people do, and they are so cute!

Chocolate Design Cookies. These are so much fun to make with all the different shapes in the press gun. Tasty too!

Buckeyes! Perfect combo of chocolate and peanut butter!

Oreo Truffles. So rich, yet you can't seem to stop after just one.

And my most favorite Christmas Treat. Oatmeal Carmelitas. Gooey chocolate caramel wonderfulness.

We also enjoyed making "ginger bread houses". Aka graham crackers glued to little milk cartons.

If you want any of these recipes, let me know! I'll gladly share for a small fee ;)

Be Merry

2011-12-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

I had a fun time doing this little Christmas card shoot with these 2 cute boys. Shot it at Starr Mill with the nice red background. I will have you know, they wanted NOTHING to do it with it. But they were as cooperative as boys can be. :)

Happy Birthday Courtney!

2011-12-03T12:17:00.001-08:00

Courtney turned 4 years old this week. She had her birthday party at Monkey Joes. I asked her what kind of birthday cake she wanted and she was asking for something princess. I asked her if she would like a monkey cake. She said no. But then I showed her photos of monkey cakes online, and once she saw they could be girl monkeys with pink and purple, she was convinced it was a good idea.

I decided to try fondant, since I have never done it before. I thought it would be fun. I found a great recipe that was really easy to use, and turned out being tasty too. I decorated the cake while Courtney was at school and I was able to capture her face when she saw it for the first time. She loved it! And it was a hit at the party too.

I'm excited to try out fondant again in the future. This cake didn't turn out perfectly, but it was a good first try. I was very pleased.

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!

2011-11-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to listen to Christmas music! Yay! You'll rarely catch me listening to anything other than Christmas music Thanksgiving through the New Year. And of course, I always enjoy a few Christmas tunes in July as well. There is just so much great Christmas music, and so little time to enjoy it! Today I wanted to share my favorite 10 Christmas albums. Not in any particular order.

1. 'NSync Home for Christmas: Need I even say more? Best rendition of 'O Holy Night EVER.

2. Plus One Christmas: If you like boybands at all, you need to check this one out.

3. Family Force 5 Christmas: No words really describe this one. But it might be my favorite. These guys know how to party and have a good time. I mean lyrics like "flap your wings like you just don't care" in "Angels We Have Heard on High" or "On my drum machine...watch me play this thing" on "Little Drummer Boy". They are hilarious and so much fun!

4. Allred Holiday EP: Local Utah artist, great acoustic and chill. I think you can listen to all of the songs on that link.

5. Rockapella Christmas: I love love love the a cappella!

6. Hanson Snowed In: Great stuff like Run Rodolph Run and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree! Total classic.

7. Josh Groban Noel: Just amazing. And it has all the Christmas classics. Warm fuzzies.

8. Michael Buble Christmas: Similar to Josh, but sexier. This one makes me feel like I'm sitting by the fireside sipping hot chocolate with him. :) A girl can dream, can't she?

9. Justin Bieber Under the Mistletoe: Well you can't have a Christmas party without this one! Lots of originals and puts a fun twist on some classics.

10. Clay Aiken Merry Christmas With Love: So this is rather embarrassing, but he seriously does have a good Christmas album. (I know, you're thinking, and the other albums AREN'T embarrassing?). Just trust me on this ;)

And just so the last photo isn't of Clay Aiken....Merry Christmas! (I know....not much better hahaha)

What's In a Name?

2011-11-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the "Mormon" church. I have found that if I tell people I go to "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints" they look at me like,"Oh uh huh..." And then if I add I'm a Mormon, they usually respond with "Oh! Ya, now I know what you're talking about."

I have always found this somewhat frustrating since we don't worship anyone by the name of Mormon, we worship Jesus Christ. So I wish people could connect the name of our church, with the nickname "Mormon" that we have been given. So I decided I would elaborate more on the name of my church and the nickname "Mormon" that has been given to us. This is all based off a great talk given last month by M. Russel Ballard, entitled "The Importance of a Name."

First of all, it is a lot easier for me to say, "I'm a Mormon" rather than rattle of the entire name of the church. So why does it matter to me that people know the official name of my church? Because the title of the Church has a much deeper meaning and explanation of who we are and what we believe. M. Russel Ballard explains that every word in the title of the church is "clarifying and indispensable."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The "The word The indicates the unique position of the restored Church among the religions of the world." In a nutshell, we believe that before Christ there were prophets (Adam, Noah, Moses etc) that taught of Christ's church. When Christ was on the earth, he established and organized his church . After the death of Christ we believe that the whole truth of the gospel was lost, that people had parts of the truth, but not all of it. We believe that there was a need for a restoration and that Joseph Smith was called to be the prophet to restore (bring back) Christ's original church to the earth. For a more thorough blog on the restoration, you can read what I wrote previously here.

Church of Jesus Christ "The words Church of Jesus Christ declare that it is His Church."

Of Latter-day "Of Latter-day explains that is it the same Church as the Church that Jesus Christ established during his mortal ministry but restored in these latter days."

Saints "Saint simply refers to those who seek to make their lives holy by covenanting to follow Christ."

Since we believe in modern day revelation and living prophets on the earth, we believe that Jesus Christ himself named the Church. "The name the Savior has given to His Church tells us exactly who we are and what we believe."

So why are we called Mormons? Because one thing that is unique about us is we believe in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is additional scripture, another Testament of Jesus Christ, that goes hand in hand with the Bible. Mormon was an ancient american prophet that the book is named after. Because this is unique to our religion, the nickname Mormon was given to us.

So feel free to call me a "Mormon", "LDS" or a member of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." I just wanted to share with you why the name of the church is so important to me and what it means.

Feel free to check out mormon.org for more info.

Photo Shoot :)

2011-11-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

I love photography, but by no means would consider myself a professional. However, I am always looking for opportunities to gain further experience. A friend of mine recently had a baby and so I realized it could be fun to do a baby photo shoot.

He is one month old and just darling. Although during the 2 and half hours that I was there he refused to open his beautiful blue eyes much. And within 5 minutes of me leaving, his mom told me that he was wide awake and bright eyed and bushy tailed. Too funny! It's ok, we still got some cute ones.

To see the whole gallery go HERE

If you live in the Atlanta area and would like me to do a photo shoot for you or your family, let me know! I'd love more experience :)

Happy Halloween :)

2011-10-26T10:47:00.001-07:00

I have been horrid at blogging. I hope to be better (for my many many devoted readers hahaha). Life just gets busy. But I hope to start blogging once a week. We will see about that...

Well Halloween is coming up! For those of you who don't know, I am a HUGE fan of Halloween. Mostly because I really like candy. And I like free stuff. So free candy=happy me :) I will admit, much to my parents' dismay, I did trick or treat all the way through high school and even dressed up in college to take my little sisters trick or treating. ( That was just my excuse to keep going.) If I were shorter, I would just pop on a mask, and keep going now. But against my will, I finally stopped trick or treating, mostly because I was tired of old people asking me why I was still trick or treating, giving me strange things like moist towel-lets instead of candy, or refusing to give me candy altogether. (How rude!)

So although I no longer go trick or treating, I still love to dress up. I enjoy being creative and I believe the best way to dress up is by making your own costume. What fun is buying it all in one bag at the store for an outrageous price? No fun in that at all!

Along with dressing up, I really like to do group costumes. I think it's more fun to be themed with other people. It just adds to the creativity of it all. One year, my roommates and I were Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It was hysterical. (I was Papa Bear).

This year I am lucky enough to have a boyfriend that was as (or nearly as) excited about dressing up as I was. We brainstormed costume ideas and finally decided what we would be. Then we set to work hitting up Goodwill a few times, several different craft stores, and the always reliable Walmart.

We had a blast making our costumes together. And we even won the best couples costume contest at a party last weekend. Here is what we came up with this year, thanks to Deavon's great idea.

Yes, I made my ruby red slippers. Sequence, glue and sparkles="there's no place like home." My costume cost about $22.

Good luck to all of you still planning your costumes this week :)

I am a Child of God!

2011-05-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

I got home from a rough weekend trip to the beach with the family that I nanny for. We had a fun time, but I was really getting frustrated and impatient with the girls and ready for it to be over. The night that we got home I watched this video a friend had posted on facebook, made with the song, "I Am A Child of God" that I grew up singing at church.

This video humbled me and prompted a few thoughts.

First of all, how lucky am I to be able to help nurture and teach 3 adorable young girls, that aren't even my own children? And no matter how frustrated I get with them, they are still God's children. That really helps put things into perspective. Also, these children teach me so much. And they are so forgiving. No matter how upset I get with them, moments later they don't even remember and are giving me huge hugs. I am so grateful for their big hearts and gorgeous smiles.

I also thought about how frustrated I get when I have to tell the girls the same things over and over and over again, day after day after day. Just little things like,"eat your food, wash your hands, flush the toilet, share, don't hit, stop whining, etc." To me, these are obvious things and I sometimes feel I should not have to reiterate them over and over again. But they are just children and they are learning and they need someone consistently teaching them through a loving example.

Which made me think that that is exactly what God does for us. Man, He sure must get frustrated with me. Looking down and thinking, "Come on, all you have to do is read your scriptures and say your prayers and take time listen to Me! Attend church and make time to serve others. It's the little things that count!" It's the small things that are so important, and often overlooked. And I can just see Heavenly Father shaking his head at me wondering when I am going to catch on. But He never gives up on me and He keeps on loving me no matter what. And that is truly an amazing blessing.

I am so grateful to know that I am a Child of God and that He truly does love me and is here for me every day. I hope that I can do better to do the little things that He asks of me. And I hope that I can continue to love and learn from the girls that I care for. :)

I Love to See the Temple :)

2011-04-13T14:54:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's been nearly 1 year since I have blogged. Guess I need to write about something important then!

Since the Atlanta LDS temple is currently open to the public for tours, I am super excited about it! I thought I would share a little bit about what a temple is to me and why they are so important to those who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Ever since I was little, I was taught the importance of temples. We sing the song "I Love to See the Temples" as children. (Here is a cute video of children singing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhialLmt9JQ) It was not until I was a little older that I really gained an understanding and testimony of the importance of temples in my life.

Temples are sacred buildings that are dedicated as the House of the Lord. They are not where we have our normal Sunday church meetings. Temples are where members of the church who are in good standing can go and make sacred promises with the the Lord. Temples are a place that we can go to get away from the ways of the world and focus on what is most important. For me, it helps put my life into proper perspective and remind me what's truly important. It's a great place to go and ponder and pray. The temple is a peaceful place and the spirit is very strong there.

Marriages are also performed in the temples. Also referred to as a "sealing". We believe that when couples are married or sealed in a LDS temple they are sealed to each other forever. That the marriage lasts beyond this life. This is one reason, when people ask me why I want to marry another Mormon, is because I can only marry someone who is LDS in the temple. And I want to have an eternal marriage, not one that will only last in this life.

Work for ancestors that have passed on is also done in the temple. We believe that baptism is essential for exaltation. We also believe that those who were not baptized in this life, still have the opportunity to learn about the gospel and accept to be baptized. But because they no longer have a physical body, we do the baptisms for them, in the temple. And we believe that they have the opportunity to accept or reject the baptisms performed for them.

Those are the basics of why we have temples. I am so grateful for temples and the peace and direction I receive from attending the temple. I'm excited to take some of my friends on a tour to the temple as well!

For more info about temples, this is a great resource. I really like that video that they made, "Mormon Temples Made Simple"

http://www.mormontempleceremony.net/

Bubble Day

2010-07-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Working as a nanny for 3 energetic girls means I need to be creative. Today we did a bubble project.

First we made our own homemade bubbles. Then, we taped a trash bag to a table top and poured bubble solution on it. Then, using straws we had fun blowing bubbles on the table.

Afterwards, we used food coloring and made 4 different colors of bubble solution. Then we made a bubble painting. Blowing the different colors of bubbles at a sheet of white paper. The kids had a blast and the artwork was cute.

Families Can Be Together Forever

2010-05-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

"Our family is the focus of our greatest work and joy in this life; so will it be throughout all eternity." -Elder Russel M. Nelson

Today, being mother's day, has really made me think about how blessed I am to be part of such an amazing family. (Even if they do drive me insane). My parents are the best parents anyone could ask for. My dad is an amazingly patient and kind man who does his best to follow the Savior and set a good example for his children. I hope that one day I can find a man who is even half as amazing as him.

My mom is the most selfless, hardest working woman I know. She never thinks about herself, and she is always worried about the happiness of her husband and children. She is always on the go never stopping to take time for herself. She never ceases to amaze me.

Now, my siblings, I can't put them on high as pedestals as my parents. Haha. However, they are each amazing in their own way.

My sister, Stephanie, has been through so much, health wise. She amazes me with her good attitude about it all and her persistence to keep pushing ahead.

My brother, David, just got married to a wonderful girl, Vanalorin. It's great to see them starting their lives together.

I currently have 2 brothers, James and Matthew, serving missions, out teaching the gospel in Peru and Washington. They are great examples to me and it's amazing to see them grow as they serve the Lord.

My baby sisters, Emily and Alison, aren't really babies anymore. They are growing up so fast it's scary. But they are good girls and it's great to see them making good decisions.

Although I have no idea where my life will take me, I am so grateful for the time I have had at home this month. I am grateful that I always have my family and I am grateful for what they have taught me.

(This is from 2008...but it's the best I have of all of us together).

"The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. … Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. … Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, [and] to observe the commandments of God."-The Family, A Proclamation to the World

I guess it's not for sale...it's free!

2010-02-20T14:06:00.003-08:00

This was in the snowbank at my complex. I couldn't help but laugh.

Snow for SALE!!!!!!!!

2010-02-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

So I barely made it out of DC on Thursday night on my flight to Atlanta. Friday morning I'm snuggled in my bed (or air mattress) at my friend's house, fast asleep. I'm awakened by my friend's cousin upstairs who squeals, "Yay! Snow!" Good grief, is it really already snowing? Luckily, it wasn't snowing yet, but her cousin was getting a half day because it was supposed to snow. Unbelievable.

Friday afternoon it started to snow in Atlanta. And it kept right on snowing till late evening. We made a snowman. I cannot believe it snowed in GA. Luckily it all melted the next day.

However, snow in DC continues to be a HUGE problem. I thought traffic was bad before...well this is just a joke. Since there is no where to put the snow, it is covering up half of the roads, so roads are now narrower and a lot of lanes are non existent at the moment, resulting in the worst traffic conditions I have seen yet.

Along with the narrow roads and bad parking and congested traffic, comes something I find rather comical. Since most people who live in DC have to park on the streets, they all had to dig their cars out after the plows went through. And since the snow is taking up half of the parking spots, those who dug their cars out seem to feel that they earned themselves a permanent parking spot. Which results in people leaving the strangest and most random objects in their parking space while they are away, to reserve their spots. As I drive down the roads of DC I now entertain myself in the traffic jams by looking for the most random objects used to reserve parking spots. Here are photos I took the first day.

I have seen lawn chairs, bar stools, benches, car seats, orange cones, tables, potted plants, brooms, cardboard boxes, garbage cans, and my favorite that I saw today was crutches.

Lastly, we got another fun notice from our apartment complex on our door, entitled "We have Free Snow Everywhere" (Please take all you can carry--maybe even sell it?). The flier informed residence of all the efforts that have been put into getting our parking lot back in order. It also informs us that there are laws as to where they can move the snow to. (Which is another thing I find so entertaining....the dump trucks loaded with snow that drive off somewhere to the unknown to discard of it).

The end of the flier states "It's easier to be happy than to complain about a record setting snow."

Who's complaining?

My Snow Adventure

2010-02-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

Figured I had written enough about snow. Now you can see it for yourself.

Snow Day #2

2010-02-12T06:08:00.000-08:00

One would think a snow day off from work equals a day off. But that is quite the contrary. These snow days this week is making my work even worse and putting my clients in even more crisis situations. Since we were not open to serve our clients we needed to call all of our clients today to see how they were doing. Let’s just say I had some interesting conversations and had to call 911. All in all it was an eventful “snow day” from work. Can’t wait to see how crazy next week will be.

In the meantime I was obsessively checking the status of my flight leaving for Atlanta this evening. I was certain that it would be cancelled. Somehow, I lucked out by flying out of the right airport at the right time. I scheduled to have the airport shuttle pick me up because I was not sure if the public busses would be running and I did not know if my friends/roommates would be shoveled out.

My shuttle was to come by 4:09pm at the latest. By 4:20pm I was trying to contact them but the lines were busy due to the “weather on the eastern coast”. As I was on hold I had another call come in. It was the shuttle company telling me they could not dispatch a driver to me. Great. It’s a little late to be telling me this. She then continues to tell me that they are sending a cab instead, with no expense to me. The cab should arrive in 15-20 min. Good thing I booked my shuttle early. Cab finally arrives. As he is trying to pull out of my complex he gets stuck. After about 20 min of shoving/2 men pushing, he is able to get unstuck. At this point, while still in my complex parking lot, the tab on the cab rate is $6.75 already.

The drive to the airport is fine, other than the fact that it’s 22 degrees out and he doesn’t have the heat on and he has the window cracked. By the time we arrive at the airport I am unsure if I still have toes and the total bill for the shuttle company to pay is $52.35. Dang.

So I have arrived safely in Atlanta, determined to have a fun weekend. Although the forecast tomorrow in the ATL is…..you guessed it….snow!!!!!!

Snow Day!

2010-02-10T16:07:00.000-08:00

I know all of my avid readers are just dying to know how another day of mine in snowy arctics of DC went. Here ya go!

After all this crazy snow and a new blizzard predicted to last all day today, my work finally closed. I was as excited as a high schooler to find out that I was finally getting a snow day. Not just a snow day, but a paid snow day! About time! I woke up at 10am, rolled out of bed to flick on the light and ...nothing. I realize the power is out. "Darn it, what on earth will I do today?" Then it hits me, I didn't charge my phone last night and it's almost dead. Crap. I send out a mass text to my friend and then call my mom to tell her I'm turning off my phone. Then I consign myself to the fact that I am going to die. I'm going to either freeze to death or die of boredom.

I went through the list of things I normally would do when snowed in (since this seems to be a common re-occurrence since moving here). Internet. Nope. Movie. Nope. Radio. Nope. Text. Nope. Bake. Nope. I realize I can't even play my roommate's piano because it's electric. So what's left? I can...read. So I sat on the couch with 5 blankets and read a random book that was sitting on the end table in the living room. As a sit there I hear "tick, tock, tick, tock" and the howling wind outside. The silence is killing me. Slowly, but surely.

Two hours later I hear a noise that makes my heart stop, I hold my breath and turn my head. Could it be? The lights on my stereo are flashing. THE POWER IS BACK ON! I run faster than you can believe to plug in my phone and I realize that maybe I won't die today after all.

Also, I made a snow day video, but will have to post it later because youtube is not behaving. Tomorrow is another day off work and I'm waiting to see if my flight to ATL will be canceled for tomorrow night. I sure as heck hope not!

FYI

Current snowfall this year, breaks record: 54.9 inches

Previous record was in 1898-99: 54.5 inches

So glad I could be here to be part of the record breaking....

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

2010-02-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I can't seem to help myself. I apparently have an obsession with blogging about the snow that occurs here in DC. I guess I just find it so entertaining/frustrating since I'm used to snow and used to living in a place that knows how to handle snow.

So today I had to go to work. First thing on my agenda was to go to my clients house so I could take her to get her check and to get groceries (before the big storm hits again tonight). This what her road looked like...which was also at an incline. I had to drive up it, park in the middle of the road for her to get in and then back down it.

So at the grocery store all the shelves look like this:

And the line to check out looks like this:

After driving on her treacherous road for the second time that day I head to my office. Don't worry, there is not a parking spot in sight. Luckily they were letting anyone park in the lot and I took the last spot. Sat in the office, dealt with a few crisis situations, rescheduled appointments, did paper work. It was thrilling. Three of 13 of us were there by the end of the day. What a joke. When we headed out, my co-workers car would not start. So we got it jumped:

This is what all the main roads in DC look like. Wow, so nice and plowed I can't believe it!

As I drove home it started to snow and by the time I got to VA it was getting worse. I stopped and got food at McD's and went next door to the 7 Eleven to fill up my tank and get a red box movie. You know I had a bad day when I end it with this:

I don't remember the last time I spent more than $2 at McD's. And I for sure don't remember the last time I bought a drink at McD's! I went "all out". LOL Now for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" I would give anything for that forecast over this SNOW!

VENTING!!!!!!!!

2010-02-08T18:15:00.001-08:00

Don't bother reading this I'm just venting. This snow thing has gone too far! According to DC's snow removal plan:

"Washington DC’s Snow and Ice Removal Plan gives clearing residential streets the same priority as removing snow from the city’s major corridors. As of 2009, during any snow storm, all streets will be treated simultaneously. Washington DC has approximately 400 pieces of equipment and 750 personnel available to help out during any given storm."

So I guess by removing snow on all streets "simultaneously" they mean that they will remove snow on NONE of the streets? If I'm understanding that correctly. Maybe the DC government is unable to figure out how their "4oo pieces of equipment" work? Or their "750 personnel" just vanished? Either way, the streets aren't cleared.

However, while the Federal Government employees get to have Mon AND Tues (and prob Wed) off of work and all schools are closed, DC government is pretending they have done their job clearing the roads and forcing their employees to work. Oh but don't worry, they were so kind as to give us a ONE hour delay on Monday. Thanks. I appreciate all the work you have done so that I can get to my job safely.

Snow saga continues...

2010-02-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

This morning after breakfast I once again headed out to finish digging out my car. I really thought I would never be done shoveling. Of course the plow had decided that plowing by our section of cars was too much work so I not only had to shovel around my car, but then had to shovel out where I would need to back out my car as well. Let me tell you, my back and arms are rather sore.

So I finally had it all dug out. And of course the parking spot is tilted at a downward slant, and my front wheels are in a puddle of icy water. I couldn't get it to go anywhere. Part way through my shoveling 3 African men started shoveling a car out 2 down from mine. We had talked a bit and so they offered to help me push my car. I shoveled out the front area where my car was and then pulled it part way back into it's spot. Hopefully, I can pull out ok on my own tomorrow....

Meanwhile, the 3 men took only an hour to shovel out the car they were working on. Took me 2 days! Haha. Oh well, at least I got it done.

24 hours of snow later....

2010-02-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

After I woke up this morning (which was closer to afternoon than morning) and had some breakfast I suited up to go outside and assess the amount of damage from a whole night of snow. It was still snowing and blowing. The plow had gone by leaving a nice hill of snow piled behind the cars. I brushed the snow off my car (and by brushed I mean that I pushed and shoved with all my might to remove 2 feet of snow) using my arms because the little snow scraper was useless.

Then I began shoveling. And since I'm not a complete idiot, I had to make sure to walk each heap of snow over to the snowbank across the way, instead of piling it behind the cars next to me. As I was shoveling a man came out with his gloves wrapped in plastic bags grasping a dust pan. He stood staring at his car for a long time. After awhile 2 men with shovels came to help him shovel his car out. Don't worry, they just piled the snow behind the 2 cars on either side of him. Outstanding. While I was out shoveling today I saw at least 3 plow trucks get stuck on our lot. I see they are making major headway with their "plan of action".

The snow finally stopped falling about 5pm. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings in the snow clearing business.... good thing church is canceled...I'm not too optimistic about the results.

Snow...what a mess.

2010-02-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

All week I have heard people anxiously talking about the weekend snow storm. Supposed to be the biggest snowstorm in the area in years. Previously, before the last big snow storm where I was snowed in for 3 days, I scoffed and rolled my eyes at these people. I am from Wisconsin...snow is no big deal...or so I thought. I learned my lesson last time.

I learned quickly that no one in VA knows how to handle snow. That they don't clear the roads, that no one owns a shovel and that grocery stores sell out quickly. I had a busy week so I really didn't have time to battle the crowds at the grocery stores. I made a quick assessment and decided that I could get by with my food and toilet paper that I already had. I mean, you can always eat pb and j.

I was highly entertained when I got home last night and saw a notice on my apartment door. It was warning of the adverse weather conditions. It had amazing tips such as "Go to the store on Thursday" and "Please stay inside." The best part of all was the Plan of Action (although on the flier they spelled it "Acction"): Plow and apply ice melt sufficient to make complex accessible Fri evening. The, plow and apply ice melt during the day on Sat and again Sat night into Sun morning." What a relief to know they had a plan! I wonder how many people were on this committee to figure out what to do when it snows? (sense my sarcasm?)

Then the kicker: "Best guess if humanely possible: is that the property and roadways will be cleared enough by Monday morning." Somehow, I'm doubting this. Unless they have learned from last time that you do not shovel snow off the sidewalks into the road.... stay tuned...

The Adventure of Getting a Haircut

2010-01-30T11:18:00.000-08:00

So I don't know about you, but I hate moving to a new place and not knowing a good hairdresser. I'm not even that high maintenance, it's just hard to find someone good at a good price. I have a hairdresser in Utah that I love and any time I travel out there I make sure to get an appointment with her. But in the meantime....I have been in DC for a couple months and my last haircut was in Atlanta with a random girl.

So I decided to be brave. I had a coupon for 50% off a haircut at a salon in the mall, which I usually try to avoid but since I had a coupon I figured I'd try it. I called and made an appointment and told them I had the coupon.

So I headed on over and was late because of all the snow. I should have known right away that I should turn around and leave the moment I saw the place. And I almost did, but instead, took a leap into the dark. The lady at the desk was very boisterous sharing with everyone that she had recently lost 27 pounds. I tell her that I'm 30 min late for my appointment. There was one hairdresser highlighting someones hair. She is an older asian woman who seems to pretend she doesn't really know much English (and from what I can tell, seems to be pretending she knows how to do hair...)

After much discussion and confusion, apparently my appointment was with the Asian woman, but she had "accidentally" taken the other lady's client. So they tell me to sit in a chair and wait for the other woman, who ran to get coffee. So this whole time I'm waiting I'm torn from running out so fast and never looking back, and just remaining there and braving the haircut.

As I sit waiting, I am hoping with all my heart that the other woman coming back is younger and more fashionable and knows what she's doing. But to no avail, the woman that comes to cut my hair is an older Hispanic woman with bleached blonde hair. When she finds out that the Asian woman has taken her client, she is irate and they start yelling at each other. Finally the Hispanic lady comes over to me and starts taking my pony tail out and asks what kind of cut that I want.

So the whole time she is washing my hair her long nails are scraping my scalp and the water is cold. She washed my hair so fast and erratically I was not sure what to think. Then she just starts cutting. Snip snip snip, so fast I'm afraid what the result is going to be. My heart is racing so fast but I am trying to remain calm. After she was finished cutting, she finally slowed down and was blowing drying my hair using a round brush. It took forever and she was pulling so hard at my hair I wanted to kick her. She was working so hard to make my hair curl under and it looked awful. I told her it was fine. I wanted the heck out of there! When I was done I gave her my coupon and she replied, "That's why she didn't want to cut your hair!" referring to the Asian woman.

Anyways she gave me the discount even after stating that the coupon is technically not one they are supposed to take (which I have no idea why), I gave her a tip, and away I ran, NEVER to look back. (The actual haircut is fine, it could be better, but it was just the customer service that was awful).

What did I learn from this? That I still don't have a place to get my haircut in DC. Maybe next time will be better....

Remember when....do you remember that?....2009.

2009-12-31T15:25:00.000-08:00

1. Brought in the New Year in Lynchburg, VA at a concert with Jeremy Camp and lots of confetti.

2. Back to BYU for my last semester of my undergrad. Enjoyed local artists Allred and Love You Long Time with Shawna.

3. As the presidency of BSWSA, Shawna, Fred and I and the rest of BSWSA worked hard to put on a benefit concert to raise money for a local agency, in remembrance of Social Work month.

4. Shawna, Kelly and I went on a huge road trip to Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

5. Then Jesi flew out to Utah and we took a road trip to Phoenix and Las Vegas.

6. A couple weeks later Lisa and I went out to Denver, CO.

7. Somewhere among all that I was completing my internship at a mental health agency and managed to graduate from BYU.

8. As a graduation gift to myself I went on a cruise to the Bahamas with Kelly, Jesi and Sarah.

9. Then, a week after the cruise Kelly, Jesi, Sarah, Mollie and I all met up in MI and while we were there, formed "The Sisterhood".

10. Spent about a month at home with the family and then headed on a greyhound down to Atlanta, GA...with a pit spot in KY.

11. On my long greyhound ride, got a job offer as a live in nanny in GA. Enjoyed watching 3 darling girls for the summer.

12. While in GA, Shawna and I enjoyed road trips to Savannah, Tybee Island, Hilten Head, Nashville, AL, NC and FL.

13. Jesi and I took a trip to Baton Rouge, LA.

14. Sarah and I took Jesi to Orlando Florida to go to Disney World on her birthday. We also went to Universal Studios for a couple days. :)

15. Kelly came out to visit ATL and then all the girls road triped it to AL.

15. I got a job interview in DC so I went out for a week to visit Kate, site-see and do some interviews. I ended up with 2 job offers.

16. Sarah came down for my last weekend in the ATL....we went on a cheap date ;)

17. I moved to DC, started my job, and survived their worst snow storm in years.

So in other words, in 2009 I.....

-graduated, got my first real job and bought my first car.

-visited 13 states and the Bahamas and lived in 4 states.

-attended 59 concerts (but who's counting?).

And I just realized my 2009 began in VA (on a trip) and ended in VA (as my new home...) Round circle!!!!!!!!! haha

Can't wait to see what 2010 brings....

Finding the good in the bad.

2009-12-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

"If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change."

Story of my life today.

Bad Thing #1: I was not able to go to work today because my car was snowed in.

Good Thing #1: I was able to sleep in a little since I knew I could not go to work.

Bad Thing #2: I did not have a shovel to shovel my car out.

Good Thing #2: After asking, and staring at the grounds crew, they finally decided 2 of their guys could come help me dig.

Bad Thing #3: After getting my car dug out, my car would not start.

Good Thing #3: My roommate and I were helping a woman dig out her car, and turns out, her son has jumper cables.

Bad Thing #4: My car is stuck facing a snow bank, and has cars parked on both sides, not able to be jumped.

Good Thing #4: We get this amazing idea that we can push my car straight out so he can pull up his car to it and jump it.

Bad Thing #5: My roommate and the boy are not strong enough to get move my car.

Good Thing #5: As they are attempting to push my car, I see 4 missionaries walking through the parking lot across from us. We yell for them to come help, and with their help, we easily move my car, and they help get it jumped right away.

Bad Thing #6: The Ford Dealership is full of people who need their cars looked at for repairs.

Good Thing #6: I meet the manager and he is a super friendly old man and he helps me get checked in and get my car taken care of right away.

Bad Thing #7: I need a new battery.

Good Thing #7: It could have been worse and it fixed my broken seat warmer. And I was able to get my safety inspection done at the same time.

Bad Thing #8: I went to Target and traffic was awful cause everyone and their dog decided to finish up their Christmas shopping today.

Good Thing #8: TIM TAMS were on SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perfect ending to a very good/bad/adventurous day!

On another note, can you tell me what you see wrong with these next 2 pics?

White Christmas?

2009-12-20T10:57:00.000-08:00

So I recently moved to Washington DC. I was sad to be leaving warm GA, but was told by numerous people, not to worry because DC doesn't have very harsh winters. Well I have been here three weeks and this weekend, the biggest snow storm in years decided to dump 20 some inches where I now reside. Sweet.

Now, it might not be so bad. I mean, I am from Wisconsin, I can handle this. However, people here just don't know how to handle this weather. No one has snow shovels and no one knows how to drive in it. I woke up this morning after the storm had stopped. People are outside clearing their cars. Since they don't have snow shovels, they are using gardening shovels, pans, buckets, little tyke shovels, you name it they have it. It is rather funny to me. But, laugh as I may, I also do not own a snow shovel. (How embarrassing for a person from Wisconsin!)

While outside trying to uncover my car and clear the area around it, people are trying to drive out of the parking lot, which is not cleared. So one guy's car got stuck right behind mine. And so me and about 3 other guys spent over an hour helping him get his car moved. What a joke. I think it's safe to say that I will be snowed in for a third day tomorrow and not be able to make it to work.

Utah...

2009-10-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

Since I graduated from college in April I'm obviously not back at BYU right now. But a lot of my friends on facebook are and it's weird to read their status updates and not be there. But weird in a good way. I can confidently say that I do not miss being at BYU. However, I was talking with my friend tonight that also graduated from there and I said that I do wish there were a few things from Utah that I could have with me. They are as follows:

Allred Concerts: What can I say, it was fun going to his shows multiple times a month.

Smart Cookie: YUM. $2 icecream sandwich on freshly baked cookies? Heck yes.

J-Dawgs: Best hot dogs you'll ever eat. I sure do miss that special sauce.

Divas Hair Salon (Payson): Great haircuts for super cheap.

Shirley's Bakery: Best cinnamon rolls ever. I would go on runs there just to get them to feel less guilty about eating a whole dozen...

So 3/5 of the things I miss from Utah are food places. Go figure :)

Farewell to MY Pillow! tear

2009-09-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went on a road trip. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. "Big surprise." But something tragic happened. The road trip was the norm, nothing out of the ordinary. Just to North Carolina for a concert. Trip was fun, concert was great, yada yada. Stayed in a cheap motel, all the usual. Drove home. As I am getting out of the car my thought was "I just want to grab my pillow and go take a nap." Then I freeze. I look at our stuff in the back seat. My heart stops. I find it difficult to breathe. "No--it couldn't be!" And then I scream as I realize I have abandoned my pillow of over 20 years by leaving it at a dumpy motel somewhere in South Carolina.

So now you're thinking, "Really? Is she seriously writing a blog about a pillow she left at a motel? Really?" Yes, yes I am! But not just ANY pillow. This is MY pillow that I have used since I can remember. MY pillow that I take with me no matter where I am going. Whether its to a sleepover across the street, on a road trip across the country, or on a cruise to the Bahamas, MY pillow goes with me.

"Wow, this girl has an emotional attachment issue with this pillow." Well not really. The thing is, my pillow is really flat. I have tried sleeping with big comfortable fluffy pillows. They seem so appealing but alas, I have the worst nights sleep and when I awake my neck and back are so sore. Hence, the reason I have stuck with MY pillow through the years. I have never found another pillow good enough to replace it.

So after feeling like a neglectful pillow owner and wallowing in self pity over my loss I called the motel to see if I they had my pillow and I could get it shipped to me. After struggling with their bad English and my impatience, I gave up on the idea of ever seeing MY precious flat pillow ever again.

And when I thought all was lost and I would never get a good nights sleep again my friend Shawna came to my rescue. Her aunt gave me two pillows to try and Shawna gave me one pillow. All three where of different flatnesses. I had my doubts that I would have much success with these wannabe flat pillows but decided I had no other options.

I ended up trying the pillow Shawna gave me that was the medium flatness. I decided that the other ones were too flat and too fat. And Shawna's was just right. Although it still does not mold to my head the way MY pillow did, I am beginning to accept that this pillow will have to do.

And so I say farewell to MY pillow. It was a great 20+ years!

*Wish I had a picture of me and my pillow to insert here*

Florida...my home away from home?

2009-09-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

So this summer I have been to Florida four times. I feel very lucky. Although, living in GA for three of those trips sure helped! For Labor Day weekend I was privlidged to go to Jacksonville, FL with the family I work for. And they let me bring Shawna along! We got to fly in a private plane and stay on the beach. It was a lot of fun.

Then this past weekend, my friends and I kind of made last minute plans to go to Disney World! We drove through the night Thurs night and arrived at Disney right when it was opening Friday morning. We spent all of Friday at Magic Kingdom. It was so much fun and SO tiring! We slept very well on Friday night. Saturday was spent at Universal Studios where there was "Rock the Universe" concerts. Sunday morning we went to Islands of Adventure and drove back home. It was an amazing fun filled weekend. With beef on the side.

I'm BACK!

2009-08-04T16:31:00.000-07:00

So I'm not sure why I have not blogged for a long time. Maybe it's because I don't have a job where I can get paid to blog? Or maybe it's because my life is boring. Or because I have just been super lazy.

This summer has been crazy fun. Went on the cruise to the Bahamas and then I was home for awhile, kicking it with the family. Finally, I made my move to Atlanta, GA. On my way to the ATL, I rode a greyhound for a million hours and stopped in KY to go to a concert festival with my girls. On they greyhound I got a phone call confirming a job opportunity for the summer.

These past few months I have been working as a nanny. I live with the family about an hour south of Atlanta in the middle of nowhere. It has been a fun job. I watch three girls, Anna (4 yrs), Courtney (20 months) and Madelyne (4 months). They have a beautiful home and a beautiful pool. :) A car was also included with the position, which has assisted in numerous road trips (surprise surprise).

This summer I have been to 6 new states, leaving 15 left to visit.

1. Georgia: I live here now.
2. North Carolina: I went river rafting there.

3. Alabama: Drove through there on road trips.

4. Mississippi: Drove through there on a trip.

5.. Louisiana: Went to a concert there.

6. South Carolina: Went to the beach.

Anyways in case you cannot tell, it has been a busy summer!

Whose Hands?

2009-05-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.

A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.