Animals Are Expensive, But They're Family.

Man, this week has been interesting. Toby our kitty had surgery last friday. He got declawed and neutered. It has been sad, but, we have been pushing through it. Since he came home, he has been sleeping, and just getting up to eat and drink. He is sure cuddley!!

He is so sweet, and he has calmed down, so much since Friday!!!

But, now it's Scooter's turn!

Scooter is going in tomorrow, to get neutered. They told me that he is at a higher risk for Cancer, cause his sac is in his groin, instead of his scrotum. So his neutering will be more complicated.

I just hope everything goes well, cause he is my baby!!

Hoping & Praying!!



Sheree's Birthday!!

My best friend turned 23, and Justin and I went over to her house!! We had a lot of fun, I miss just hanging out with my friends, it makes me miss high school. lol. But just the social part. Her mom made her an awesome cake!!!! She calls it the Sleeping Beauty Cake.

It was so tasty!!!! It may not look pretty on the outside, but on the inside is a different story!!

RAINBOW CAKE!!!!

The rest of the day was spent sharing memories!!!

A December Wedding!!!

Congratulations to James & Ariel Heath!!! I Hope everything exceeded your expectations!! 

I was put in charge of the luncheon, as you know if you read my previous posts, Needless to say, it was a lot of work!!! But it was very easy considering I had the best partner to help with the entire thing!!! So I am really excited how it all turned out. 

We had a long busy weekend to get this to become the reality. I know it's not much but, for 5 people here and there it is. We spent the entire day before in the kitchen cooking!! And let me tell ya, the Lasagna we made, was absolutely AMAZING!!!! And everyone seemed  to enjoy it. 

We had a lot of fun throughout the pictures, and it made me really happy to be able to do this for James & Ariel! We ended up taking 4 of the 7 Lasagna Casseroles home. So we will be eating Lasagna for awhile!!! 

The wedding day was gorgeous, It was snowing, it was really nice, until we had to drive all the way to Pleasant View, that night!!! But, it was worth the drive, we had so much FUN!!! It was really nice to be able to hang out with our family all together, minus the few who don't live in the area. It was definitely, one of my favorite times with our family!

They had a really nice reception!! It was a really nice day for them!! But, NO ONE REMEMBERED TO DECORATE THE CAR!!!! So I took that upon myself too, so Justin, Jeremy and I, ran to the Tosoro Station right down the street, we had $10, and that store had nothing, so I grabbed Oreo's and Paper Towels, and back pain patches! (James was complaining of back pain.) So We came back and decorated with what we had!! I was laughing so hard I was crying!!! lol, and here is a terrible picture of the end result!! 

We had so much fun yesterday, that I can't wait until our next family party! New Year's Eve Better Watch OUT!!!

Busy Weekend!!!

This weekend was pretty busy, atleast the busiest I have been in quite awhile!!! It started when I offered to take my niece Kelsie for the day on Friday! We had a lot of fun, she is so cute and the cutest little personality!! So I picked her up about 1, and I had a few errands to run, so I brought her with me, and we went to the store so I could pick up so treats and healthy things for us to eat, but it was mostly treats. LOL. So as I walked into Smiths, I had to go to the ATM, to get some cash, and it was really awkward! I know what your thinking! How can going to the ATM be awkward? Well, I happened to pass a few people I went to High School with, that I haven't seen since. And I had this 3 year old in my cart. I couldn't help but notice that as I was getting my money, they kept peaking around the corner to look at me. And Kelsie was just blabbing away. lol. So I tried to hurry and finish so I could get on with my shopping trip. I would claim Kelsie in a heartbeat, but it was just really weird & awkward to have people peaking around to look at you. It was so obvious lol. Anyway, so I started walking down the isles, and I asked Kelsie, do you want some COOKIES??? She gasped, and yelled COOKIES!!!! YES I WANT COOKIES!!! so I asked her what kind of cookies after I had narrowed it down to 2 flavors, Chocolate Chip or Pumpkin? She mumbled and rambled on for a second, and then I heard: Yummy Chocolate Chip, So I took that as a Yes, then the shopping commenced. We passed the dairy section, and she Gasped again! And said AHIE!! (that's how she says my name) LOOK COWS!!!! And she started MOOING!!! and everyone around me was cracking up! Then I walked down an isle and asked her what a doggy said, and she started barking it echoed up and down the isle, and the guy behind me couldn't help but laugh!! So I grabbed the last of what we needed and checked out. When we came home she immediately started playing with Scooter, who she calls Goota! Running up and Down the Hall, and throwing his toys to him. Scooter loves Kelsie! So then we sat down and had lunch, and Scooter was watching every single bite she took. LOL!!!

Then after she destroyed my basement, by getting all the toys out and spreading them around, we went to grandma's house and played there for an hour, and after she did the same thing to Grandma's we then we drove up to the Bountiful Temple to meet my Bro In Law. and then we went shopping again! Then we decided it was time to take Kelsie home, and we went back to my house to grab her things and we brought Scooter along for the ride. We were singing Shania Twain, and my mom started singing and Scooter got up and wanted to come sit on my lap, and then she stopped and he sat down on her lap again. And then she started singing again, and he was fighting to come to me again LOL!! 

So, by that time, Justin was done with work and we decided to go buy all of the food for Justin's brother Jame's wedding on tuesday! I had a $100 budget to feed 60 people with. So we sat down with James and we decided to make Lasagna for everyone. Which is a big expensive choice, but we managed to stay under the $100 budget!!!

we bought:

5 boxes of Lasagna Noodles @ $1.00 each

10 Jars of Prego Marinara @ $1.00 each

4 Containers of Ricotta Cheese @ $2.50 each

5 lbs Bag of Mozzarella Cheese @ $14.00

12 lbs Ground Beef at @ $20.00

4 Bags Texas Toast at @ $2.00 each

3 Giant Bags Salad @ $1.50 each

2 Salad Dressings @ $.98 each

Dozen Eggs @ $1.50

2 Bags Croutons @ $1.00 each

Bacon Bits @ $1.00

2 Brownie Mixes @ $1.00 each

The total came to about $91.00!! We saved almost $50.00 by price matching!!! We got home from the store about 10:30, I was so tired!! And I had a show the next morning from 11am-2pm. So I went straight to bed!!!

So the next morning I woke up about 8am, and got ready for my show. I got to Layton about 10:30 and set up for the show.

This was my set up for the show! 

My sister is a Paparazzi Accessories Consultant, and we had someone selling bows, and Purses. The next picture is just 1 of many tables my sister had set up.

Paparazzi Accessories

The show wasn't a money maker that's for sure, but we had fun. Lots of good treats and I got a really cute purse out of it!! If anyone is interested in any of the products from Paparazzi, Pampered Chef, and if you are looking for a Purse, let me know. It is the time of giving after all. And it's always a good time to treat yourself!!! 

There are so many cute styles!!!!

WELCOME TO MY WEEKEND!!!

Morgan's Birthday & a SURPRISE!!!

Happy 6th Birthday To My Cute Niece Morgan!!! She is growing up so fast!!! Too Fast!!! Lol! Well, we went to Boondocks for her Birthday, it was really fun, cause my mom and I played in the Batting Cages! However, we are definitely not pro's, it was extremely cold, so that made it harder for us. I got a blister where my wedding ring sits on my finger!! Note to self, next TAKE IT OFF!! lol. We had fun nonetheless. My sister's Mother In Law, made Morgan a really cute Giraffe Cake!!!

It was so creative and cute, I didn't think we should eat it, but no one else agreed!! lol. So we dug in!!

Alaris came in and told me to watch a big present they had for Morgan, and make sure Morgan didn't hear it bark!! I said WHAT??? I've got a dog in there!! I said "A REAL LIVE DOG?? IN A CLOSED BOX??? Turns out it was one of those Furr Real Dogs. Lol!!! I was scared for a minute!!!

My parents and I. Dad's watching College Football, Mom and I talking and eating cake!!

I LOVE THIS PIC OF MY MOMMY AND ME!!!

I am still surprised I have a smile on my face, at this point my mom was kicking my butt at Bowling!!

Oh, well it was still a lot of fun!! And...

TA-DA!!! SHORT HAIR DEBUT!!!!

So what do you all think??? It is definitely easier to style and take care of shorter!!!

Decorated for Christmas!!!

So, I finally found some of our Christmas Decorations, and decided to put them up!! This is my favorite time of the Year!!!

 I am so excited for the Holidays!!! I am mostly excited to give my friends and family their gifts. There is nothing I love more than giving to others, and seeing the looks on their faces. I hope in the years to come, I can afford to pick a few names of the angel tree, and give them a Christmas, they could never imagine!! This is the time to be grateful for what you have, and help others that aren't as well off, as me or you. I know Thanksgiving was last month, but I am going to write my Top 10 Things I am Thankful for.

1. An Amazing and Supportive Husband!!!
2. My Family and Friends
3. A Warm House To Live In
4. Food To Eat
5. Justin's Job
6. Date Nights
7. Temples
8. Journals
9. Pictures
10. Laughter

I know, what you all are thinking, Weird list!!! But I like it, lol. What are you all thankful for??

Disneyland!!!!

My sister, my mom and I met up with some of our Oregon Friends in Disneyland, we had a blast, up until I got sick, but we won't talk about that, lol. I hadn't been since 1997, and let me tell ya, I didn't even really recognize anything. It has changed so much. Especially since California Adventure wasn't even there. Well, we drove so we stopped in Las Vegas, I had never been there. It was CRAZY!!!! I still haven't decided if I liked the craziness or not, but I have been wanting to go back, I guess that is an indication that I liked it a little bit, : ) Alaris and I took pictures with Gumby!!! We told him we used to watch him as kids, and he turned to us, and said ME TOO!! lol!!! Man, let me tell ya, I was being hit on all over the place, Elvis wouldn't leave me alone!!! HAHA!!!! And that was just the beginning to the trip lol. And then we made it to CALIFORNIA!!!

 

DISNEYLAND!!!!!  Our girls trip started off with going to California Adventure for the first time, and we got to do all sorts of cool things, We rode Soarin' California, I screamed, The wind glider dude scared me so bad. All the girls laughed!! The we went to the Animation Acadamy, and we drew the pumpkin guy from the Nightmare Before Christmas! The first night we saw The World Of Color Show, can you say AMAZING!!!! 

The World of Color, was my favorite part of the trip!! 

The second day we went to Minnie's Breakfast, and had so much fun, Chip & Dale were fighting over our friend Kathy, at one point the both proposed to her and fought over who would be her dancing partner. That was the most fun breakfast I had ever been to!

 

We went on Space Mountain, and I was scared to death!!! My adopted Grandma Bonnie got stuck sitting next to me. She was laughing so hard, cause I was constantly screaming. We all thought she was gonna pee her pants! No worries everyone, She made it out of the ride Dry!! lol. After this point we had gotten our tickets to go to Fantasmic, we were eating dinner and I got FOOD POISONING! 

  So the rest of the trip I spent in our hotel room, I tried to get out and enjoy the rest of the trip, but by that time, my anxiety disorder had taken over and I was lost in an emotional well, that I still haven't gotten out of, but I was still so happy that I got to spend almost 2 full days in the Happiest Place On Earth!!! 

NBA IS BACK!!!

Finally, the players agreed with the owners, so we can get the entertainment going!!! Watching the games is something Justin & I really enjoy. Last year we went to a couple games, and are so excited to try and get tickets for this season!!! 

Each game we went to they lost, but we still had a lot of fun. My first jazz game I ever went to happened to be the last game that Darren Williams played in, and Jerry Sloan coached. So I guess it was a great game to go to. Of course we didn't know that until afterwards.

We went to a game vs the Golden State Warriors, and a game vs the Washington Wizards, we lost both games, but it was still a blast. The second game we went to, I surprised Justin with matching Jazz Jerseys, with our last names on them, and our favorite numbers. 

Mine's 18 because its my favorite #, & my favorite NFL player Peyton Manning (wrong sport I know)

Justin's is #12 because his favorite Jazz player John Stockton!

Is it just me?

Is it just me or do other women think like me? I Have no idea why I am almost jealous of other people's blogs! Lately I have been looking at other people's blogs, and see all these pictures that they take constantly, and fun things and vacations they go on, places they live. I am happy with life, but I see people I went to school with, going to New York on the weekends, it makes me wonder how people afford these things?!?! I just wish I was in good enough emotional shape to have a job, go out, go on vacations. It just seems like this emotional disorder is never gonna end. I try to stay positive about it, but seeing how much fun everyone else has, it makes me feel like I am missing out on so many things in life. Well, eventually these things will work out for us, Just waiting seems like never gonna happen!!

Christmas Time on Temple Square!

Temple Square was so gorgeous on the day after thanksgiving! 

Justin & I decided to go on a date night to Temple Square,

the day after Thanksgiving, it was so packed! But Gorgeous at the same time!!! 

The walk to Temple Square was the Best part for me!!!

Nothing better to me, than walking down a walkway lighted by Christmas Lights!!! 

I tried to take pics of Justin & I, but the lighting wasn't our friend with that! 

So Enjoy the few pics!!

Best Pasta Salad Recipe Ever!!

• 4-5 Servings
• Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

10 15 25

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked bow tie pasta
• 2-1/2 cups frozen broccoli florets
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cups cubed deli ham
• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions, adding the broccoli, onion and garlic during the last 5-7 minutes. Cook until pasta and broccoli are tender; drain. In a large serving bowl, combine the ham, olives and pasta mixture.
• In a small bowl, whisk the oil, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes. Pour over pasta mixture. Sprinkle with cheese; toss to coat. Yield: 4-5 servings.

Easy Dinner Recipe!

Easy Lasagna

• 1 (9 ounce) box of barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2  eggs
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesean cheese(optional)
• 1 lb ground beef or 1 lb sausage, browned
•  Spaghetti or pasta sauce
•  parsley (to garnish)

Directions:

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 375.
2. 2
   In bowl, combine beaten eggs, ricotta cheese and TWO cups of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan.
3. 3
   If you choose not to use the parmesan, just add more mozzarella.
4. 4
   Set aside.
5. 5
   In a 13X9X3 pan, spread 1 cup of sauce on bottom of pan.
6. 6
   Layer in the order, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles (they will overlap), then 1/3 part of the ricotta cheese mixture, half the browned meat, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup of spaghetti sauce.
7. 7
   Next layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1/3 part of the ricotta cheese mixture, and 1 1/2 Cups sauce.
8. 8
   Next layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining ricotta mixture and remained meat, 1 cup of sauce.
9. 9
   For top layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining sauce, and remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
10. 10
    Bake covered with foil for 50-60 minutes.
11. 11
    Uncover and continue cooking until all the cheese is melted on the top (about 5 minutes).
12. 12
    Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
13. 13
    If you are using a 13X9X2 pan---just make 3 layers to avoid boiling over.

Date Night

 We didn't do very well, but we had a lot of fun bowling, we haven't bowled in awhile, so I don't think it was that bad!! lol. After we went bowling we went and got some shakes, and went to the Bountiful Temple to take some pictures!!!

 I like this picture! It didn't turn out that great, but its the only one that had the letters turn out!!

 We found this really cool seashell ball, I want it really bad, lol. But it is priced at 150.00!!! I think I can make it cheaper than that, and it might be really fun!!!

Love Christmas Decor!!! I thought this was a really cool idea!! A Christmas Tree made out of seashells and seashell flowers!!!!!

Pampered Chef Party!

I had a Pampered Chef and Paparazzi Party last night, it went well for me, I made a Trifle, it was good, but the brownies were burned a little, I liked it though.

Recipe: Cheesecake Trifle
2 Large Boxes of Cheesecake Pudding
1 bag of fun size Snickers (chop)
1 Large Container Of Cool Whip
2 boxes of brownies

Directions:
Bake brownies in seperate containers, according to box directions, when done baking stir brownies mix to make it fluffy, and layer an inch on the bottom of  the trifle bowl, mix pudding and layer on top of brownies, layer cool whip on pudding, sprinkle snickers on cool whip and continue until the bowl is full.

Carving Pumpkins!!!

So Justin and I decided to carve pumpkins this year, neither one of us is artistic, so don't judge to harshly ; ) ! I carved mine from memory and Justin used a picture, we tried, and we are proud of them!

Shopping Trip To Kohls, that cost me nothing!!!

I got 2 new pairs of shoes and a sweater and a sweater dress!!! That ultimately cost me nothing out of pocket. We went Christmas shopping for our families and for eachother, and we got 30% off that order and it was a Kohls Cash week!! So we got $50 kohls cash, and we had returned something we didn't like and got gift cards back for that, so we had some $ to mess with and get whatever!!! My heels cost 17.99, My boots cost 25.00, My Sweater costs 30.00 and my sweater dress cost 15.00!!! And we got our Christmas Cards today as well, now just to take the pictures!!

I LOVE THESE HEELS!!!

MOST COMFORTABLE BOOTS!!!

MY SWEATER DRESS AND SWEATER

Our House Updated!

BEFORE MANTLE

AFTER FIREPLACE/MANTLE

BEFORE LIVING ROOM W/ SCOOTER

AFTER LIVING ROOM

BEFORE DRESSER

AFTER DRESSER

BEFORE BEDROOM

AFTER BEDROOM

A new wedding ring!

I got a gorgeous new wedding ring back in July, it is so pretty and I love it. Unfortunately my original band broke, so we had to get it replaced. I miss my original, but I am happy with the new one. All that matters is it came from someone I love, and he loves me. lol.

WEIGHT LOSS!!!

I am so excited!! I tried on all my formal dresses tonight, and they ALL FIT!!! Even my 8th grade choir dress!!!! Pictures soon to be posted!!!

Fashion Design School!!!

So I have decided I love to sketch and design clothing and all sorts of things, So I decided that I am going to shoot to go to Fashion Design School. I have been designing all sorts of things lately, such as jewelry, floor plans, and WEDDING DRESSES!!!! Most of the dresses I have designed are sleeveless at the moment, because I haven't really figured out how to draw them the way I want yet. And Some of them are Mermaid style.