http://morph.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk//transformer/
My original:
Baby morph:
Botticelli morph:
East Asian morph:
Modigliani morph:
Lame.
*************
Up tomorrow: A letter to someone I judged by their first impression
Monday, August 30, 2010
Day 24 - Face morph
Visit this site, upload your picture, follow directions.
http://morph.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk//transformer/
My original:
Baby morph:
Botticelli morph:
East Asian morph:
Modigliani morph:
Lame.
*************
Up tomorrow: A letter to someone I judged by their first impression
http://morph.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk//transformer/
My original:
Baby morph:
Botticelli morph:
East Asian morph:
Modigliani morph:
Lame.
*************
Up tomorrow: A letter to someone I judged by their first impression
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Day 23 - Share a favorite tune
One thing I hate about doing these things (like listing favorites) is that I can never think of my favorites when I write these posts, but I always think of lots of things to say after I've published the post. Oh well. That being said, it's hard for me to think of anything specific right now.
I do like listening to Pandora.com. You input a song you like (or an artist you like) and Pandora will play songs for you based on what you liked. One station I really like lately is the one I created based on the song "Chasing Pavements" by Adele. Most of the songs they play are great, and I only have to skip a few of them. I also like a station based on "Tim McGraw". It plays some great music too. They're great stations for just playing in the house during the day. The girls love music and it really enhances the mood of our house when we have music on.
I am loving the song "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz, and I would LOVE to get it on my running playlist. Maybe I'll just have to suck it up and pay $.99 on iTunes. :) Garrett thinks it's way overplayed on the radio but I think it's perfect to run to.
Speaking of my playlist for running...... I have the typical workout songs - Beyonce, Cake, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Usher, etc. (maybe these aren't "typical"? I don't know, actually). But I think some people would be surprised by a few of the other songs like to listen to while I'm running, ones that aren't very fast - "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins, "Please Remember Me" by Tim McGraw, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" by Darius Rucker, or some Eagles songs. These songs mean a lot to me and get my adrenaline going as much as any other workout song does. I like to have a good mix of music for working out.
I love music, all kinds of music. I love how it can bring a "mood" to our home, and how it can get me in different moods (depending on how I want to feel, what I want to think about, etc.). It can be so nostalgic, or happy, or whatever. I love it. And I love that my girls love it too. I hope that someday they will hear these songs again (the ones we like to listen to) and remember all the happy times we've had.
And also in the "nostalgia" category..... first tape I ever owned? Beach Boys. Don't remember which one but I remember buying it when we lived in Pittsburgh (I was 7 or 8). First CD I ever owned? Mariah Carey, Fantasy. Good times.
What was the first tape you ever owned? First CD?
***********
Up tomorrow: Face morph. Don't worry, it's as lame as it sounds.
I do like listening to Pandora.com. You input a song you like (or an artist you like) and Pandora will play songs for you based on what you liked. One station I really like lately is the one I created based on the song "Chasing Pavements" by Adele. Most of the songs they play are great, and I only have to skip a few of them. I also like a station based on "Tim McGraw". It plays some great music too. They're great stations for just playing in the house during the day. The girls love music and it really enhances the mood of our house when we have music on.
I am loving the song "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz, and I would LOVE to get it on my running playlist. Maybe I'll just have to suck it up and pay $.99 on iTunes. :) Garrett thinks it's way overplayed on the radio but I think it's perfect to run to.
Speaking of my playlist for running...... I have the typical workout songs - Beyonce, Cake, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Usher, etc. (maybe these aren't "typical"? I don't know, actually). But I think some people would be surprised by a few of the other songs like to listen to while I'm running, ones that aren't very fast - "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins, "Please Remember Me" by Tim McGraw, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" by Darius Rucker, or some Eagles songs. These songs mean a lot to me and get my adrenaline going as much as any other workout song does. I like to have a good mix of music for working out.
I love music, all kinds of music. I love how it can bring a "mood" to our home, and how it can get me in different moods (depending on how I want to feel, what I want to think about, etc.). It can be so nostalgic, or happy, or whatever. I love it. And I love that my girls love it too. I hope that someday they will hear these songs again (the ones we like to listen to) and remember all the happy times we've had.
And also in the "nostalgia" category..... first tape I ever owned? Beach Boys. Don't remember which one but I remember buying it when we lived in Pittsburgh (I was 7 or 8). First CD I ever owned? Mariah Carey, Fantasy. Good times.
What was the first tape you ever owned? First CD?
***********
Up tomorrow: Face morph. Don't worry, it's as lame as it sounds.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Day 22 - A photo that makes me happy
Match Day, March 2010
I think the look on Garrett's face says it all. Years and years of hard work and sacrifice all proved to be worthwhile when Garrett opened his envelope to discover that yes, he would be working in the field of his choice, in his #1 ranked program. It was a fantastic day, spent with great friends. I'll never forget it.
************
Up tomorrow: Share a favorite tune
************
Up tomorrow: Share a favorite tune
Friday, August 27, 2010
Day 21 - Favorite television program(s)
Hands down, the best program of all time is Arrested Development. It's hilarious, it's brilliant, it never gets old. I will warn you though, that if you watch the Pilot episode (on DVD), there is some swearing. That's because it was originally going to be on HBO. Anyway, the show only lasted for 3 seasons because it was completely undervalued while it was around. It's a classic now, though. Classic. They've been talking about doing a movie for years, and I'm still hoping it comes to fruition. Now that is a movie I would pay to see in the theater.
Seinfeld is also brilliant. I could watch reruns of Seinfeld every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. Hilarious. The great thing about that show is that everyone can appreciate it. It's universal.
Garrett and I have recently started watching 24. It. is. INTENSE! And I have to say, I'm pretty disturbed at how much violence there is but it's pretty exciting too. And we all know I have a crush on Jack Bauer so I forgive him for his misdeeds (not that he does anything wrong. He's one of the good guys!). We are halfway through the second season and I'm loving that we have 6 more seasons to watch after this!
***********
Up tomorrow: A photo that makes me happy
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Day 20 - Someone that changed my life
I met her in March 1995. Her family moved into our ward, and it was a really big deal because she had three cute brothers. :) She was my age, and in fifth grade just like I was. But she was much less naive (it seemed) and more mature. When we met I still had a unibrow and awful clothes. She wore heels (ok, like 1.5 inches, but still). I probably still tucked my sweatshirts into my pants, haha. And I had awful, awful bangs. Hers were grown out, of course. Like I said, she was much more mature than I was.
We became friends, naturally. We saw each other every week at Church, and our families became good friends too, which worked out well for our friendship. She introduced me to cool music like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, and taught me how to shave my legs. We'd spend hours in my room or her room, listening to music and talking about our futures - who we would marry, where we would live, how many kids we would have. We also talked a lot about going to college and living together. We said we would always be best friends, BFF's we said. Nothing could tear us apart.
I was jealous of her a lot because she seemed to be a little more popular than I was, and she was definitely prettier, but we seemed to be a match made in heaven. We were inseparable. At church activities we were connected at the hip, and often switched up nametags just to mess with everyone. We took each other on family trips (remember Sharon VT in the camper? Cabin in Utah? Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving?). We had a secret language (which, annoyingly, her older brother eventually cracked), private jokes (Wespo, "Stephanie....????"). Just a few weeks ago I came across a 5-page printout of one of our chats on AIM. It was hilarious but so us.
When we got to high school we became especially busy in our different high schools and different activities, but we still made time for each other and saw each other all the time. She and her brother(s) would come over for breakfast after seminary (usually on Wednesdays), which was always fun. We spent lazy Sunday afternoons together on the hammock, just dreaming away. We'd play the game of "Life" with her siblings, or we'd play Phase 10, sometimes cheating if we were being forced to play. We had slumber parties, trying to stay up all night watching Pride & Prejudice, but we never seemed to get through all 5 hours at once.
I could go on and on about the memories I have. She taught me a lot. I grew a lot from my friendship with her. We went through some tough times in our 8 years together but thankfully our friendship remained solid.
We did eventually live together, during our freshman year at BYU. It was great. But we started to grow apart. She seemed to hate it there, but I couldn't relate to that because I loved it. We started to grow distant I think, and sadly I don't really know why I didn't try harder to keep us together. I think she was going through a hard time, but I'm an avoider and didn't know what to say or how to help, so I stayed silent. I let our friendship slip away.
Now, seven years later, we are living completely separate (and opposite) lives. She is starting an exciting career, and I am busy with two little kids. We live on opposite sides of the country. I don't think I've seen her more than 3 or 4 times in the last six or seven years. It's fun to go back read my journals from those years of my life that we were friends. We thought we would be together forever.
I don't think she reads my blog, but if she does......
Hi! I miss you. Thanks for being one of my best friends. You were one of the best things that ever happened to my little 11-year-old self (and until I was 19). You encouraged me, you helped me grow up, you introduced me to so many things. You let me cry on your shoulder when my heart was broken. You gave me advice. You were there for me. I knew I could always count on you. I hope that everyone, at some point in their lives, gets to have the kind of friend I had in you for all those years. Thank you.
****************
Up tomorrow: Favorite television program(s)
We became friends, naturally. We saw each other every week at Church, and our families became good friends too, which worked out well for our friendship. She introduced me to cool music like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, and taught me how to shave my legs. We'd spend hours in my room or her room, listening to music and talking about our futures - who we would marry, where we would live, how many kids we would have. We also talked a lot about going to college and living together. We said we would always be best friends, BFF's we said. Nothing could tear us apart.
I was jealous of her a lot because she seemed to be a little more popular than I was, and she was definitely prettier, but we seemed to be a match made in heaven. We were inseparable. At church activities we were connected at the hip, and often switched up nametags just to mess with everyone. We took each other on family trips (remember Sharon VT in the camper? Cabin in Utah? Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving?). We had a secret language (which, annoyingly, her older brother eventually cracked), private jokes (Wespo, "Stephanie....????"). Just a few weeks ago I came across a 5-page printout of one of our chats on AIM. It was hilarious but so us.
When we got to high school we became especially busy in our different high schools and different activities, but we still made time for each other and saw each other all the time. She and her brother(s) would come over for breakfast after seminary (usually on Wednesdays), which was always fun. We spent lazy Sunday afternoons together on the hammock, just dreaming away. We'd play the game of "Life" with her siblings, or we'd play Phase 10, sometimes cheating if we were being forced to play. We had slumber parties, trying to stay up all night watching Pride & Prejudice, but we never seemed to get through all 5 hours at once.
I could go on and on about the memories I have. She taught me a lot. I grew a lot from my friendship with her. We went through some tough times in our 8 years together but thankfully our friendship remained solid.
We did eventually live together, during our freshman year at BYU. It was great. But we started to grow apart. She seemed to hate it there, but I couldn't relate to that because I loved it. We started to grow distant I think, and sadly I don't really know why I didn't try harder to keep us together. I think she was going through a hard time, but I'm an avoider and didn't know what to say or how to help, so I stayed silent. I let our friendship slip away.
Now, seven years later, we are living completely separate (and opposite) lives. She is starting an exciting career, and I am busy with two little kids. We live on opposite sides of the country. I don't think I've seen her more than 3 or 4 times in the last six or seven years. It's fun to go back read my journals from those years of my life that we were friends. We thought we would be together forever.
I don't think she reads my blog, but if she does......
Hi! I miss you. Thanks for being one of my best friends. You were one of the best things that ever happened to my little 11-year-old self (and until I was 19). You encouraged me, you helped me grow up, you introduced me to so many things. You let me cry on your shoulder when my heart was broken. You gave me advice. You were there for me. I knew I could always count on you. I hope that everyone, at some point in their lives, gets to have the kind of friend I had in you for all those years. Thank you.
****************
Up tomorrow: Favorite television program(s)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Day 19 - Free day - Happenings
Abby, August 2010
Garrett finished his internal medicine rotation. It was a month from H-E-double hockey sticks. He was on call 5 times, which means he went in at 7 a.m. and worked straight until the next day around 1 or 2 pm. Some nights he was able to sleep for about 45 minutes but not usually. After he'd get home from being on call, he'd sleep for a few hours, get up and have dinner, and then back to bed early so he could be back at work the next day at 7. Garrett lost about 6 pounds from the stress and constant running around. I am so glad that Garrett is in a transitional intern program this year. If he had done a year of medicine for his intern year (like most people going into radiology), this would have been his schedule for an entire year. Except it would have been worse because he would have been on call every third day instead of every fifth day. Thanks honey, for getting into a transitional year! :)
One funny story that I think describes his experience well is something that happened a few weeks ago. Garrett was trying to get some sleep in the on-call room when a nurse called him around 3:30 am. One of his patients was experiencing some minor throat pain, probably as a result of a tube she had running down her throat into her stomach. Garrett asked the nurse if the patient had any morphine available. The nurse said that she did. Garrett thought about it for a minute and then asked if Tylenol was possible. Well, they would have to crush it up and put it through the tube, that would be a real hassle. So Garrett thought about morphine for a few more minutes (probably trying to figure out a dose) until finally the nurse said, "Um.... I was just thinking of maybe giving her some chloraseptic spray. Is that okay?" Garrett said, "Oh yeah, that sounds fine!!" He was pretty embarrassed that he had overlooked the obvious and was about to give morphine to someone with a sore throat, but I suppose that's bound to happen when you are going into your 20th hour of being at work. I can't even imagine the kind of stress he experiences.
And now he's started his plastic surgery rotation. Yesterday he didn't have to go in until 1 pm, which was when a surgery was scheduled for, but it ended up being cancelled so he came right back home. I could get used to this!
I am keeping busy too. The food storage blog is starting to get back in full swing (we took it easy this summer), and I've been finishing up a few quilts that were half done. Still doing P90x about 4 times a week, and running or walking 4-5 times a week too. I decided that I just cannot run if it's over 90 degrees outside. It was killing me and it's just not worth it. So now I just walk a few miles if it's too hot to run. I'm also teaching piano lessons. I have four students, all siblings, and it's going well. It's been a long time since I taught, but I'm slowing remembering things. It's kind of hard though because I didn't ever take formal lessons, and one of the girls is pretty advanced and I just don't know what to teach her. So I've found some websites that will hopefully get me up to speed. :) Anyway, it's great to have some spending money of my own. We debated this (nicely) for a while, but in the end, we've decided it's my money. Garrett works full time at the hospital. I work full time taking care of the girls and household stuff (paying bills, cleaning, etc). Piano lessons is my "extra" job, so I can do what I want to with the money. Right now I'm not saving for anything in particular. I'm kind of hoping to save it all (or most of it) until we move into a house in Florida, then spend it on some new furniture and things for the house. I would love to go out and buy curtains and other fun things now (our apartment could definitely use it!), but it seems like such a waste to spend money on those things when we'll only be here for another 9-10 months. So I'm saving up for the house, but buying a few things here and there (i.e. throw pillows) that will for sure work even after we move.
We are going to D.C. this weekend - I'm so excited to spend some time away with Garrett's family. We're meeting his parents and sister and her family there for the Glenn Beck rally. I've never been to a rally before so it should be fun. I'm crossing my fingers that Garrett can take Friday off so we can spend the whole day Friday in D.C., too. I'd love to go to the temple and also spend some extra time downtown doing some sightseeing. Last time we were in D.C. was during the cherry blossom festival, and while it was fun to be there with family, it was pretty miserable trying to fight the crowds. Hopefully this weekend will be much better.
Abby is having fun. We finally got a new hard drive (I broke our last one, don't ask) and we were able to transfer all our old files to the new one, thank goodness. There were a lot of Disney movies on it, so Abby's been watching one movie a day. It's so fun to watch movies with her that I loved as a kid! It's great to see her reactions to the funny parts and the songs. She's been watching Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and the Little Mermaid. She loves them all. Abby's also in a tough stage. Three years old is hard! She is definitely pushing her boundaries. Probably the biggest problem we have is getting her to stay seated at the table during mealtimes. Each day, I finally threaten her that I will take her meal away if she gets off the chair one more time, so she'll slowing slide off the chair and put both feet on the ground, but still lean on the chair. So I take her food away, she screams and cries, and then usually I give in because she really doesn't eat much in general, so I feel bad taking away the food she does want to eat. And then I feel guilty for giving in and I realize she'll never learn if I keep doing that. We're working on it.
Ellie is cute as usual. I am loving her age right now. When Abby was one year old, I remember just loving that stage and I'm feeling the same way about Ellie now. Too young to be naughty, old enough that she can be a bit independent, and easily appeased with snacks. She is also starting to say little phrases ("What is that?"), which is just adorable. Still doesn't say "mama", though. :)
So that's us right now. I have noticed that a couple of my friends have picked up the 50 Day challenge and I'm LOVING it! Still waiting for Emma to start, though (and a few others!). But I suppose she has an excuse since she just had a baby. (Speaking of the baby.... he is so cute. I wrote a post about baby John a few weeks ago and he's gotten cuter since!!)
Oh, and we just started season two of '24' (thank you, plastic surgery elective, for allowing Garrett to be home so much!). It's intense! We're loving it and it has definitely solidified my celebrity crush that I wrote about last week.
************
Up tomorrow: Someone that changed my life
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Day 18 - Share or set a goal
Garrett and I have a goal that someday, we will attend all 4 of the tennis Grand Slams.
This is a big deal because Garrett really doesn't like to travel much, especially to places he's never been. Sure, he loves going on the yearly dirtbike trips in southern Utah (when he can make it), and he likes to visit family, but Garrett's not really into seeing new places and learning about history. Especially in Europe. Every time I mention traveling to Europe, Garrett gets a disgusted look on his face. Don't know why.
So, I was rather surprised when Garrett mentioned that it's one of his goals to attend all four Grand Slams, seeing as how two of them are in Europe (Wimbledon and the French Open). I told him that since each tournament lasts about a week (at least), he'd be spending a good chunk of time in each country, which he's okay with. I'll admit, I didn't know much about tennis before Garrett and I got married, but I love sports and I quickly caught on to the rules as we have watched various tournaments on tv throughout the last couple of years. I'm really excited about this goal we have, not only for the tennis but for the fun travel experiences it will provide for us.
4 Grand Slams:
Wimbledon (England)
French Open (France)
U.S. Open (NYC)
Australian Open (Sydney)
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Up tomorrow: Free day.....
4 Grand Slams:
Wimbledon (England)
French Open (France)
U.S. Open (NYC)
Australian Open (Sydney)
*****************
Up tomorrow: Free day.....
Monday, August 23, 2010
Day 17 - A photo that makes you sad
This photo makes me want to cry. In fact, every time I look at it my eyes fill with tears. I don't know what's going on with me... I'm not a crier, at all. But this photo...... man oh man, it gets me every time. (One reason I'm really sad that this photo is kind of blurry, because if it wasn't I'd probably (definitely) blow it up and frame it.)
I can't stand that this little girl won't be like this forever. She won't always nap twice a day. She won't always wake up happy and excited every single day. She won't always giggle and roll around on the floor. She won't always go absolutely crazy with joy when Garrett walks in the front door after work. She won't always just have one word in her vocabulary: "dada". She won't always reach up for tree branches when we walk under them, making us lift her into the leaves so she can grab them. She won't always scream until we give her her sippy cup when she goes to bed (well ok, let's hope for that one). She won't always giggle at my funny faces and give drool-filled kisses. She won't always play peekaboo in the doorway, or bury her face in my neck when she gets shy. She won't always have milky, smooth skin and tiny rolls of baby fat on her thighs. She won't always sit in the under-carriage of the double stroller, her blond hair blowing in the wind as we run. She won't always have deep, belly laughs whenever Abby acts silly with her.
Sad thoughts. Ellie, please stop growing and just be my 1-year-old forever.
Ellie, August 2010.
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Up tomorrow: Share or set a goal
Day 16 - 5 Celebrity crushes
So, admittedly, I really don't have any "celebrity crushes". I don't really know celebrities (let's face it, not many people do), and I always tended to have a crush on people I knew, not someone I just saw and never talked to.
And finally........
Uncle Jesse. What little girl in the mid-90's DIDN'T have a crush on Uncle Jesse? The bad boy with a sensitive side.... every girl's dream, I think. And nowadays, John Stamos is still pretty easy on the eyes.
******************
Up tomorrow (well, later today): A photo that makes me sad
However, some movie and tv characters....... that's a whole other story.
Jack Bauer. What can I say? Garrett and I recently got Netflix and neither of us had ever seen an episode of "24", so we started with season 1 (it took us only about a week and a half to get through all 24 episodes). I have to say... Kiefer Sutherland is not really that impressive-looking (sorry Kiefer). But Jack Bauer? Wow. Wowowow. (P.S. Do you know how hard it is to find a picture of Jack Bauer without his gun?) We've only seen the first season and I'm in love.
Dr. Jack Shepherd from "Lost". I think many ladies agree with me here. Not much explanation is needed. And hey, he's a doctor. Clearly that does something for me. The next one, however, I've gotten flack about:
Dr. House. Yeah, maybe this seems odd, but I think he's incredibly handsome. And there's something about his sarcasm that I just love. That must be why I married Garrett. He's sarcastic, and now he's a doctor. Hmmm, interesting...
I know it's incredibly cliche to like Brad Pitt, but I must include this caveat that I like Brad Pitt in "Ocean's Eleven" specifically. I'm not a huge fan of his normally but he's very good looking in this movie. Oh, and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." Other than those two movies, I don't care much about him.
And finally........
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Up tomorrow (well, later today): A photo that makes me sad
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Day 15 - Someone I wish I could meet
Garrett and I went out to dinner tonight (sushi!!) for our anniversary, and I knew I still had to come home and write this blog post so I decided to ask him who he would like to meet as well. And, you may not know this about Garrett, but he is funny when it comes to questions like this. He hates questions like this. He hates "favorites" questions ("superlatives", he calls them), and this includes questions like "who would you want to meet...", "if you could eat one food....", etc. I begged him to just think about it, though, because really I think the reason he doesn't like those questions is because he doesn't want to think that hard. He thinks a lot at work, about important things (like, ahem, how to save someone's life), so when he gets home I think he just doesn't want to think much.
Anyway.
Garrett said that he would like to meet Amelia Earhart, to ask her what happened to her. And even though I don't think she falls into this category (there is another blog post for "person I would want to meet who is dead", but that's ok. I'm just glad he thought of someone and it wasn't a joke). But his answer sparked another discussion we had, which was about what "secret" we would want to know the answer to. You know, like why does cheese have so many caloriens and why do babies ALWAYS go for the one non-toy item on the floor amidst a sea of toys specifically for them?? Oh, never mind, not those secrets. Secrets like, who really shot JFK (and what exactly happened), does the government (besides Fox Moulder) know the truth about aliens, why was Michael Jackson so weird, and did we really land on the moon? Among others. It was an interesting discussion. And the sushi was amazing, by the way.
But back to the question at hand. Someone I wish I could meet. I've been thinking about this one for several days, and I finally came to a decision (I know, as if this was a life or death question here!).
It may sound cliche, or the "easy" answer, but honestly, if I could have an hour (or two!) to sit down and chat with anyone in the entire world, it would be the prophet, Thomas S. Monson. For those of you not familiar with who this is, I'll explain. Something unique about our Church is that we have a living prophet who guides us, under the direction of Jesus Christ, just like the Church did in Biblical times. This makes a lot of sense to me... I mean, if God spoke to prophets in olden times, He would also do it now because he is the same God. Our prophet today is President Monson. I would love to have some time to speak with him, to learn from him personally, to feel of his spirit, and to just be in his presence. He's a man who speaks with God directly. I think that time with him would be life-changing. I have been in the presence of prophets before (in huge auditoriums) and it's amazing. I would love a more personal experience, though - the opportunity to speak with him and have him give me personal advice and encouragement.
Who would YOU want to meet?
***********
Up tomorrow: 5 celebrity crushes
Anyway.
Garrett said that he would like to meet Amelia Earhart, to ask her what happened to her. And even though I don't think she falls into this category (there is another blog post for "person I would want to meet who is dead", but that's ok. I'm just glad he thought of someone and it wasn't a joke). But his answer sparked another discussion we had, which was about what "secret" we would want to know the answer to. You know, like why does cheese have so many caloriens and why do babies ALWAYS go for the one non-toy item on the floor amidst a sea of toys specifically for them?? Oh, never mind, not those secrets. Secrets like, who really shot JFK (and what exactly happened), does the government (besides Fox Moulder) know the truth about aliens, why was Michael Jackson so weird, and did we really land on the moon? Among others. It was an interesting discussion. And the sushi was amazing, by the way.
But back to the question at hand. Someone I wish I could meet. I've been thinking about this one for several days, and I finally came to a decision (I know, as if this was a life or death question here!).
It may sound cliche, or the "easy" answer, but honestly, if I could have an hour (or two!) to sit down and chat with anyone in the entire world, it would be the prophet, Thomas S. Monson. For those of you not familiar with who this is, I'll explain. Something unique about our Church is that we have a living prophet who guides us, under the direction of Jesus Christ, just like the Church did in Biblical times. This makes a lot of sense to me... I mean, if God spoke to prophets in olden times, He would also do it now because he is the same God. Our prophet today is President Monson. I would love to have some time to speak with him, to learn from him personally, to feel of his spirit, and to just be in his presence. He's a man who speaks with God directly. I think that time with him would be life-changing. I have been in the presence of prophets before (in huge auditoriums) and it's amazing. I would love a more personal experience, though - the opportunity to speak with him and have him give me personal advice and encouragement.
Who would YOU want to meet?
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Up tomorrow: 5 celebrity crushes
Friday, August 20, 2010
Day 14 - A song from my childhood
Probably the song that sticks out the most from my childhood is "Somewhere Out There" by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram, from 1987 (it was also in the movie "An American Tale". I remember we had a record of it when we lived on Riverside Drive (in NH) and we would beg my parents to play it over and over again so we could dance to it in the living room.
I think my siblings would also agree that we listened to a lot of Don Williams, Marty Robbins, George Strait (esp. "Baby Blue"!!!), Vince Gill, the Judds, Crosby/Stills/Nash/Young, Sting.
Speaking of music, there was one time (for two years) when all four of us kids shared a tiny bedroom (we had bunk beds, and a mattress on the floor that would rest against the wall during the day). My mom used to play the guitar for us after we went to bed and I loved that.
Also, I remember riding whenever we drove in the big silver van, my dad would have music on the radio. I don't really remember the exact music that we would listen to but I remember that sometimes after the intro music would start, my dad would say the beginning phrase or sentence from the song.... about 3 seconds before it was actually sung. I was always amazed and wondered how my dad knew the words to so many songs.Save as Draft
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Up tomorrow: Someone I wish I could meet
Speaking of music, there was one time (for two years) when all four of us kids shared a tiny bedroom (we had bunk beds, and a mattress on the floor that would rest against the wall during the day). My mom used to play the guitar for us after we went to bed and I loved that.
Also, I remember riding whenever we drove in the big silver van, my dad would have music on the radio. I don't really remember the exact music that we would listen to but I remember that sometimes after the intro music would start, my dad would say the beginning phrase or sentence from the song.... about 3 seconds before it was actually sung. I was always amazed and wondered how my dad knew the words to so many songs.Save as Draft
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Up tomorrow: Someone I wish I could meet
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Day 13 - Free day - Opinions, please
I can be really indecisive sometimes, especially when it comes to decorating. I'll be the first to admit that I have trouble defining my "style". I'm fine with that, but it makes it difficult to buy things for my house because I usually only like something for a short time and then I move on. Or, I can't decide if I really like something or not. Like my new lamps.
I bought some new lamps a few weeks ago for our living room. They were much-needed, but I am having a really, really hard time deciding if I love them or not. Are they too modern? Will I still like them in 6 months? Are they too short? Will I be able to find an inexpensive shade that will go well with it? (I don't like the current shade very much - it's kind of shimmery) These are the questions that keep me up at night. I bought them at TJ Maxx, so they weren't expensive (less than $30 each).
So, what do you think about them? There are two of them, one on each side of the couch, but I couldn't get them both in the shot because Garrett's Nikon has a fixed lens on it right now and I don't know how to switch out the lenses (and our point-and-shoot is broken, waaahhh).
I understand that lots of people don't like to leave comments. Comment anonymously if that makes you feel better!
Oh, and about the pillows.... I just made (!!) those pillow covers and I'm in love with them. I covered the existing throw pillows that came with the couch. I've been wanting those exact pillows FOREVER but couldn't find them online for less than $20 each. So, I made them, about paid about $10 total for the fabric (although I could have bought a LOT less fabric... I only used about half of it). Still have two more to make (with different fabrics) and I'll show them to you when they're done.
PS - Today is Garrett's and my 6th wedding anniversary!! I would gush about it, but I just wrote a letter to my crush last week and I don't think Garrett likes too much "love-y" stuff on the blog, so I'm sparing him. If you want to see a wedding picture you can read an old anniversary post here, from two years ago.
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Up tomorrow: A song from my childhood
I bought some new lamps a few weeks ago for our living room. They were much-needed, but I am having a really, really hard time deciding if I love them or not. Are they too modern? Will I still like them in 6 months? Are they too short? Will I be able to find an inexpensive shade that will go well with it? (I don't like the current shade very much - it's kind of shimmery) These are the questions that keep me up at night. I bought them at TJ Maxx, so they weren't expensive (less than $30 each).
So, what do you think about them? There are two of them, one on each side of the couch, but I couldn't get them both in the shot because Garrett's Nikon has a fixed lens on it right now and I don't know how to switch out the lenses (and our point-and-shoot is broken, waaahhh).
I understand that lots of people don't like to leave comments. Comment anonymously if that makes you feel better!
Oh, and about the pillows.... I just made (!!) those pillow covers and I'm in love with them. I covered the existing throw pillows that came with the couch. I've been wanting those exact pillows FOREVER but couldn't find them online for less than $20 each. So, I made them, about paid about $10 total for the fabric (although I could have bought a LOT less fabric... I only used about half of it). Still have two more to make (with different fabrics) and I'll show them to you when they're done.
PS - Today is Garrett's and my 6th wedding anniversary!! I would gush about it, but I just wrote a letter to my crush last week and I don't think Garrett likes too much "love-y" stuff on the blog, so I'm sparing him. If you want to see a wedding picture you can read an old anniversary post here, from two years ago.
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Up tomorrow: A song from my childhood
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Day 12 - Self portrait
Here's a "keeping it real" photo for you. Post-workout.... I think I see the remnants of yesterday's mascara on my face, too.
It's really hard to take a self portrait with a fixed lens on an SLR camera.... Half of my face was blurry in most of the pictures. I did finally find a spot with good natural light in our apartment though.
Taken August 17, 2010.
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Up tomorrow - it's a free day... hmmmmmmmm
It's really hard to take a self portrait with a fixed lens on an SLR camera.... Half of my face was blurry in most of the pictures. I did finally find a spot with good natural light in our apartment though.
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Up tomorrow - it's a free day... hmmmmmmmm
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Day 11 - Favorite recipe(s)
One of my favorite recipes currently is this hummus. It's a pantry-only item, so it's food storage friendly, and it's so delicious and healthy. I just love hummus and Abby loves it too! We eat this hummus on sandwiches, or just as a dip with carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, pita bread, celery, cherry tomatoes... lots of possibilities. Abby usually just eats it plain (she just licks it off her carrots and dips them back in again).
Another family favorite is this Szechuan Shrimp from Allrecipes.com. It's healthy and filling. I usually have to cut the amount of red pepper flakes in half, though, for Garrett's sake. I just add extra on my serving!
And I can't forget to include the recipes for Margherita Pizza. I ADORE homemade pizza, especially Margherita Pizza. It's my absolute favorite kind (that and mushroom pizza). Even though this recipe I linked has 4 cheeses, it's just as good with only mozzarella, so even if that's all you have on hand it's still delicious!
My go-to favorite for desserts is this Apple Pie from Allrecipes. In fact I made it last week for a Church activity and it won first place in the pie category. It's yummy. Not as good as Linda Chaston's blueberry pie with cream cheese, but it's still good. :)
Another incredible recipe is one for Clam Chowder that I found (and tweaked) a few years ago from Allrecipes.com. It's too hot outside to even think about making soup right now, but I'm so excited for winter so I can make this again. It really is SO good if you love Clam Chowder like I do!
The Best Clam Chowder
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Up tomorrow: Self portrait
Another family favorite is this Szechuan Shrimp from Allrecipes.com. It's healthy and filling. I usually have to cut the amount of red pepper flakes in half, though, for Garrett's sake. I just add extra on my serving!
And I can't forget to include the recipes for Margherita Pizza. I ADORE homemade pizza, especially Margherita Pizza. It's my absolute favorite kind (that and mushroom pizza). Even though this recipe I linked has 4 cheeses, it's just as good with only mozzarella, so even if that's all you have on hand it's still delicious!
My go-to favorite for desserts is this Apple Pie from Allrecipes. In fact I made it last week for a Church activity and it won first place in the pie category. It's yummy. Not as good as Linda Chaston's blueberry pie with cream cheese, but it's still good. :)
Another incredible recipe is one for Clam Chowder that I found (and tweaked) a few years ago from Allrecipes.com. It's too hot outside to even think about making soup right now, but I'm so excited for winter so I can make this again. It really is SO good if you love Clam Chowder like I do!
The Best Clam Chowder
Ingredients:
6 strips bacon
4 cans (6.5 oz) minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream (I actually used 1 pint (2c) half-and-half and 1 pint (2c) milk)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (crucial!!)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
In a large pot, brown the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Add the veggies (onions, celery, potatoes, carrots) to the bacon grease and saute 1-2 minutes to get the bacon flavor into the veggies. Next, drain the clams and add the clam juice to the veggies. Add a little bit of water so that the veggies are completely covered. Simmer until soft.
While the veggies are simmering, melt butter in a separate saucepan. Add the flour and wisk together until you have a thick sauce. Add the half-and-half and continue stirring until the sauce is warm and thick (don't let it boil).
Once the cream sauce is ready, pour it into your veggies/clam sauce. Stir together and make sure it's hot (but NOT boiling). Once it's hot, add the clams (you don't want to add them any earlier because cooking too long will make them chewy and tough). You can also crumble up the bacon and add it now, too, if you want (you mostly used the bacon for the fat, but I added the crumbled bacon to ours and it was very good). Next, add the red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!!
What are YOUR favorite recipes?
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Up tomorrow: Self portrait
Day 10 - Someone who has caused me pain
I've thought for a while about this one, ever since I saw it on the list over a week and a half ago, but I have to be honest: I really can't think of a single person. I don't know if this is due to the fact that 1) I really do a good job of "forgiving and forgetting", or 2) I have a bad memory. Probably a combination of the two.
Yes, people have caused me pain in my life. But the thing about me is, I don't hold grudges (NOT that you have to hold a grudge to remember pain, but read on). I'm not saying that to put me on a pedestal or to say I'm perfect and don't ever feel anger towards someone, but the truth is that I forgive and (try to) forget pretty quickly. Life is too short to hold grudges or be caught up in hurt feelings or anger. I am (or try to be) an easygoing person. I don't let a lot of things bug me, and in general I just try to go with the flow. I don't really worry about what other people think of me, and it doesn't really bother me if someone doesn't like me. Why waste time worrying about those people when there are plenty of other people that do love me, and that I love too?
I have come to realize that this (forgiving easily) is truly a gift that I have, and I am so thankful for it. It's freeing to not hold grudges or anger in my heart. Of course I can think of painful experiences in my life, and I remember the people who caused that pain, but the pain is gone now so I don't see the sense in bringing it up again. It's over with.
Sometimes I think that maybe I just haven't had many painful experiences in my life, and that's why it's so easy to "get over" the pain I have experienced. But I don't think that's true. I've experienced heartbreak, and loneliness, and disappointment, and depression like anyone else has. Those are all part of life, ALL of them! Thankfully I haven't experienced those things to the degree that some people have, but like anyone else I have had people hurt me. Life is hard. Sometimes it's depressing. But life is also so full of wonderful and loving and interesting people that I can't really remember the specific instances where people have hurt me.
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Up later today (since this technically is yesterday's post): Favorite recipe(s)
Yes, people have caused me pain in my life. But the thing about me is, I don't hold grudges (NOT that you have to hold a grudge to remember pain, but read on). I'm not saying that to put me on a pedestal or to say I'm perfect and don't ever feel anger towards someone, but the truth is that I forgive and (try to) forget pretty quickly. Life is too short to hold grudges or be caught up in hurt feelings or anger. I am (or try to be) an easygoing person. I don't let a lot of things bug me, and in general I just try to go with the flow. I don't really worry about what other people think of me, and it doesn't really bother me if someone doesn't like me. Why waste time worrying about those people when there are plenty of other people that do love me, and that I love too?
I have come to realize that this (forgiving easily) is truly a gift that I have, and I am so thankful for it. It's freeing to not hold grudges or anger in my heart. Of course I can think of painful experiences in my life, and I remember the people who caused that pain, but the pain is gone now so I don't see the sense in bringing it up again. It's over with.
Sometimes I think that maybe I just haven't had many painful experiences in my life, and that's why it's so easy to "get over" the pain I have experienced. But I don't think that's true. I've experienced heartbreak, and loneliness, and disappointment, and depression like anyone else has. Those are all part of life, ALL of them! Thankfully I haven't experienced those things to the degree that some people have, but like anyone else I have had people hurt me. Life is hard. Sometimes it's depressing. But life is also so full of wonderful and loving and interesting people that I can't really remember the specific instances where people have hurt me.
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Up later today (since this technically is yesterday's post): Favorite recipe(s)
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Day 9 - Some favorite blogs
So, I'm sure everyone is on the edge of their seats waiting to hear about some of my favorite blogs.
Well.
Here's the thing: I love reading blogs. Love it. I live getting a peek into other peoples' lives. I can be a stalker without them knowing about it. I mean, Facebook is good for that too, but blogs are even better.
I get a lot of inspiration from blogs. Inspiration for decorating, healthy eating, exercising, quilting, and just life. I used to read blogs A LOT... when I first discovered them I thought they were awesome. I mean, I could read about other peoples' lives everywhere in the world! That's a pretty cool thing. But it was just taking too much time and effort to keep up with all of them so I stopped. I have a rule now that I only read blogs after the kids have gone to bed and my house is clean. Haha, ok, my house isn't always clean, but you get it. Plus, I use Google Reader now so I don't get caught up in OTHER blogs that I randomly find.
But, I've gotten rid of many of the blogs I originally kept up with. There were some healthy living / healthy eating blogs that I really loved for a while, but after a few months I got tired of them so I deleted them off my blogroll. They were all obsessed with oatmeal and ate a lot of tofu (I did pick up the oatmeal habit but have yet to fix tofu). Anyway, I was getting tired of them because I just couldn't relate to the girls who wrote them. They don't have kids. And of course having kids isn't a prerequisite to an interesting "healthy living" blog, but I have a feeling that if one of those authors had kids, their advice would be much different (and more applicable to me). A healthy living blog written by a mom who is losing the baby weight, scheduling her workouts around a baby and no sleep, and a husband who is never home? Now there's a blog I'd be interested in reading.
I do like design blogs, and now that I actually have a little bit of expendable income (woohoo!), it's actually fun to read them because I can actually go out and buy a few things here and there to spruce up our home. I am determined to have a nicely decorated home, but I'm so indecisive and clueless that I know I can't do it alone. Garrett has talking about someday hiring a designer (!!) and I'm totally on board with that. Only, you know, 10 years down the road... Meanwhile I can't take the wrapping off our new living room lamps because I can't decide if I love them or not. I need a lot of emotional support when it comes to making big commitments like living room lamps. Clearly.
And then there's the blogs of our family and friends... I love these the best. I love knowing what everyone is up to, where they are traveling to, what they are reading, etc. I love it! For a while I had many family/friend blogs that I kept up with, even people I didn't know very well, but again it was just too much so I scaled back a lot. If it made me depressed, I got rid of it. I think it's safe to say that if I was ever close to you, I do read your blog (if you have one, and if I know about it!).
So there you go. I know you were all expecting a list of links to my favorite blogs, but to be honest I really don't think you all are that interested. So instead, you got an uninteresting mumbo jumbo post about my feelings about blogs. Hmmm.... this 50 day thing is starting to get old. I have no idea what I'm going to write in tomorrow's post. It'll probably be another letdown like this one has been.
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Up tomorrow (supposedly): Someone who has caused me pain.
Hmmmmm..........
Well.
Here's the thing: I love reading blogs. Love it. I live getting a peek into other peoples' lives. I can be a stalker without them knowing about it. I mean, Facebook is good for that too, but blogs are even better.
I get a lot of inspiration from blogs. Inspiration for decorating, healthy eating, exercising, quilting, and just life. I used to read blogs A LOT... when I first discovered them I thought they were awesome. I mean, I could read about other peoples' lives everywhere in the world! That's a pretty cool thing. But it was just taking too much time and effort to keep up with all of them so I stopped. I have a rule now that I only read blogs after the kids have gone to bed and my house is clean. Haha, ok, my house isn't always clean, but you get it. Plus, I use Google Reader now so I don't get caught up in OTHER blogs that I randomly find.
But, I've gotten rid of many of the blogs I originally kept up with. There were some healthy living / healthy eating blogs that I really loved for a while, but after a few months I got tired of them so I deleted them off my blogroll. They were all obsessed with oatmeal and ate a lot of tofu (I did pick up the oatmeal habit but have yet to fix tofu). Anyway, I was getting tired of them because I just couldn't relate to the girls who wrote them. They don't have kids. And of course having kids isn't a prerequisite to an interesting "healthy living" blog, but I have a feeling that if one of those authors had kids, their advice would be much different (and more applicable to me). A healthy living blog written by a mom who is losing the baby weight, scheduling her workouts around a baby and no sleep, and a husband who is never home? Now there's a blog I'd be interested in reading.
I do like design blogs, and now that I actually have a little bit of expendable income (woohoo!), it's actually fun to read them because I can actually go out and buy a few things here and there to spruce up our home. I am determined to have a nicely decorated home, but I'm so indecisive and clueless that I know I can't do it alone. Garrett has talking about someday hiring a designer (!!) and I'm totally on board with that. Only, you know, 10 years down the road... Meanwhile I can't take the wrapping off our new living room lamps because I can't decide if I love them or not. I need a lot of emotional support when it comes to making big commitments like living room lamps. Clearly.
And then there's the blogs of our family and friends... I love these the best. I love knowing what everyone is up to, where they are traveling to, what they are reading, etc. I love it! For a while I had many family/friend blogs that I kept up with, even people I didn't know very well, but again it was just too much so I scaled back a lot. If it made me depressed, I got rid of it. I think it's safe to say that if I was ever close to you, I do read your blog (if you have one, and if I know about it!).
So there you go. I know you were all expecting a list of links to my favorite blogs, but to be honest I really don't think you all are that interested. So instead, you got an uninteresting mumbo jumbo post about my feelings about blogs. Hmmm.... this 50 day thing is starting to get old. I have no idea what I'm going to write in tomorrow's post. It'll probably be another letdown like this one has been.
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Up tomorrow (supposedly): Someone who has caused me pain.
Hmmmmm..........
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Day 8 - A recent photo of myself
And about yesterday's youtube post... I can't believe I forgot to post this video. I used to work at the BYU Library (best job!) so I especially loved this. I worked in the HR department but often helped out with video projects, so I know the guys who made this one. I love it and everyone else does too - it has over 2 million views on youtube, and it's only been out a few weeks!
Hopefully you are familiar with the Old Spice commercials. If not, watch one on Youtube before you watch this one. (just search "Old Spice Commercial" in Youtube)
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Up tomorrow: Some of my favorite blogs
Friday, August 13, 2010
Day 7 - A funny youtube video
So, confession.
In general, I hate youtube videos. HATE them. People try to be funny, or the picture and/or sound quality is so bad that I just can't stand to watch it. So needless to say, I don't have a favorite youtube video. I do, however, have a cute of my kids that we shot a day or so before we moved from Georgia, so I'll share that. Because I'm a mom, that's what I do.
Oh and I just remembered... here is a video that we watch every St. Patrick's Day. It's tradition. It has almost 15 million views so you may have already seen it... yes, it's that good.
Up tomorrow: A recent photo of myself
Oh and I just remembered... here is a video that we watch every St. Patrick's Day. It's tradition. It has almost 15 million views so you may have already seen it... yes, it's that good.
Up tomorrow: A recent photo of myself
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Day 6 - What I ate today
What I ate today:
Breakfast: a banana (I'm not much of a breakfast person - if I eat something heavy (or sweet) I feel really sick)
Lunch - cheese quesadillas & black beans & applesauce (we ate at the park, it was fun)
Snack - A piece of whole wheat bread with spinach and homemade hummus on top
Dinner - Date night! We went out and got pizza at a place downtown. I had a personal sized white pizza.
Hmmm... not a very good eating day. I got really sick last week and have been feeling a bit queasy ever since, so I've been eating kind of strangely. I can't believe I hardly ate ANY fruits or vegetables today. Usually I have no problem getting enough (+ extra) veggies in one day. Fruit is tougher for me unless there are berries around. :) Maybe I should invest in some V-8 for days like today.
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Up tomorrow: A funny youtube video
Breakfast: a banana (I'm not much of a breakfast person - if I eat something heavy (or sweet) I feel really sick)
Lunch - cheese quesadillas & black beans & applesauce (we ate at the park, it was fun)
Snack - A piece of whole wheat bread with spinach and homemade hummus on top
Dinner - Date night! We went out and got pizza at a place downtown. I had a personal sized white pizza.
Hmmm... not a very good eating day. I got really sick last week and have been feeling a bit queasy ever since, so I've been eating kind of strangely. I can't believe I hardly ate ANY fruits or vegetables today. Usually I have no problem getting enough (+ extra) veggies in one day. Fruit is tougher for me unless there are berries around. :) Maybe I should invest in some V-8 for days like today.
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Up tomorrow: A funny youtube video
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day 5 - A letter to your crush
Dear Crush,
I don't remember the first time I met you, which makes me sad. I wish I remembered what you were wearing, where you sat, what you said, and what I thought of you. I wish I'd had a special "feeling", like knowing that we would be together forever. But my heart was pretty entangled somewhere else and I just wasn't paying attention. I really wish I remembered all of that.
I do remember the first movie we ever watched together, though - "It's a Wonderful Life". I suppose that was kind of a "date" but it wasn't official. We only watched half of the movie, because you had to get up early the next day to fly home for Thanksgiving (which was a new concept for me, to be honest.... fly 2000 miles home for a weekend, with Christmas right around the corner anyway?). But your mom had just had a baby so you wanted to see your brother.
I knew you were going to ask me out, but I beat you to the punch when I invited you to go to "Christmas Around the World" on campus. I had bought the tickets long before and didn't know who I was going to take, but figured it would be a perfect first date. And it was.
Our second date was to Salt Lake City to see the lights on temple square. We spent the entire ride up there naming Christmas songs, taking turns back and forth. Whoever could name the most would win. You didn't believe me that "The Holly and the Ivy" was a real song, and I didn't believe you that "A Smoky Mountain Christmas" was a real song. (Mine's a classic; yours: Dolly Parton).
We got married. Six years ago this month! In some ways time has flown by, but sometimes it also seems like forever ago.
The first semester back at school was one of your most challenging semesters at BYU. You took 18 credit hours of chemistry, biology, physics, and anatomy. It was hard but I figured it was good practice (for me) for medical school. It was.
After graduation I worked my last 2 weeks at BYU and then we moved to Georgia. Remember before we left for the cross country drive, we bought a loaf of bread and made pb&j sandwiches with the whole loaf of bread? We literally could NOT afford to buy fast food the whole trip, so we just made those sandwiches last us for 3 days. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And it worked, mostly... we stopped at McDonald's only once. And we stayed in the cheapest hotels we could find. I think we rolled into Georgia with literally less than $20 to our names, remember? And remember when we got lost in Savannah, because you couldn't remember how to get home? :)
Garrett, I have always known that you are "driven" but I didn't realize just how much until I saw you go through medical school. You worked HARD. I remember one time at Church, someone asked me a question (I don't remember what it was), but I remember saying, "I don't know, I haven't seen him since Wednesday". For some rotations you were going into work at 4 a.m., coming home at 10pm (if you weren't on call and working all night as well). You spent hours on end at the library (I still don't know how you can study for that long at a time).
But, I knew it was all for a bigger purpose (other than becoming an M.D., that is). From the beginning of medical school, you promised me that if we sacrificed now, it would pay off later on (not just monetarily). You assured me, more than once, that if you work hard now, if we give up time together, if we sacrifice in a big way, if you got good grades, if you worked long (sometimes extra) hours, then you would be qualified to get into a specialty that would allow us to have more family time later on in life. You promised that four years of enormous sacrifice would pay off someday.
And honey, YOU DID IT! You matched into your #1 choice in a top program in one of the most competitive specialties there is. I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of you. The future is very bright. And the funny thing is... when I really think about it, medical school wasn't that bad! (For me, anyway. Of course I can't speak for you.) But I think you would agree with me that our life was pretty great during medical school. We did so many fun things, saw lots of family, and had so many, many friends. Residency will be hard, but I think it's safe to say that it won't be too bad.
Thanks for choosing me. Thanks for marrying me. Thanks for coming from such a great family, thanks for being the dad of our little girls. Thanks for working so hard, for sacrificing, and thanks for the throw pillows for the couch that you are going to buy me for our anniversary (surprise!). I love you.
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Up tomorrow - What I Ate (don't fall off your seats with excitement!!!)
I don't remember the first time I met you, which makes me sad. I wish I remembered what you were wearing, where you sat, what you said, and what I thought of you. I wish I'd had a special "feeling", like knowing that we would be together forever. But my heart was pretty entangled somewhere else and I just wasn't paying attention. I really wish I remembered all of that.
I do remember the first movie we ever watched together, though - "It's a Wonderful Life". I suppose that was kind of a "date" but it wasn't official. We only watched half of the movie, because you had to get up early the next day to fly home for Thanksgiving (which was a new concept for me, to be honest.... fly 2000 miles home for a weekend, with Christmas right around the corner anyway?). But your mom had just had a baby so you wanted to see your brother.
I knew you were going to ask me out, but I beat you to the punch when I invited you to go to "Christmas Around the World" on campus. I had bought the tickets long before and didn't know who I was going to take, but figured it would be a perfect first date. And it was.
Our second date was to Salt Lake City to see the lights on temple square. We spent the entire ride up there naming Christmas songs, taking turns back and forth. Whoever could name the most would win. You didn't believe me that "The Holly and the Ivy" was a real song, and I didn't believe you that "A Smoky Mountain Christmas" was a real song. (Mine's a classic; yours: Dolly Parton).
We got married. Six years ago this month! In some ways time has flown by, but sometimes it also seems like forever ago.
The first semester back at school was one of your most challenging semesters at BYU. You took 18 credit hours of chemistry, biology, physics, and anatomy. It was hard but I figured it was good practice (for me) for medical school. It was.
After graduation I worked my last 2 weeks at BYU and then we moved to Georgia. Remember before we left for the cross country drive, we bought a loaf of bread and made pb&j sandwiches with the whole loaf of bread? We literally could NOT afford to buy fast food the whole trip, so we just made those sandwiches last us for 3 days. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And it worked, mostly... we stopped at McDonald's only once. And we stayed in the cheapest hotels we could find. I think we rolled into Georgia with literally less than $20 to our names, remember? And remember when we got lost in Savannah, because you couldn't remember how to get home? :)
Garrett, I have always known that you are "driven" but I didn't realize just how much until I saw you go through medical school. You worked HARD. I remember one time at Church, someone asked me a question (I don't remember what it was), but I remember saying, "I don't know, I haven't seen him since Wednesday". For some rotations you were going into work at 4 a.m., coming home at 10pm (if you weren't on call and working all night as well). You spent hours on end at the library (I still don't know how you can study for that long at a time).
But, I knew it was all for a bigger purpose (other than becoming an M.D., that is). From the beginning of medical school, you promised me that if we sacrificed now, it would pay off later on (not just monetarily). You assured me, more than once, that if you work hard now, if we give up time together, if we sacrifice in a big way, if you got good grades, if you worked long (sometimes extra) hours, then you would be qualified to get into a specialty that would allow us to have more family time later on in life. You promised that four years of enormous sacrifice would pay off someday.
And honey, YOU DID IT! You matched into your #1 choice in a top program in one of the most competitive specialties there is. I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of you. The future is very bright. And the funny thing is... when I really think about it, medical school wasn't that bad! (For me, anyway. Of course I can't speak for you.) But I think you would agree with me that our life was pretty great during medical school. We did so many fun things, saw lots of family, and had so many, many friends. Residency will be hard, but I think it's safe to say that it won't be too bad.
Thanks for choosing me. Thanks for marrying me. Thanks for coming from such a great family, thanks for being the dad of our little girls. Thanks for working so hard, for sacrificing, and thanks for the throw pillows for the couch that you are going to buy me for our anniversary (surprise!). I love you.
****************
Up tomorrow - What I Ate (don't fall off your seats with excitement!!!)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Day 4 - A photo of you taken over 10 years ago
But let's face it, what people REALLY want to see is an awkward teenage picture. So here you go.
Up tomorrow: A letter to my crush
Monday, August 9, 2010
Day 3 - Favorite Movie
This is a tough one! I think most people would agree that it's nearly impossible to narrow it down to ONE movie, but some movies I can watch over and over again include:
Pride & Prejudice (A&E)
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride part 2
Fever Pitch
Rudy
Gone With the Wind
Toy Story (1 & 2)
Up tomorrow: A photo of me taken over 10 years ago....
Pride & Prejudice (A&E)
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride part 2
Fever Pitch
Rudy
Gone With the Wind
Toy Story (1 & 2)
Up tomorrow: A photo of me taken over 10 years ago....
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Day 2 - A bulleted list of today
6:57 - The kids are awake, I can hear them playing in their bedroom. Abby comes into our room, looks at the digital clock, and goes back to her room. She knows not to bother us until it AT LEAST says 7! (many days she waits until it says 8, thankfully).
7:10 - Even though we were up late I know I won't get back to sleep, so I roll out of bed and go into the girls' room. Give them a bath, feed them breakfast. I'm letting Garrett sleep in because he's put in a lot of hours at work this week (including a couple 30+ hour shifts) and never gets to sleep past 6 or so these days... if he goes to bed at all, ha.
8:45 - Ellie goes down for a nap. I actually like when my kids wake up early on Sundays because that means Ellie will get a full nap in before we leave for Church at 10:30. After Ellie goes down I hang out with Abby and do some last minute planning for singing time in Primary. I am teaching them the song "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" this month.
9:45 - Garrett is still sleeping (!) so I head to our room to wake him up, but he comes out just as I'm about to open the door. I make him some waffles while he showers and irons his clothes for Church. I decide to double the batch of waffles so the girls can eat them this week for breakfast.
10:45 - We're out the door, 5 minutes behind schedule (Church starts at 11). Usually I am very uptight if we leave late but today I'm feeling okay and I know we'll get there in time. (To me, "on time" is being there at least 5 minutes early... we walk in with about 3 minutes to spare, whew).
11-2 - Church.
2:30 - We're finally home. Naptime.
4:00 - I take some "artisan bread" bread dough out of the fridge to start rising for dinner.
4:45 - Ellie & Abby wake up
5 - Start thinking about dinner. Usually we eat around six, but Garrett suggests going down to the beach to go for a walk so I decide to make some spaghetti now so we can go soon.
6 - We load the stroller and kids in the car and we're off to the beach for a stroll.
6:20 - Turns out Sunday night must be a big night here at the beach... there are tons of people everywhere, a live concert going on, concessions, etc. It takes a while to find a parking space but when we do, it's near the edge of the crowd so when we get to the water, we walk in the opposite direction of where the crowds are.
8 - Home, get the kids in bed, turn on the oven so I can bake the bread dough that's been sitting out all afternoon.
8:15 - Haircut for Garrett
8:30 - Bread's in the oven, we settle in to watch some Netflix.
10/10:30 - Bed. (I'm just going to post this now instead of actually waiting until later... I assume we'll hit the hay around then, though, since Garrett's got to work early tomorrow)
Today was a great day - so relaxing and it was nice for Garrett to actually have a day off for once, and I didn't have to wrestle the kids by myself at Church! Here's to a great week...
7:10 - Even though we were up late I know I won't get back to sleep, so I roll out of bed and go into the girls' room. Give them a bath, feed them breakfast. I'm letting Garrett sleep in because he's put in a lot of hours at work this week (including a couple 30+ hour shifts) and never gets to sleep past 6 or so these days... if he goes to bed at all, ha.
8:45 - Ellie goes down for a nap. I actually like when my kids wake up early on Sundays because that means Ellie will get a full nap in before we leave for Church at 10:30. After Ellie goes down I hang out with Abby and do some last minute planning for singing time in Primary. I am teaching them the song "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" this month.
9:45 - Garrett is still sleeping (!) so I head to our room to wake him up, but he comes out just as I'm about to open the door. I make him some waffles while he showers and irons his clothes for Church. I decide to double the batch of waffles so the girls can eat them this week for breakfast.
10:45 - We're out the door, 5 minutes behind schedule (Church starts at 11). Usually I am very uptight if we leave late but today I'm feeling okay and I know we'll get there in time. (To me, "on time" is being there at least 5 minutes early... we walk in with about 3 minutes to spare, whew).
11-2 - Church.
2:30 - We're finally home. Naptime.
4:00 - I take some "artisan bread" bread dough out of the fridge to start rising for dinner.
4:45 - Ellie & Abby wake up
5 - Start thinking about dinner. Usually we eat around six, but Garrett suggests going down to the beach to go for a walk so I decide to make some spaghetti now so we can go soon.
6 - We load the stroller and kids in the car and we're off to the beach for a stroll.
6:20 - Turns out Sunday night must be a big night here at the beach... there are tons of people everywhere, a live concert going on, concessions, etc. It takes a while to find a parking space but when we do, it's near the edge of the crowd so when we get to the water, we walk in the opposite direction of where the crowds are.
8 - Home, get the kids in bed, turn on the oven so I can bake the bread dough that's been sitting out all afternoon.
8:15 - Haircut for Garrett
8:30 - Bread's in the oven, we settle in to watch some Netflix.
10/10:30 - Bed. (I'm just going to post this now instead of actually waiting until later... I assume we'll hit the hay around then, though, since Garrett's got to work early tomorrow)
Today was a great day - so relaxing and it was nice for Garrett to actually have a day off for once, and I didn't have to wrestle the kids by myself at Church! Here's to a great week...
Saturday, August 7, 2010
50 days, Day 1
My sister-in-law is doing a sort of "50 Day Challenge" on her blog where she has a list of 50 different posts that she will be doing for the next 50 days. She got the idea from another blog, so I'm assuming this list is going around blogland. Anyway, I like lists and I like learning more about the people whose blogs I read, so I'm going to do it! Maybe I'll miss a day, maybe I won't, but I'll go in order. So, it may take me more than 50 days.
I hope some of my friends (& sisters!) will do this on their blogs, too!
Day 1: Introduce yourself
Day 2: A bulleted list of everything that happened in your day
Day 3: Your favorite movie
Day 4: A photo of you taken over 10 years ago
Day 5: A letter to your crush
Day 6: A list of what you ate today
Day 7: A youtube video you find funny
Day 8: A photo of you taken recently
Day 9: List some of your favorite blogs
Day 10: A letter to a person who has caused you pain
Day 11: Share your favorite recipe(s)
Day 12: Self portrait
Day 13: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 14: A song from your childhood
Day 15: A letter to someone you wish you could meet
Day 16: Provide pictures of 5 celebrity crushes
Day 17: A photo that makes you sad
Day 18: Set or share a goal
Day 19: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 20: A letter to someone that changed your life
Day 21: Your favorite television program
Day 22: A photo that makes you happy
Day 23: Share one of your favorite tunes
Day 24: Time to face morph (I have no idea what this means...??)
Day 25: Someone you judged by their first impression
Day 26: Favorite books
Day 27: A talent of yours
Day 28: Favorite places to shop
Day 29: Your favorite color
Day 30: The friendliest person you knew for only 1 day
Day 31: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 32: A photo you took
Day 33: What you're craving right now
Day 34: Your favorite quote
Day 35: A letter to an ex
Day 36: Some hobbies of yours
Day 37: A song that you like to dance to
Day 38: A photo of your parents
Day 39: Zodiac sign and do you think it fits your personality
Day 40: A deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 41: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 42: A bad habit you have
Day 43: A picture of your favorite place in the world
Day 44: Something that fascinates you and why
Day 45: A letter to yourself a year ago
Day 46: Photos of personal things in your life (pets, family, house, etc)
Day 47: Birthday wish list
Day 48: A photo of you right now
Day 49: Hopes, dreams, and plans for the next 365 days
Day 50: A letter to your reflection in the mirror
Today is day 1. Introduce myself.
I think if you've been reading my blog at all, you pretty much know the basic things about me that I would post here. I'm 26, been married almost 6 years, and I have 2 little girls, Abby & Ellie. My husband is a physician, and he's doing his intern year here in VA near the coast. After this year is up, he'll complete his medical training at the University of Florida. He's going to be a radiologist.
I grew up in a couple places, mostly New Hampshire. I miss New England but I don't really miss the long cold winters. I've grown to love warm weather and mild winters! Good thing, too, since we'll be living in Florida for 4-5 years. I don't know where we want to end up but I really love North Carolina, Virginia, the midwest (I like cornfields), Phoenix. Random places, I know. I also really love Utah (St. George) and Utah Valley (I miss the mountains!!), but I don't think we'll end up in Utah. I also like California but I would never want to live there.
Not really sure what else to say about me... I love seafood, enjoy the beach, I like running and working out (most of the time). I like country music, concerts, and reading. You'll learn more about me as the next 50 days progress. :)
I hope some of my friends (& sisters!) will do this on their blogs, too!
Day 1: Introduce yourself
Day 2: A bulleted list of everything that happened in your day
Day 3: Your favorite movie
Day 4: A photo of you taken over 10 years ago
Day 5: A letter to your crush
Day 6: A list of what you ate today
Day 7: A youtube video you find funny
Day 8: A photo of you taken recently
Day 9: List some of your favorite blogs
Day 10: A letter to a person who has caused you pain
Day 11: Share your favorite recipe(s)
Day 12: Self portrait
Day 13: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 14: A song from your childhood
Day 15: A letter to someone you wish you could meet
Day 16: Provide pictures of 5 celebrity crushes
Day 17: A photo that makes you sad
Day 18: Set or share a goal
Day 19: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 20: A letter to someone that changed your life
Day 21: Your favorite television program
Day 22: A photo that makes you happy
Day 23: Share one of your favorite tunes
Day 24: Time to face morph (I have no idea what this means...??)
Day 25: Someone you judged by their first impression
Day 26: Favorite books
Day 27: A talent of yours
Day 28: Favorite places to shop
Day 29: Your favorite color
Day 30: The friendliest person you knew for only 1 day
Day 31: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 32: A photo you took
Day 33: What you're craving right now
Day 34: Your favorite quote
Day 35: A letter to an ex
Day 36: Some hobbies of yours
Day 37: A song that you like to dance to
Day 38: A photo of your parents
Day 39: Zodiac sign and do you think it fits your personality
Day 40: A deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 41: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 42: A bad habit you have
Day 43: A picture of your favorite place in the world
Day 44: Something that fascinates you and why
Day 45: A letter to yourself a year ago
Day 46: Photos of personal things in your life (pets, family, house, etc)
Day 47: Birthday wish list
Day 48: A photo of you right now
Day 49: Hopes, dreams, and plans for the next 365 days
Day 50: A letter to your reflection in the mirror
Today is day 1. Introduce myself.
I think if you've been reading my blog at all, you pretty much know the basic things about me that I would post here. I'm 26, been married almost 6 years, and I have 2 little girls, Abby & Ellie. My husband is a physician, and he's doing his intern year here in VA near the coast. After this year is up, he'll complete his medical training at the University of Florida. He's going to be a radiologist.
I grew up in a couple places, mostly New Hampshire. I miss New England but I don't really miss the long cold winters. I've grown to love warm weather and mild winters! Good thing, too, since we'll be living in Florida for 4-5 years. I don't know where we want to end up but I really love North Carolina, Virginia, the midwest (I like cornfields), Phoenix. Random places, I know. I also really love Utah (St. George) and Utah Valley (I miss the mountains!!), but I don't think we'll end up in Utah. I also like California but I would never want to live there.
Not really sure what else to say about me... I love seafood, enjoy the beach, I like running and working out (most of the time). I like country music, concerts, and reading. You'll learn more about me as the next 50 days progress. :)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
I'm a loser
...losing weight, that is.
My first "weigh in" after Ellie was born was on August 1, 2009 - one year ago, so I thought it would be a good idea to see how I progressed over the last year. I've been tracking it off and on over the last 12 months, but nothing consistent.
So, I've officially lost 26 pounds since 8/01/10. I have mixed feelings about it... I mean, I feel great that I've lost that much weight. I am pretty much down to the weight I was when I got pregnant with Ellie (I gained about 35-40 lbs by the end of my pregnancy, but I guess I lost 10-15 when she was first born. Half of that was 100% baby, though :) ). However, it's really frustrating that I've only lost 26 lbs in a year... I have worked SO HARD over the last 6 months especially, and I just don't understand why I can't lose more. And, that 26 is a little misleading because it doesn't even represent weight I've lost working out... on average, I've only lost about 1.5 lbs per month. I know that doesn't average out to be 26 pounds.. that's because I lost 8 lbs when I stopped nursing! (I hate when people say they lose weight like crazy when they are nursing. It has always been the opposite for me.. my body keeps the pounds for some reason. Frustrating.)
I began running and lifting weights a lot more in February, and I've only lost 8 lbs since then. I know that muscle weighs more than fat, blah blah blah, but I still don't like it!
The only hang-up I can think of is my eating habits, but the honest truth is that I am very careful about what I eat. I don't snack very much, and the extent of my "dessert" is usually 3-4 m&m's (Garrett brings home a pack every day... dang that free cafeteria food for doctors! haha). My only real "weaknesses" are... bread (artisan! yum) and cheese. I love cheese. I love bread. But other than that, I have no idea (portion control, maybe?). I've been buying lots of fresh veggies and fruit, so I eat a lot of that, and we have been eating lots of brown rice, chicken, etc. I also really, really like pita chips, but I only buy those once every couple of months. COME on!
I've tried counting calories, but it's so hard to find the right balance. I'm working out a lot (average 6 times per week, sometimes more because I do it twice some days), and some websites say I should be eating 2000 calories for my activity level, others say I should be eating more or less than that. It's hard to understand how many calories I should be eating in order to work out as much as I do, but also to lose the weight at the same time.
Anyway... I guess I'll just keep plugging away. I love the way I'm feeling, I love having a healthy body, and I'm really glad I'm finally back in all my regular clothes. I love being able to run a mile without getting out of breath, and being able to run 3+ miles without stopping to walk. I'd just like to see a bit more progress on the scale...
My first "weigh in" after Ellie was born was on August 1, 2009 - one year ago, so I thought it would be a good idea to see how I progressed over the last year. I've been tracking it off and on over the last 12 months, but nothing consistent.
So, I've officially lost 26 pounds since 8/01/10. I have mixed feelings about it... I mean, I feel great that I've lost that much weight. I am pretty much down to the weight I was when I got pregnant with Ellie (I gained about 35-40 lbs by the end of my pregnancy, but I guess I lost 10-15 when she was first born. Half of that was 100% baby, though :) ). However, it's really frustrating that I've only lost 26 lbs in a year... I have worked SO HARD over the last 6 months especially, and I just don't understand why I can't lose more. And, that 26 is a little misleading because it doesn't even represent weight I've lost working out... on average, I've only lost about 1.5 lbs per month. I know that doesn't average out to be 26 pounds.. that's because I lost 8 lbs when I stopped nursing! (I hate when people say they lose weight like crazy when they are nursing. It has always been the opposite for me.. my body keeps the pounds for some reason. Frustrating.)
I began running and lifting weights a lot more in February, and I've only lost 8 lbs since then. I know that muscle weighs more than fat, blah blah blah, but I still don't like it!
The only hang-up I can think of is my eating habits, but the honest truth is that I am very careful about what I eat. I don't snack very much, and the extent of my "dessert" is usually 3-4 m&m's (Garrett brings home a pack every day... dang that free cafeteria food for doctors! haha). My only real "weaknesses" are... bread (artisan! yum) and cheese. I love cheese. I love bread. But other than that, I have no idea (portion control, maybe?). I've been buying lots of fresh veggies and fruit, so I eat a lot of that, and we have been eating lots of brown rice, chicken, etc. I also really, really like pita chips, but I only buy those once every couple of months. COME on!
I've tried counting calories, but it's so hard to find the right balance. I'm working out a lot (average 6 times per week, sometimes more because I do it twice some days), and some websites say I should be eating 2000 calories for my activity level, others say I should be eating more or less than that. It's hard to understand how many calories I should be eating in order to work out as much as I do, but also to lose the weight at the same time.
Anyway... I guess I'll just keep plugging away. I love the way I'm feeling, I love having a healthy body, and I'm really glad I'm finally back in all my regular clothes. I love being able to run a mile without getting out of breath, and being able to run 3+ miles without stopping to walk. I'd just like to see a bit more progress on the scale...
Monday, August 2, 2010
The look for less
For the last couple of weeks I've been looking for some nice lamps to go on either side of our couch. I've been going back and forth in my mind about what kind I want to get (big round glass base? slim and metal? colored, or silver, or black? shiny or matte?). I've never really thought about lamps much so it was so hard to decide the look I was going for. I fell in love with a lot of different lamps I found, but they were all very expensive and really trendy, and I decided that I didn't want anything too trendy, for obvious reasons.
Finally, I found these lamps that I love on Pottery Barn's website:
Simple and sleek, and they also adjust heightwise, to match the scale of the room. I love that they are simple but classic, too. They'll easily transition to different homes, or different rooms if I decide to use them in a bedroom in the future.
However, the $110 (on sale!) price tag wasn't too pretty, and that didn't even include the shade! So, imagine my surprise when I found this at Walmart.com:
For $35.88 (shade included), it's the same look! I was thinking of buying these for our anniversary. They are such a great buy that I'm tempted to just add them to my cart now! (Traditionally, instead of buying gifts for each other for our anniversary, we buy something we've both been wanting/needing for our home. And since our apartment doesn't have overhead lighting in the LR, I would classify this as a "need"... wouldn't you?). Now if only I can convince Garrett that he likes them....
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