2007 is over already?!?

How can this be? It seems like this year just flew by. So now that the year is over, I feel that I must reflect upon the past 12 months and remember all that has happened. Here are a few highlights from 2007:

Cake decorating class! A superfun 4 week course where we learned how to- what else?- decorate cakes! This definitely appealed to my Martha Stewart side.

Princess Day 2007! My good friend Kate flew out to Utah and me and my freshman year girls were able to honor a the tradition of taking a whole day to forget responsibility and have a fun-filled girl day.

Graduation from BYU! I was so proud to get my MFHD degree in 4 years. It was very bittersweet to me; I was excited to enter the working world, but sad to leave my college days behind.

Our Caribbean cruise in May was amazing! A week of fun and relaxation could not have been any better. Unfortunately I still didn't get a tan.

The Klein-nett Grand Cayon adventure vacation in July was so much fun. Chock full of adventure, this vaycay is one I'll never forget.

In August I started my first grown-up job! I work for the Division of Child and Family Services as a caseworker, and there is never a dull moment.


Ben and I went to Indiana for Thanksgiving, and I had the best time. I really miss my family, and it was so nice to spend a holiday with all my favorite people. I just wish I lived closer!

This Christmas we went to Denver to be with Ben's family. It was a great time despite me being sick nearly the whole time. Everyone gets new pajamas on Christmas Eve, and this year the boys got some truly interesting pj's.

After a year and a half of looking...

In May of 2006, Ben and I took the big leap and purchased our living room set. The in-store display of my set had used these super-cute throw pillows rather than the ones that were part of the set. Face it, the pillows that come with the set are pretty much fugly. Anyway, I wanted the cute pillows. I asked the store employee if I could buy the pillows they had shown. The lady said no, so I asked where they were purchased. Lady said TJ Maxx. So for 4 weeks straight, as well as periodically over the next year and a half, I visited TJ Maxx, looking for the cute pillows. No luck. As time went by, I had given up hope of finding the perfect pillows. I'd gone to Target and Bed Bath to see if I could find anything as cute. Nope. Imagine my excitement when Ben and I decided to visit Kohls for a little shopping and I saw THE PILLOWS. At Kohls. On sale. In two different shapes (square and rectangle). Ben remembered the pillows too. I was so excited and begged Ben to let me buy them. He was reluctant (why? Long story. Basically he feels that our home is decorated like an all-girl apartment. Boo.), but he gave in. Currently I only have one perfect pillow, but I plan on going back and buying one more square, one rectangle. Hooray, I am a happy girl! ps- the furniture store lady sucks. It was Kohls, not TJ Maxx.

Tide + Kelly Ripa = my favorite product

I want to devote this blog entry to one of my favorite inventions of the 21st century: The Tide To-Go Pen. Ever since I saw the first commercial for this product (you know the one, with Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos out to dinner at some fancy shmancy restaurant and Kelly sees a spot on Mark’s collar. She starts singing, “Na na na naa, na na na naa, HEY HEY HEY, goodbye” while getting rid of the spot on his collar with her Tide pen) I knew it was a keeper. Soon thereafter, I got myself a Tide pen and even sooner after that I managed to drop food on my shirt. I used my trusty pen, and voila, the spot was gone! My Tide pen (I’ve already gone through 3 pens- am I just overzealous in my spot cleaning or am I just a slob?) is always in my purse, and has managed to help me as well as some friends get rid of unwanted stains. Thank you Tide for creating such a great product- I love it!

Christmas survey

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I’m very much a hot chocolate enthusiast. I bought this huge multi-pack of 10 different hot chocolate flavors from Costco (oh how I love that place) and for about a month straight, I would drink hot chocolate every night. I’ve never tried egg nog, nor do I want to. Just the name of the drink sounds disgusting. Egg nog? Anything Nog… disgusting.
2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrapped, set aside from family presents.
3. Colored or white lights? white
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No
5. When do you put your decorations up? As soon as Ben will let me. I get waaay more excited about decorating than Ben does. I think we put our stuff up a few days after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I looove Christmas cookies, does that count as a dish?
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Christmas morning, duh. When the fam all came downstairs for presents. This was after waiting 20 minutes for Sarah to do her hair and makeup, since she refused to look all morningy in the pictures my parents would take.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Not sure… I had my suspicions when I was 7 or 8… I think it was just a gradual understanding.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Not when I was little, but when I was 12 or so we started to do a gift on Christmas Eve.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Some of my ornaments from when I was little, some that we were given from others, lots bought at Target. Last year I tried to do a color-coordinated tree, but this year is just a hodge-podge of colors and styles.
11. Snow: Love it or hate it? I like to look at it, but I hate driving in it or trudging through it.
12. Can you ice skate? Yeah- I took lessons when I was 11. I can go forwards AND backwards.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I loooved the white coat Ben gave me last year.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with loved ones, remembering the birth of Christ.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Christmas cookies, as long as they don’t have pecans. I hate pecans.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Listening to Christmas music, especially The Carpenter’s and Kenny G. Seriously, I love their Christmas albums.
17. Which do you like best giving or receiving? Definitely giving.
18. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” Love it!
19. Do you like candy canes? Don’t love the peppermint ones, but the candy flavored ones are great.
20. Favorite holiday movie? The Holiday. Elf is a close second.

Tag, I'm it!

Seven Interesting Things About Me

1. I only like cheese when it is hot- or “cooked” as I say. Pizza cheese, Mac & cheese, cheese tortellini… love it! The only uncooked cheese I can tolerate is cheesecake.

2. I only shave my legs in halves. One day I will shave from the knee down, the next day I will shave from the knee up. Shaving both legs as a whole seems like a very daunting, time consuming task. Only on rare occasions do I shave both of my legs from top to bottom.

3. I loved high school and would do it all over again. I had a great time with my friends, and although it was a time of insecurity and drama, it was wonderful.

4. I only bite my nails when they are unpolished. When they have nail polish on them, I do not bite them at all. Strange that I can turn a habit on and off… does that mean it’s not a habit?

5. I love love love to bake. Cakes, brownies, cookies, whatever. I could bake something every few days and be as happy as a clam. However, I do not enjoy cooking. Poor Ben only gets 1-2 homemade dinners a week, because I do not enjoy cooking meals.

6. I am such a creature of habit. I love consistency in my life, especially with food. I could eat the same breakfast, lunch, and dinner for weeks, even months and still be happy. I have eaten the same breakfast of Special K vanilla almond for 3 years now and I love it.

7. My driving record is not the best. I’ve been pulled over 8 times, received 4 speeding tickets, and have gone to traffic school 3 times. However, I have never been in an accident.

Ok, now I tag Lindsay A., Kendall W., and Lindsey N.

It's that time of year again...

The Christmas season is here! Out of all the holidays, I love Christmas the best. I love setting up the tree, decorating the house, and going Christmas shopping. For the first time since being married, I have a fireplace and mantle, so I've been very excited to hang my stocking by the chimney with care. Here are some pix!

Here is our first full-sized Christmas tree. Last year we had a 3 ft. tree, and the year before that we were too poor to buy anything- I just put ornaments on our decorative tree. Moo loves our new Christmas tree- he's always lounging underneath the tree on the tree skirt. He's in the picture, which his scary glow eyes.

Here's our fireplace/mantle. I'm quite excited to have a place to put my stocking. The white one is mine, the grey one is Ben's.

Happy 22nd little mommy!

Yesterday was my friend Taylor's birthday. I was really excited, so I made her a cake. She's pregnant with twins and was recently put on bed rest, so I figured that she could use some cake and fun. Ben and I went over to celebrate and eat up. Here's a picture of the cake I made. Quite lovely if I do say so myself :)

Pretty enough for the Queen of England

Here is a picture of my lovely hair pin. Most beautiful thing I have purchased in quite some time I think. I will definitely wear this baby whenever I want to dress to impress.

Hanson: The Review

On November 8th, Ben and I made the trek to Las Vegas to attend the Hanson concert. This was a milestone moment for me, as I have been a Hanson fan for a decade, yet never attended one of their concerts. We got to Mandalay Bay, where the concert was held. After shopping around a bit and eating a yummy dinner at the House of Blues Restaurant, we headed into the concert. When we got in, the opening band Fletch was still playing. They were actually pretty good- a little Emo for me, but very entertaining. Then, around 8pm, Hanson came out. I was so excited to see them- and our seats were so close! Unfortunately, that was the high point of the night. They sounded good and it was fun to hear them play, but those Hanson brothers were seriously not into it that night. I realize that Las Vegas was stop #35 or something of their tour, so they were probably sick and tired of life on the road, but they really did not seem that into it. AND they didn't even play my favorite 2 songs from their new cd- 'Georgia' and 'Running Man." They did, however, play a ton (possibly too many) of their old songs. Mmmbop included. And Taylor Hanson, whom I loooved as a 13 year old, was wearing some truly ugly pants. And I don't think he was wearing any underwear. Overall, while they sounded great, I will think twice before driving 6 hours to see them again. Step it up, Hanson.

ps- Where are the pictures of this occasion? Funny you ask. I didn't realize that my camera batteries were dead until we were in Mandalay Bay. Booo.

Nordstrom = Happiness

A few weeks ago at work, we had a group relaxation activity. See my job as a caseworker for the Division of Child and Family Services can get pretty stressful at time, thus causing possible burnout. To learn about avoiding said burnout, we did a relaxation/meditation exercise where we closed our eyes, and listened to a soothing, directive tape. At the beginning of the tape, the voice said to picture yourself in a calm, relaxing environment, yada yada yada... and so I did. 15 minutes later, everyone opened their eyes. We went around the room describing our perfect place. Some pictured a forest, some a beach..... me? I was at Nordstrom, not gonna lie. It's true- Nordstrom is my place of happiness. I just like to go and look at the beautiful things. Such color, such variety. I am a Nordstrom girl, through and through. And to illustrate, here are my favorite fall buys from my Mecca:

My pashmina! 100% Cashmere... I love this thing. I immediately feel a little Jennifer Aniston-like when I wear it. Mine is sky blue, and it's seriously a little piece of heaven for me.






Bare Minerals makeup! I am forever in love. Who would've thought that just powder could do so much? Makes my skin look fab and keeps it healthy at the same time. I just got the 'starter kit,' and I looove it. I plan to get eyeshadows, lipsticks, and whole shebang.... eventually. Let my Nordstrom credit card rest, right?






My Uggs! Thank you mommy for my early birthday present. I love these things. Even though all the magazines say Uggs are so out, I seriously love mine. Such comfort! I have the shin-length ones. I thought about getting the full-length ones, but then I'd feel like I should tuck my jeans into them, and I'm just not a tucker. I see other girls do it and think that it looks cute, but I just can't do it. It probably doesn't help that all my jeans are flare, which makes tucking all the more difficult.



My lovely hair pin. Mind you, this is not a picture of the actual pin, which I will try to get soon. It looks a bit like this one, but the pin I am in love with is seriously sooo lovely. There are no words for this one. I just love it. I tried and tried to find something comparable in beauty at other places, like Target, Kohls, and the like, but nothing I found came close to it. I just love it.

Happy Halloween, yo

Hooray for the Holidays! Most people consider Thanksgiving through New Year's the "Holiday Season," but I beg to differ. I say it is Halloween through New Years. As soon as the leaves start to change, the holidays have officially started. Unless you live in Hawaii and the leaves never change. Then it sucks to be you. Actually, no..... cause you live in Hawaii. Anyway, no arguing, changing leaves = holidays. Love it! So in honor of Halloween, here's a picture of me and Ben's first pumpkin! We carved it yesterday, which means I had to scoop out all the guts and he did the face. As a further tribute to Halloween, I'd like to mention my all-time favorite Halloween movie....
And some quotage....
Ernest: How about a little Miak!
Trantor the Troll: Miak?
Ernest:Yeah, Miak. I bet you thought I couldn't find any at this time of the year, well a little resourceful for ya, a little to light on my feet. Eat Miak and die!

Well...

So sad story, the lovely Nikes I mentioned in my last post ended up being terribly uncomfortable. When I first tried them on I liked them, but thought that they would break in. Nope, not so. Luckily, I bought them at Nordstrom, which means that I could've worn them 500 times, rubbed them in dirt, and still returned them. Not that I did that- I think that I wore them 2 or 3 times- but it was nice that I could return them with no problem. So, cute but uncomfortable shoes are out. You know what is in? My new looooovely cashmere pashmina. Love it so much. Pictures to come soon.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Sooo a few weeks ago, I was walking through Nordstrom. My favorite place in the world other than my home and Color Me Mine. Walking past the shoe section I spied with cute pair of Nikes. I've been thinking about them every few days, wanting to purchase them. They'd be so cute to wear around. Comfy as a tennis shoe, but a little dressed up. Anyway, I finally bought them today. I was absolutely elated that I would no longer be pining after these things. I proudly brought them home, whipped them out of the Nordstrom bag and Nike box to show my Benjamin and expected him to be supportive of my buy. Was not so. He said that they were hideous and could not believe that I'd spend money on them. Rude! I know they're probably a little different and don't appeal to everyone, but geez, he acted like I bought a pile of vomit or something. I've decided I don't care. I love them and I'm going to wear them, with or without the support of my husband.

Here are the offending shoes:

My firsts

First Friend: The first friend that I really remember is Courtney Yun. She was about my age in lived in my cul-de-sac in Pennsylvania. We still keep in touch even though it's been over 10 years since we've seen each other.
First Time to Disneyland: Never been to Disneyland, however I've been to Disneyworld about 10 times at least. Growing up in the midwest, we were Florida vacation people, not California.
First Memorable Gift: This is hard! Probably my Teddy Ruxbin I got when I was like 3. I loved it! You'd stick a tape in his back and he'd start talking to me. A little creepy maybe.
First Time Wearing Makeup: Costume makeup- probably when I was 3 or 4 and was a clown for Halloween. I let my mom put lipstick on my cheeks. My first real makeup experience was probably in the 5th grade or something when I was allowed to wear clear mascara. I was so excited about it, but now that I look back on it, clear mascara really didn't do anything. Except sting a lot when it got in my eye.
First Birthday Party: The first one that I actually remember was my 5th- we were living in Missouri and I had all my pre-school friends over. I don't remember much, but I know that I had little pointy hats for everyone to wear. They were pink.
First Car: Oh geez, that's the 1990 Mazda 626. More like the Mazda 666. It would stall and rev its engine without me doing a thing. Luckily I got an upgrade a year later :)
First Job: Custard girl at Ritters Frozed Custard. Loved it, only because I got free custard and worked with all my friends.
First Car Accident: I've never been the driver in a real accident (I've had like 3 teeny fender-benders, but those don't count), but I was a passenger in one. Senior year in high school, right after bridge jumping in the middle of the night into a lake, right after a big storm... real smart, I know.... anyway the driver was going real fast on slick roads and we skidded into a highway guardrail thing, spun around and hit a tree. Scariest moments of my life. Luckily, no one was hurt. We just felt like idiots calling my friend's dad to help us at 2 am when we weren't supposed to be out anyway.
First Concert: N Sync when I was in 8th grade. This was before they got really big and Britney Spears was their opening act.

First College Roommate: Hello, Lindsay Romans-Adamson. I feel so lucky, because I could've gotten any nutcase off the street and I got a girl who became one of the best friends I've ever had.

First Airplane Ride Alone: I was 6 years old and my parents flew me to Orlando for a week to visit my Aunt Kathy. I think that's illegal now, right? Kids have to be like 8 or something I think.
First Time I Met Ben: Sadly I don't remember our first ever meeting. His family moved to my town when I was a freshman in high school. We went to the same high school and ward, so I saw him around a lot. I remember seeing him with some people in the halls on one of his first days at school and thinking "Wow, he's hanging out with the partiers. I wonder if he knows."

First Kiss with Ben: It was on our 4th date, and I think that we got some food and then went back to his place to watch a movie. We were watching Kate and Leopold, and after a close call or 2, we kissed during the movie. I know, I know, kind of a boring story. But it was fab!
First Home with Ben: Stonecrest Apartments in Provo. Living next door to Megan and Dave, which was great!
First Real Job: My current job, working for DCFS in American Fork. So far I love it- it's just starting to get really busy and making me feel like I'm actually doing something.
First Time I Realized I Wasn't a Kid Any More: Geez, I don't know... I think that one time when I realized that I wasn't a kid was 2 summers ago when I visited home for a week and hung out with my high school girlfriends at their college. I felt like my life was so far from what theirs was- I was living on my own, paying my bills, married... and their lives were about their sororities, friends, and parties... not that their lives are less than mine or anything... I just realized that I was now different... I was a grown up with a grown up life and responsibilities.

Loving fall decor

Fall decor is so great, right? I've been wanting to go to Roberts Crafts for weeks now to get my house all decked out in the fall stuff, and I finally went. Here is a picture of my fireplace and mantle. Easy, fun, cheap decorating :)

Happy days are here again!

Moo is home! I was so worried about him- still am- but I'm just happy to have him back. Apparently his kidneys just don't work very well. He was at the vet for 6 days and was hooked up to an iv the whole time- poor guy! Now that he's home, he has to eat special food for the rest of his life, and has to receive sub-q shots weekly. Those shots are administered by me, and they give him extra hydrating liquid. Things are looking good for Moo for awhile, and he is expected to live for at least a few years- whew! Anyway friends, thanks for your thoughts and prayers during this stressful time for me :) Here's a picture of Moo with his poor shaved paws where he had his iv.

It was a sad, depressing day

Ok, most of you know that I have 2 cats, Oscar and Moo, that I love very, very much. I don't have any kids, but the cats certainly occupy that place in my heart. Anyway, Moo is a year old and is not a typical cat. So sweet and loving, loves to be cuddled and held. Perfect little companion. I've noticed that in the past few days, Moo has been acting funny. Not social, lethargic, weight loss, etc. I decided to take him to the vet to see what was up. I only expected him to have a little bug or maybe an infection at worst, so I was not prepared for Moo's diagnosis. Apparently, Moo is thourght to havekidney failure, or CRF. How could this happen to my sweet little guy? The vet isn't 100% sure this is CRF, but I know that CRF is a terminal illness, and it's not known how long he will live. Could be months or years. So right now he's spending a few days at the vet for IV therapy. They're going to try and regulate some of his kidney levels so he'll feel a little better. There is no medication to cure this disease. Just diet suggestions, and occasional IV therapy, which can get very expensive. So please, please say a prayer for my little cat. I know not everyone is a cat person, but I am and I'm devastated to know that my Moo is very sick.

My Favorite Things: A love story- part 2

Color Me Mine. Seriously, I love this place. If I had $100 grand I would totally buy into the franchise and open one myself. If you have lived under a rock for the past few years, here's what CMM is: you pick out your own pre-made pottery and you can paint and decorate it, and then they fire it for you. A few days later you can pick it up. I am in love with this place. Such a calming atmosphere with cool music and cute ideas. I love being a crafty person, but I am also somewhat lazy, that CMM allows me to be extremely crafty (painting and decorating) and lazy (not having to make the pottery) at the same time. I love this place, and I try to go as often as my husband will let me. It can be a pricey hobby, but it's also supercool, and I feel the coolness definitely outweighs the price.

Sharks! Well, probably not sharks as a whole, since I don't have a death wish, but sharks in certain circumstances. Like on tv or in a movie. Or pictures and books. For some reason, I just love sharks. I especially love movies about sharks who eat people. Not to say I enjoy real stories about people getting eaten by real sharks- hello, that is a tragedy- but I enjoy the glamorized terror and whatnot sharks create. I know, I'm a freak. Watch me get eaten by a shark someday. I'm just so fascinated with them and the terrible reputation they have. I'd really like to go on a (caged) shark dive someday and see them up close. If anyone else wants to go with me, let me know and we can get this shindig arranged :)

My favorite things: A love story- part 1

The Twilight series. Such good books! I was a little skeptical when I first heard about them. I thought that reading a book about vampires would immediately put me in a "Dungeons and Dragons"- like category, but oh my, I was sooo wrong. These books are so well written and make any female fall completely in love with Edward Cullen. I tried to get Benjamin to read them, and he laughed at me. A lot.




Kelly Ripa. I think that she is absolutely adorable, and I'd love to know her. She has such a cool life- living in NYC, neato job, gorgeous husband and kids, and the cutest clothes ever! I don't know how much is just tv and how much is really her, but she seems to have the cutest personality too. Until I started working 9-5, I would tune into Live every morning to see what she was wearing and I would try to replicate it with my wardrobe. Rarely did my limited closet allow me to closely replicate her outfit, but it gave me more than a few ideas.


Ranunculuses... or ranunculi? Whatever they're supposed to be called, I love them. Such pretty, happy flowers. I have 2 bunches of fake ones that I got from Anthropologie... one in my kitchen, one in my office. I considered getting myself a little garden or at least a few flower pots and trying to grow them, but I realized 2 things:
1. It's almost October, which is when things start to die. Maybe in the spring?
2. I'm a plant killer. I forget to water them, prune them, or I just let my cats eat them.


My bed! In the almost 3 years that I've had my bed, I have not encountered another bed that is nearly as comfortable. I need to thank Benjamin for this one. Right before we got married, I sent him on the bed- finding mission. He went to Down East home and found a perfectly good California King pillow top mattress set that had gotten it's protective plastic torn on the way to a furniture store, thus negating any warranties and whatnot it had. This meant that it was dirt cheap. Best purchase ever!

Tag, I'm it!

1.) What I was doing 10 years ago: September 1997
I was in 7th grade at Northside Middle School. Awkward as the next 12 year old, I'm sure. Super angry that all my friends were in none of my classes. Cheerleading for the football team.

2.) Five Years Ago: September 2002
Senior in high school at Columbus North, having the time of my life. I loved my senior year! I was a football cheerleader, I was applying to BYU, and I was driving my cute red convertible.

3.) 1 Year Ago: September 2006
Benjamin and I were both going to school and working. I was working on campus at BYU and at New Haven. I was so excited to be finishing school.

4.) Yesterday:
Worked, worked, worked, and then went to Jamie Relei's bridal shower with Taylor.

5.) 5 Snacks I enjoy:
Diet Dr. Pepper, Smoothie Skittles, wheat thins, almonds, Creamies

6.) 5 Things I would do if I suddenly had $100 Million:
Oh dear... I'd probably buy a house or 2, buy a few cars (namely a Lexus RX 400h), set my family up for life, go back to school, and become a teacher. Or open a Color Me Mine. And definitely set up semi-annual trips to NYC for shopping. And open up an animal shelter for abused/neglected pets. Yes, I've thought about this dream a lot.

7.) 5 Locations I would run away to:
New York, London, Greece, Italy, or Indiana (I miss my fam)

8.) 5 Bad Habits I have:
Biting my nails, not returning phone calls, forgetting to put leftovers in the fridge, leaving all the lights on, eating unhealthy food

9.) 5 Things I like doing:
Cleaning, watching movies, working out, making cards, shopping for anything

10.) 5 TV Shows I like:
The Office, What Not to Wear, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Biggest Loser, The Hills

11.) 5 Things I hate doing:
Waking up early, flossing (nasty, I know), going to the post office, driving long distances, taking the litter box out

12.) 5 Biggest joys of the moment:
Living in a big new place, decorating my office, looking forward to The Office season 4, knowing that my mom, sister, and nephews are coming next month, sleeping in tomorrow

If you are reading this, I tag you! It doesn't take long, so take a few minutes and do one and let me know you filled it out.

Second Lunch

Now that I have been a working girl for... let's see... 7 whole weeks, I have discovered something that makes the workday just a little more enjoyable. "What is it?" you ask. Second lunch. You see, whenever I go out to lunch with co-workers (which is entirely too often... I work to make money, not to spend it on lunches out) I am sure to save the last half of my lunch to eat later. Around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, when hunger begins to return, it is time for second lunch. Whoever I lunched with and I go to the kitchen or meet in an office to finish up our lunches. It's a great little break and fills me up again, so I'm only wanting a little food at dinnertime, instead of making it the biggest meal of my day. As you can see, I'm easily amused, especially when food is involved.

The first cut is the deepest

So when I was younger, I fell deeply in love with a band. This was my first experience of loving music and becoming a 'superfan.' From the time I was 11 until the end of middle school, I loooooved the band Hanson. Yes, the brothers with the long hair. Anyway, I loved loved loved them even though I only had one other friend who openly loved them like me. Much, much later I had several friends tell me that they really loved Hanson too, but where too afraid to tell people for fear of getting teased. Lame-o. Anyway, the point of this brief history is that even though my love for Hanson faded post-middle school, I am loving them once again. Their new album- The Walk- is fabulous! Seriously, it's nothing like their Mmmbop stuff... it's quality music. And they've grown up, gotten married, and cut their hair. So don't be ashamed people, give Hanson a chance. If it helps, Jenna Fischer (Pam from The Office) loves Hanson too.

Are these cute or what?

You know, for the next get-together or party I throw at my house, I think that I'll do cupcakes for the dessert of choice. Seriously, these babies are super easy to make, tons of fun to decorate, and you don't have to deal with cutting stuff and dishing it out. Cupcakes are my new favorite thing to bake. And for those of you who know me well, while I am not the best cook, I sure can bake!

There must be something in the water

Everyone is having babies! Not that there's anything wrong with that at all- no way- I'm so happy for all of my mommy friends. It's just strange for me to see my peers as parents. I think that a possible reason for this feeling is because I don't really see myself as a grown up yet... yes, I've been married for over 2 1/2 years and I'm a college grad, and those things both seem grown up, but when I stick myself in the middle of them... nah, I don't really feel like I belong. Maybe when I'm a mom I'll feel like a grown up. Until then, I'll salute my grown up friends who are mommies. ps- sorry that I've swiped this pictures from facebook or myspace :)

Meg & Hank

Thomas, Melissa & Macey

Taylor, Jordan& Peyton

Sarah & Andie

So you graduated from college... now what?

Around January of this year, that question was beginning to loom over me. For the past 17-ish years of my life, I had been a student. I was always content being a student and relished in the stage of life I was in each year. Every year of my childhood and young adulthood brought about new challenges and opportunities, all centered around my status as a student. The events within the life I came to know were part of a reassuring pattern that I enjoyed. For example: August through May was school time, and June through August was summer time. Study, study, study for 9 months, then the bliss of no deadlines, vacations, and laziness for the summer. However, in January the comfort I felt from my routine began to evaporate. I began to realize that I was at the very, very end of the routine that I had learned to live by. I couldn't just coast through the end of the school year, get a summer job, and then start back up again. No, I had to find myself a real job.

Oh geez... finding a real job was a nightmare. It was very difficult to get into "job finder mode," because it didn't seem real yet. It didn't seem real that my 17 years of educational routine was ending and now it was time to find a career-job. I promised Ben that beginning January 1, 2007 I would start the job search. And I did. I put my resume on monster.com.... and that was it. I didn't do much else concerning the job front (other than worry and worry) for a few months. Weeks came and went without much success. Who knew trying to find a job would be so hard? I figured I'd be snapped up by some employer quickly and easily (despite my oh-so-marketable MFHD major). No, no my friends... not so simple.

Long story short, I found myself a great job. I've been there about a month and a half and I love it. I'm a caseworker for the Department of Child and Family Services, and lemme tell you, it was not a cakewalk getting that job. Nooooo.... first, I couldn't even apply until I had graduated from school. Once graduated, I sent in my resume, a month later I was contacted to take a social worker assessment test. Upon passing the 70% minimum passing grade, I was sent a letter to schedule an interview in Salt Lake. After doing alright on that interview (where they only asked me 6 questions. 6!), I was called for another interview in Provo. I went to that interview, expecting a panel of 2 or 3 people to answer to. Nope, this interview had 12 people in the room. All looking at me. A little intimidating, huh? This time I only had to answer 4 questions. In and out in 5 minutes. Anyway, I finally got a call for a final interview, and then was offered the job. From beginning to end, this process was over 3 months long. Needless to say, I do not look forward to beginning the job search ever again.