My New Apartment

I finally decided to post some pictures.  Mostly I wanted to wait till I got everything nice & perfect but with Josh in town & my new work schedule it has become a longer project than I had anticipated.  

This is my entry where my desk is, it is the only light right now in my entertainment area.  Josh moved his couch in for me to borrow till I get my own, it is TOO big but it will do for now.  It is very comfortable so I am grateful he is letting me borrow it. 

I still have some boxes in front of my fireplace but this is my entertainment area, the couch takes up most the room but it is nice to have someplace to sit by the TV.   My entertainment center looks great, I am really happy with it. 

I'll almost 100% move the little bookcase but that is where it will stay for now.  I got the chair free from MaryJo and it is nice, it will be a great reading chair under the lamp.  

My kitchen :)  I have some Christmas cards up from friends on my refrigerator and Josh made some artwork for me, & my sister said she'd have her kids make some for me!

My bedroom, my furniture looks great, this isn't an awesome picture, but it does look very nice in person.  I need to hang up pictures and make it a little more personal but it is big and nice.  No picture of my closet but I have a really good sized closet and a hall closet for my clothes.  

My bathroom is nice too!  Really good size, and the laundry area is just in the back door so it is away from everything which I like.  

I am very happy with it.  Major complaint is parking often is difficult to find close to where I live and at 9 a.m. they tend to do yard maintenance outside my apartment.  

I'lll get more pictures when things look nicer.  

Can you Believe Another One : SOUP

 I had ANOTHER Linger Longer this Sunday & I am super beat.  Soup was he plan, I went to Restaurant Depot Saturday (mine & Josh's one year anniversary :)) and got soup, rolls & butter.  

Get to the linger longer & I am happy we, have plenty of soup, plus my friend made a tomato bisque with lobster, so good variety.  Suddenly my first counselor comes in with all these desserts!  The Wednesday party have left over desserts, I thought that meant a few, no like 20!   

It was our pie Linger Longer All Over Again, but now I have soup to deal with too. . . 

So another Sunday filled with pies.  

and more pies.  

The Chicken Tortilla was a BIG hit, went the fastest, my poor Minestrone didn't fair as well.  I ended up taking some home in my crock pot.  

The Leadership wives were great & let me use their crock pots & a good friend from the other ward miraculously had a power strip I could set my extension cords to. It worked well, but it is a ton of work.  

Oh, and the Potato & Bacon soup was a hit too, but oh the clean up, I am beat.  Scrubbing the two HUGE pots we used to cook it with & then this tub, my hands are so raw.

I got so scared because I heard them saying their is ANOTHER Linger Longer NEXT week, but the leadership wives are doing that one.   Hawaiian Haystacks, my committee is incharge of the toppings, and the Sunday after that is the Second Sunday.  I am going to ask for a reprieve.  

I'm beat. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving :)

We had a small Thanksgiving this year, just me, Mom, Dad, Brian & Aunt Jolene oh & all the dogs.  Brenlie, Daisy & Huck.  

The Turkey. . . 

Everyone at the table ready to eat!

This is what I dished up for myself & it was DELICIOUS!!!

I didn't get pictures but there was apple pie and pumpkin pie for dessert, but we had to wait a little bit because everyone was full!

Me with my Thanksgiving Meal!

It was a good Thanksgiving, I got to watch the Macy's Day Parade which I LOVE! And we watched the Dog Show after which is another family tradition I guess.  I really wanted the Great Dane the size of a pony to take best in show but oh well. . . . 

Really grateful for this day and the time I got to spend with family.  We got to skype with Kylene and her kids which is always fun and with Jolene here we got to facetime a little bit with Kyle and his kids.  I had just woken up from a brief nap and couldn't see bc my contact moved so I really couldn't see him that well but still very fun!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pies, Pies, More Pies

I had my Linger Longer today and it went really well :)

LOTS OF PIES!!

I bought about 8 cream pies and 5 fruit pies.  My other committee members brought fruit pies and pumpkin pies but we had a good variety.  I had cool whipped toppings to cover the pies and that was basically it.  Very simple. 

We decided to cut and put the slices on the plates so people aren't trying to dish them out themselves and get all clutter up, just see the pie you want and grab it.  So an hour before church I got my committee out cutting & dishing up but decided to hold off on the cream pies because after I cut my first one is loosens FAST!

Me trying to get the cream pies from completely melting all over the place. 

It was pretty cool to just see PIES.  Lots of colors, very pretty.

I couldn't afford the milk & mostly the fridge space, so we had water & ice.  

This one was great, and I have gotten GREAT and taking help and even asking for help.  My co-chair and another person of my 3 member committee were gone so basically out of the five of us only 3 were there including myself.  So we had some help, asked my visiting teacher to help and it turned out really well.  

I have another one next week, the bishopbric asked that we have linger longers while tithing settlements are going down so people have food to distract them how long they are waiting. 

Next week  . . . SOUP (probably).

Fun with the Girls :)

The last few weeks I have been invited to a few Girls Only Parties and it has been so much fun to get together with my girlfriends. 

We just talk and laugh and eat.  It has been a nice surprise.  

And my friends can bake & cook :)

One girl made this BEAUTIFUL & DELICIOUS cookies.  

And the aesthetics were perfect, I didn't get a picture of my contribution but I was drinks so there really isn't a way to make Coke & Dr. Pepper & Water Bottles look cute.

These were really good, I thought they would be super doughy but they weren't, good proportions and were seasoned or something.  Very tasty. 

And even healthy :)

The apples had a great flavor and texture. 

The set-up was great.  I didn't get any pictures of this yummy cheese dip there was over on the kitchen counter.  It was in a crock pot but it was GOOD :)

It is crazy, my mind has been on food A LOT lately.   

Oh & I have a Linger Longer for church tomorrow, Pies . . . 

Anyway I thought it was cute, & SUPER Delicious, thought I'd share.  

Spontaneous Utah Trip

I had a small moment of spontaneity this weekend, I went to Utah on a whim :)

It was a 3-day weekend for me so I got tickets Monday to fly up to SLC Airport Saturday morning, arriving at 10:30 a.m.

Betsy was super sweet and agreed last minute to pick me up and drive me to Grandma & Grandpa Sumner's in Mapleton.  

Such a fun day and WOW they got snow!!!  I was blown away by how much snow they got in one day.  They said close to 12 inches!

Meg was making snow angels.

So amazing!  A few days ago they said they had temperatures in the mid 70's and a nice sun out.  And the day before I come is this. . . 

Sunday Morning I got ready for church in my most winter appropriate outfit I could come up with. This is what I wore to Grandma Banks Funeral last time I needed a dress for Utah.  I wanted a picture of me next to the church building covered in snow & ICICLES!!!'

Close up of the ICICLES ~ I am from Mesa, Arizona, this is a pretty big deal :)

And the view!  It was so pretty, the mountains were covered in snow and clouds.  I was admittedly very cold, but it was just so beautiful.  I LOVE Utah!

My cousin Sydney made yummy cookies for us.  They were delicious.  I was so happy to see Mike & his family, we had a great visit Sunday late in the evening.  Mike monopolized Josh and talked to him almost the whole time.  

The morning I left I finally asked to get pictures with Grandma and Grandpa.  Josh took them for me, after 2 pictures Grandma got up and said, Okay, we're done. . . 

Josh & I went to Black Diamond for a tour, it was pretty cool actually.  The bought out Gregory which is the brand of all my packs & I LOVE them!  Josh & I both enjoyed it.  

We went to lunch with his sister Kate & her husband Kit @ Crown Burger then she was kind enough to take me along to the airport.  

Josh thought I was flying Southwest with him & was bummed that I was flying Delta so we couldn't wait at the gates together.  But it worked out perfectly.  We went through security together, Josh took a little longer than me, but then again I know who I am dating. . . 

Anyway, I walk with his to his gate & we just sit together till he had to board, kissed good-bye and I watched him walk on through to his plane and I turned and walked to my terminal & by the time I went to the restroom & got to my gate I was able to call my Mom that I got there fine they announced they were boarding.  Perfect :)

What an amazing weekend!  So grateful to see TONS of family, so many people made a special trip to see me and it was such a blessing.  

Betsy & her family, Sharon, Susan & Gary came with Tara Saturday afternoon.  Vicki & Greg Saturday evening.  Brooke & her mom Carol stayed with me at Grandma & Grandpa's which was fun.  Emily & Sean came their kids Sunday for dinner (which I made & everyone said was really good.  Chicken Adobo is amazing) and Josh was able to come in time for dinner.  

Mike, Lisa & all their kids came right as Emily & her kids were leaving, LOVE IT!!!

I was very grateful grandma & grandpa let me stay with them, they even had Josh stay Sunday night so he didn't have to drive back to his sister's in Lehi that night & come right back to pick me up Monday Morning.  

I had so much fun, very grateful was wonderful memories!!

Last Day at WF LOP

 Friday, November 2 was my last day at Wells Fargo's Legal Order Processing Dept.  

I started November 30, 2009 - it was my First Full-Time job since graduating from ASU, and I remember being so grateful to get out of retail.  

It was a good job for about 2 years, it was a nice change of pace to get to work on my own and I met some amazing people.  

And the FOOD!!!  My department throws some amazing potlucks!!!  I LOVE Filipino Food & Latin Food.  Chicken Adobo & Guacamole come into my dreams they are that good!  

It was SO sweet, one my processors who makes the Guacamole at the potlucks came up to me & brought me my OWN batch that she said was just for ME.  And she bought me the yummiest chips that go with it perfectly. 

People were so fun the last day, everyone kept trying to buy me food, but an old co-worker of mine already invited me out to lunch.  We got Olive Garden & the chicken florentine panini was delicious!  

Me and Nicole Hicok - we were tellers together, worked at LOP together, she is now on the third floor in ATM settlements (I was on the second floor).

Eric & I worked DSR together & he is the SHARPEST dresser.  He was so great to try & coordinate with me whether it was casual or more fancy.  I mean this guy is legit, polished shoes & cuff-lings, ironed pants/shirt/jacket & perfectly tied tie.  

I wanted one with Neka, my other good friend from DSR but she refused to say good-bye to me so  no picture :(  She is my gun shooting buddy.  Hopefully that goes down.

My friend Matt - I've been to a few of his plays, one in Casa Grande and another in Gilbert at the Hale Theatre.  He promised to let me know when his next performance is, he is auditioning for South Pacific.  Good Luck Matt!!

I wanted more pics but it was Friday & it was a BUSY Friday . . .   

Selma-Jean came & gave me the sweetest hug!  It is perfect because my first day there they put me in the mail room with Selma-Jean & after 20 minutes with her I almost walked out it was so horrible.  She has a unique personality & you have to learn to not take it personally when she is speaking to you like you're stupid.  Took me about 2 years but the last year with her has been fun so that hug was very special to me I came close to crying then but then she said, "it's been real" & walked off so I laughed instead :)

More sad good-byes, another Processor Jenny who I will miss tons. Leya refused to say good-bye too, she is having a Ladies Only Party next Friday so I will see her then.  Another good friend of mine Meghann regused to say good-bye too.  I am not good with good-byes so I told my supervisor I would walk myself out & promised to turn in my badge.  

So I packed up my desk & walked out, turned in my badge - said good bye to the security I've said good-night to the last almost two years.  

Wish me Luck :)

Halloween

Happy Halloween!!!

This is a co-worker who really outdid herself, she looks amazing!  Seriously amazing.  I was proud of myself for trying to do my hair, wearing make-up & shaving my legs.  

I'll try to get everyone from left to right:

Top:

Jessellette - Kardashian Vampire, Corrine - Blind Referee, Tamara - pretty sure she is someone with a hangover, Rose - with the skull make-up, Neka - Michael Jordan, Adrianna - a pirate, Jenny - the Queen Bee, Meghann - Zombie, Cruz - Freddy

Bottom:  

Celina - Referee, Selma-Jean - ASU Fan, Jackie - fairy, ME - FAIRY PRINCESS!

It was really fun.  Cruz sneaked up behind me while I was working at my desk & with her clawed hand came up to my throat from behind and close but not touching clawed at my throat.  

Cruz is amazing, she was totally in character.  We had a recognition meeting today & stood by me the whole time and tried to get me to cry.  She wanted to break the fairy princess out of me.  

Halfway through the pictures Cruz decided she needed to die, true to her character.  She she goes down and starts wailing around and pretended to die.  It was good quality.  

My friend Meghann - the zombie, she didn't warn me her costume was going to be scary so when I got to work & she came up to me & actually jumped back.  Her make-up was pretty legit.  And Selma-Jean as an ASU fan was just fun, she told me she did her face paint herself, it was a press-on and she was very proud of it.  Love it. 

My costume is my senior year prom dress, a tiara & floral want I bought last year on clearance after Halloween & I used wings my Mom bought.  Also got to be barefoot almost all day except when I had to use the restroom.  I did put my heels on to walk in the bathroom.  

After work I got to Skype with Josh & show him my costume, he told me he liked it.  And hopefully next year we can do a themed costume together.  I am leaning toward Han Solo & Princess Leia or something where the guy has a beard bc that is important to Josh.  Maybe a cowboy & cowgirl.  I have a whole to year to figure it out.  

I got home so late & after Skyping I missed the trick or treaters so I took my costume off & called it a great Halloween.

Happy Halloween :)

Aldridge Gardens II

The Aldridge Gardens is where the bulk of our pictures were taken.

Here is a pretty scenic look out from out little walking trail we were on.  

A pictures Josh took & that is pretty typical for us.  When we walk we hold hands when it is warm or when I am warm, but when I am cold I am usually clutching Josh's arm. 

On the trail we saw these massive leaves on the ground and I bent down & picked two up & thought of Adam & Eve and how two leaves would cover up everything essential.  

Josh checked if he would be good too.  

HYDRANGEA!  I love Hydrangea, these are the second flowers we saw and I was SO happy because they are one of my favorites after lilies & daises.  

I am not a very artistic person and I usually find statues to be kind of pointless but this was so cute with the Mama Duck leading her Ducklings down to the pond. . 

Another random photo but I like it.  I like to think I look that nice & innocent all the time. . . 

Okay I know I've said I love & LOVE and ton of pictures but these next two pictures have no words to describe how much I LOVE them.  I thought we got some good couple pictures in Utah at Lake Powell & Antelope Canyons, but these. . .  no comparison.  I don't know how Josh will top these.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them :)

Me at a another flowing little waterfall.  I opted to take my flip flops off for the picture. 

We played with the color options on my camera again and again this was Josh's favorite.  I like them too, it makes us look kind of timeless.  

I like this photo too, we are at the end of the trail and found exactly four flowers and so Josh was trying to buoy my spirits.  And I think he has caught on that I like having our pictures taken so he started taking random silly photos here.  This one turned out nice.  

Me at the end.  We finished the trail at the Aldridge Gardens.  What a beautiful garden.  

My trip was amazing.  My boyfriend was perfect if you couldn't tell.  I made LOTS of food for him, most notable was the Chicken Adobo, Jalepenos wrapped in Bacon filled with Cream Cheese and the Cheese Sauce Josh likes so much.  I tried my hand at Cinnamon Rolls, Bro. Seagle gave me his recipe and I burned a good bit of them but the one batch that turned out okay I asked Josh if he'd take them to work :)  

We went to Walmart almost everyday, for me sometimes more than that.  We went to the Library a few times to get Josh audio-books so he can listen to the Percy Jackson series I really enjoyed.  

Besides the trips we went on & when Josh wasn't in class or working we just chilled, cuddled while watching a movie or tv shows on hulu.  Josh bought the new Tinker Bell movie for me & was even willing to watch it with me.  I didn't actually have him do it  but it was sweet to know he would.  

I slept great this trip, the last two I really struggled but I did seriously great this time, don't know the change but I was happy to be so relaxed.  

I left Monday Evening Oct. 29th so we got almost nine full days together and I LOVED it, it was a great trip.  I cried the whole way to the airport, through baggage, and airport security and didn't really stop till I boarded my plane.  I miss my boyfriend, thank heavens for Skype :)