cardy & jenn

Holiday Ramblings

2012-02-09T21:59:00.001-07:00

Holy cow! I can't believe its been months since my last post. I'm always amazed at how quickly time passes me by. I'll give the short, short version of my holiday season:

-Thanksgiving came and went. I pretty much survived the month of November on anything pumpkin-chocolate chip. I did lots of cooking and I took my very first cooking class with my friend, Carlee. We made roasted cornish game hens and a curried butternut soup. I immediately decided it's imperative to own an immersion blender for soups galore. Cardy and I also continued our tradition of roasting our own turkey, stuffed with our delicious home made dressing, a blend of both our mom's recipes.

-Christmas was wonderful, as usual. December is always a busy month- working, shopping, decorating, wrapping, Christmas parties, etc. Cardy took note this year and I received my beloved immersion blender.

- We spent New Years Eve with our closest friends, Devon & Caroline. We had a fabulous dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

Check out these ballers. They both won their fantasy football leagues. Champagne was in order.

- I had my first Sundance Film Festival experience. Cardy and Devon were dying to see Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie. Me? Not so much. But...being the awesome wife that I am, I signed Cardy and I up for ticket time slots (a benefit for locals) to be sure we scored some tickets.

Devon, Caroline, Cardy and I braved the snow to catch the first Salt Lake showing at the Tower Theater. The movie was pretty much what I expected- I'll leave it at that- but we had a really fun night.

Caroline and I being good sports before the movie

I wish...

2011-11-16T10:40:00.001-07:00

I have lots of wishes but today here's what I wish for most...
-I wish I could blink my eyes and my house would be clean
-I wish a full work week was only 30 hours long
-I wish dogs didn't shed
-I wish I could take a short nap everyday
-I wish working out didn't seem like a chore

Birthday Girl

2011-10-27T22:56:00.001-06:00

She may be a fighter- but she's also a lover. We consider her our baby. We think everything she does is the cutest thing we've ever seen. Most people think we're talking about our child (which she is) but she's actually our furry baby. It's her 2nd birthday today and we are celebrating in pure doggy fashion. Just like her birthday last year, she was treated to a very special birthday breakfast, served "breakfast-in-bed" style (prepared by her dad, of course).

Today we pampered Zoe with lots of loves, belly rubs, a nice walk in this beautiful Fall weather and a game of fetch.

We love this little girl so much. She fills our hearts with so much love. We can't imagine our lives without her. Happy Birthday, Zozo

This Bites...

2011-10-26T23:38:00.000-06:00

Friday night Zoe got into a tussle with one of the neighborhood dogs. This particular dog is one Zoe's played with many times. In fact, one of the things we love most about our community is the large grassy area that pretty much serves as a dog park. We've met most of our neighbors because of the dogs. Each night we can look out of our kitchen window and see who's outside playing. Zoe is usually on high alert making sure she doesn't miss out on any fun.

Typically the dogs all play really well together but for whatever reason Zoe wasn't feeling it and after enough prodding the fight ensued. It all happened so fast but luckily Cardy was quick minded and strong enough to break it apart. Both dogs were okay and not seriously injured. However, when we got home we noticed Zoe had a tear in her front paw. It was a pretty good size tear but after assessing it, it wasn't bleeding and she was walking on it just fine. Cardy and I cleaned it and wrapped it up for the night but we took her to the vet the next day to have it officially checked out. I had a feeling the tear was just big enough it would be difficult for it to close up on it's own. I was right, the vet felt Zoe would be fine but put 4 staples in to close up the wound.

Fortunately the neighbors dog was okay. We walked over to check on her and make sure she hadn't been injured her during the fight. Neither one of us had ever experienced a dog fight before and it shook us up pretty good. We're just thankful the injuries were minimal we'll keep our fingers crossed this doesn't happen again any time soon.

End of Summer

2011-09-14T17:19:00.000-06:00

This summer seemed to go by so fast. My schedule has eased up but I still feel like there were so many things I wanted to do this summer that I still haven't gotten to. My dumb knee and even dumber hip have kept me from doing all of the active things Summers usually entail. I was really looking forward to hiking with Zoe and doing some more biking but my body just wasn't having it. I've been starting to feel a bit better so hopefully I can still do a few things before snow hits the ground. And I certainly hope I'm feeling better before ski season! Summer officially comes to an end next week but I'm still looking forward to another month of the Farmer's Market, cooler days and nights, a few more movies at the drive-in, and hopefully another time or two on boat.

I'm also SUPER excited for the Fall. Definitely my favorite season!

Dear Fall,
Please stick around for as long as you possibly can.
Thanks!

My Fall favorites:
-Football!
-pumpkins
-my anniversary
-hoodies and sweaters
-pumpkin spice lattes
-halloween

I also love cooking this time of year. I love firing up the grill and I don't mind turning on the oven. I love the veggies during this season. I've been such a cooking slacker this summer but I'm excited to try out some of the recipes I've been posting to Pinterest.

Stiff, Sore & More

2011-07-08T00:41:00.000-06:00

Back in April I started having some issues with my right knee. At first I thought I had hyper-extended it from a doggy play time accident. I limped along and didn't think too much about it. After a week or so of some serious stiffness and some mild swelling, I had one of the doctors I work with take a look at it. He examined it and moved my leg around to see if my pain could be related to the ligaments or meniscus in my knee but we quickly determined they were fine. We were unsure what was really going on but decided some anti-inflammatories, ice and elevation might do the trick. Unfortunately, they did not. I didn't feel well but I was trying not to be a complainer and just "suck it up". I kept thinking that with time it will hopefully just go away.

After a while, I was feeling miserable- not only was my knee still a problem but my right wrist and a few other joints were starting to bother me. I am lucky I work for the Rheumatology group at the University of Utah and the doctors in my department are amazing. They were all concerned with my continual limp and my obvious frustrations but I kept passing off my pain and limp as no big deal. Finally I couldn't take it any longer, I made an appointment to physically be seen as a patient in my clinic. Gary Kunkel saw me as a patient and did a full exam. He was pretty sure my knee pain wasn't related to any damage to my tendons, ligaments or anything else. And he's pretty certain the tenderness and swelling in my joints is actually something called, Reactive Arthritis. This type of arthritis is an autoimmune disorder which responds to an infection in the body typically caused by certain types of bacteria.

Dealing with the reactive arthritis has not been pleasant. Since my doctor's visit I've taken two rounds of steroids, had two cortisone injections (one in the knee and one in the wrist), been eating Ibuprofen like it's candy, and started a medication called Sulfasalazine. I'm still incredibly stiff in the mornings and my new meds are giving me headaches. I also feel sluggish and fatigued- I'm not sure if it's the arthritis or the medication that's making me feel this way. Thankfully, my joints seem to loosen up by the afternoon and walking, climbing stairs, and driving become much easier. But it's like Groundhog Day- it all starts over the next morning. I did make Dr. Kunkel promise the meds wouldn't make me gain anymore weight or make me more irritable (lol). He found this amusing. I read that sulfasalazine can actually make you lose weight due to all of the GI related side effects- I'm still waiting for this side effect to kick in.

Here are some pictures of the cortisone injection I got in my wrist. (I was too chicken to even look at the injection when he did my knee.) Dr. Kunkel uses an ultrasound machine to analyze the swelling and to help determine exactly where he will inject.

Here is my wrist the morning of my injection. You can see the swelling in the top of my hand.

Prepping my hand prior to the injection.

Using ultrasound, ready to inject.

All the way in.

Pulling off fluid.

This is the screen on the ultrasound machine.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2011-06-05T23:55:00.000-06:00

We're already into June and we've just barely had our first day of 80 degree weather. April and May were unusually wet for Utah this year so we've been stuck inside most weekends. Over Memorial Day, I took an extra day off work to do some projects around the house and well... have an extra day off of work. The weather was mediocre for Friday and Saturday but raining again on Sunday & Monday. I took advantage of what I could and headed to the garden store with my mom to buy some flowers for my pots. I love planting flowers and seeing the color and extra charm it adds to the front of our house.

Zoe hung out with me while I planted. I'm surprised she hung out on the porch. Usually she's snooping around the neighbors patio or searching for some friends to play with.

Here's the flower pot on my front porch

This year I decided to try my hand at growing some herbs. I planted cilantro, chives, rosemary and basil.

N'awlins

2011-06-05T23:38:00.000-06:00

Oh how I love taking vacations with my husband. I'll pretty much take anything when it comes to a vacation- a night in Park City, all-inclusive in Mexico, or boating trips with my family. You name it and I'm there. But there is something about traveling with Cardy that is so much fun. Maybe it's his sense of adventure or his relaxed state of mind- whatever it is, it makes him a dream to travel with.

This trip was especially fun. I was invited to attend a conference for work and it just so happened to be in New Orleans. Perfect! I've always wanted to take Cardy to New Orleans. With such a rich culture and history galore, I knew he'd love it. We could not pass up the opportunity to take a couple extra days and visit one of the neatest cities in the United States. Yep, I said it, literally one of the coolest places I've ever been. I was fortunate enough to visit New Orleans six years ago, the spring just before Hurricane Katrina and I've always wanted to go back. I was a little worried the city would be different than I remembered. We've heard so many stories about the devastation which occurred there and I wasn't sure Cardy would have the same experience I did. Fortunately, I was wrong. Cardy fell in love with New Orleans and is already dying to go back to see more.

During our little trip we crammed in as much as we possibly could. Here are some of the highlights...

-Ate BBQ in Memphis (layover to & from NOLA. sadly, no pictures- my fingers were too messy!)

-Stayed in the gorgeous and historic Hotel Monteleone

-Explored the French Quarter, Jackson Square and the River Walk

-Noshed at some amazing local hot spots

-Rode the Trolley for a little more exploring

-Took a walking Ghost Tour through the French Quarter

-Enjoyed watching the street performers

-And of course, who can forget Bourbon Street?

*Wow, it took me a long time to post this. This trip feels like it happened ages ago. I think I'm ready for another!

The new plan

2011-03-31T17:29:00.000-06:00

Fine. I'll admit it. I'm just now realizing that I can't do it all. What? Could this be true? I'm not some super woman with amazing abilities and unlimited hours in the day? For my personal sanity, and my husband's, I've come to realize I don't want this persona, I want to have a good life balance.

I've done a lot of thinking since my last post and I decided I need to make some changes to help with the new balance I desire. Here's my plan:

1. Eliminate 1 of the 3 current jobs. By my own elimination criteria, I've decided which of the three it will be, it's not official so I'm not sharing yet but you'll soon find out. I love all my jobs and I'm lucky that in such a crappy economy I have jobs coming out of my ears. The down side to having too many jobs is I feel like I'm devoting all of my free time to working. I can't wait to have my evenings free and more weekends to enjoy.

2. Spend 30 minutes each weekday completing a task or two around the house. Whether it's dusting, cleaning out a drawer or throwing in a load of laundry or two, I want to accomplish more throughout the week instead of waiting for it to pile up and overwhelm myself with what seems like hours of cleaning. This way I can feel like I'm keeping on top of my house work and I can still make time to cook and relax with Cardy for the rest of the night.

3. Relax. When Cardy asks me to sit with him on the couch and watch TV for a bit, I'm not going to throw a tantrum and ask him if he knows just how dirty our bathrooms are. I need to make a huge effort to show him know he's far more important than my dusty tables.

I'm trying to be reasonable and rational in my new plan and for now, it seems doable. It's definitely a plan I can stick to.

Thoughts for today...

2011-03-29T14:47:00.000-06:00

When I get home tonight (that is, if I don't have to work at Pottery Barn) I want to walk in the door and blink my eyes and have this happen:
-magically clean bathrooms
-clean, folded and put away laundry
-mopped and glimmering kitchen floor
-vacuumed carpets
-oh, and a clean car would be nice

So that I'm not:
-tired
-grumpy
-stressed
-crying
-all of the above

Why do I let household chores stress me out? How come I can't come home and relax like my husband begs and pleads? Why do I think it's not okay to veg on my couch and watch TV all night with take out and a glass of wine? Poor Cardy, he gets the brunt of my craziness (sorry, Baby). Can you imagine if I had real stress in my life?

"Shampoo is better- I go on first and clean the hair..."

2011-03-24T22:49:00.000-06:00

Do you want to know the most amazing hair product ever? Dry Shampoo! It's the absolute best and a huge life saver. I don't typically advertise what I'm about to say and I'm only saying it because I love my dry shampoo so much but with this amazing little invention I've been washing my hair only once (maybe twice a week).

The best brand I've found is called Batiste. I buy it at Got Beauty in Salt Lake but I've heard it can be found at Sally's. It's about $10 a bottle but totally worth it. My hair tends to get a little greasy, my bangs especially and around my hair line. I used to wash my hair every other day and then a few years back I started using a little baby powder to help absorb some of the greasiness (what can I say, I'm lazy in the mornings). It helped and I was able to extend my hair washing another day or so but too much baby powder and my hair looked gray and ashy. I'm not sure who introduced me to dry shampoo but I'm sure thankful! The manager at Got Beauty recommended the Batiste brand above others they sell and said most of the stylists in the salon used it. It is definitely my favorite of the few I've tried. I used TIGI Rockaholic and the new dry shampoo by Tresseme. Both were fine but I think the Batiste still does the best job and it comes in a few different fragrances as well. My favorite is the Tropical but I want to try the new Diva scent.

I cannot tell you how much less stressful my mornings are with not having to wash, blow-dry and straighten my hair constantly. I know to some people it sounds gross but honestly- most people don't even know when it's been 4 or 5 days. Believe me, I have my hair issues and by the end of the week, I'm sporting a bun or a ponytail but at least I don't have greasy, smelly hair. Oh yeah, and to keep my hair from getting wet in the shower, I just pull my hair up in a bun and cover my head with a shower cap.

If you're a wash your hair everyday or even every other day kinda girl, think about trying a dry shampoo, I promise, it's worth it!

Burgers and Pork Chops and Nuggets, oh no!

2011-03-08T19:24:00.001-07:00

That's right, I'm not eating meat for 40 days. Lent is here and as I have in the past, I am giving up something I enjoy until Easter. I'm giving up meat but will still be eating fish and shellfish and dairy. I was telling a co-worker about it today and she exclaimed this is not vegetarianism. fine. To be clear...I will forgo the following: red meat, pork (all pork products) and chicken. To be technical, this style of diet is called Pescetarianism.

When I mentioned my soon to be meatless diet to Cardy, his first reaction was, "What am I going to do?" Well, I'm the cook so you'll pretty much be doing whatever I'm doing.

I'm extremely hesitant and a little worried about this challenge. Of course I felt this way last year when I gave up sugar and the year before when I gave up carbonation. Notice a trend here? Sugar, carbonation, and meat- all food related. Oh well. I'm not very prepared to for this diet change and I'm getting ready to go to Orlando this weekend where some of my meals will be provided- hopefully they will offer a pescetarian option.

So tonight I'm still trying to decide what my last meaty meal will be before I delve into the world of meat free living. In & Out? Crown Burger? Ruby River?

Please feel free to send me vegetarian or seafood related recipes. I'm excited to try some new things in my kitchen. Unfortunately...I don't like shrimp.

ADDENDUM...

Okay, so Cardy suggested SmashBurger tonight. I love SmashBurger but the funny thing is- I never order the burger. In fact, I never, ever order burgers at any restaurant. I always get the grilled chicken sandwich or a salad. I also love the fact that SmashBurger offers wheat buns- bonus points! Tonight I thought what the hell...I'm getting a burger. I'm giving up meat tomorrow so why not go out with a big, juicy BANG!

It was really good and I'm glad I ordered something out of the norm for me. Although, I am feeling a little more full than I typically like.

(Delicious burger. Sorry for my gross bangs.)

P.S. I went out with some girlfriends last night and ordered fish tacos. Fish tacos? What the hell? These are some of my best pescetarianism choices for the next 6 weeks - why start early? I should've had a steak. Dang it!

I'm not (blog) worthy.

2011-03-08T16:44:00.001-07:00

Well, especially if you compare me to the Queen of all bloggers - The Pioneer Woman.

Last month she was in town on a book tour for her newly published, Black Heels & Tractor Wheels. She was at the downtown library and I couldn't wait to stand in line to meet her. My girlfriend, Caroline, is also a huge fan so she was totally on board when I called her with the news. I don't pretend to be an amazing blogger. I'm pretty much a beginner in the whole giant blogging world but I do enjoy it and I think sharing my stories and pictures with my friends and family (or whoever else may be reading) is cool. The PW inspires me and she has some pretty awesome recipes. I love her photography and her humor. In person, she talks exactly how she writes.

She was a doll and she allowed the audience to ask her any questions imaginable. Some asked about her family, others asked recipe questions and one lady even requested more pictures of the Marlboro Man's back side (The PW's husband).

Caroline and I didn't have to stand in line too long (thanks to Caroline's ability to get us tickets as soon as they were available). I forgot my camera that day so Caroline was kind enough to take our picture. She took others with the three of us but I can't seem to find them.

After the book signing, Caroline and I went to Eva's for dinner. If you haven't been - Go! Now! I highly recommend it (albeit, it's very small and a little noisy but the food is fresh and totally amazing).

Me Likey

2011-01-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Wow. Two whole months and not one post. It's not for a lack of stories, topics and pictures but mostly just time. I have lots to share but for now, I'll do what I can from work.

Lately I've been having a slight obsession with these awesome ceramic trophy heads- specifically the Rhino. I know it might sound weird but I think they're so cool! Every time I mention this accessory to Cardy he rolls his eyes at me. He thinks I'm a little crazy. I've been stalking the William Sonoma Home page where I originally found the trophy head I wanted but I just about shed a tear today when I saw they are no longer available. Apparently I'm not the only one eyeing these, they've been out of stock for a while and apparently aren't getting anymore in. Boo. WS Home wanted a pretty penny for these trophies (even with my PB discount) so I was hoping to catch them on sale- guess not. I found a few others at Z Gallerie but the rhino just isn't as cute.

What do you think? Am I a total weirdo for liking these? I swear I'm pro animal and I'm not a hunting enthusiast but I think these are so awesome and would look fun on one of my walls.

Boot.i.licious

2010-11-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

Remember my problem last year? Huge calves + Riding boots = not going to happen.

Well, I was a woman on a mission. I've been searching online for a while now and I've noticed more and more brands offering boots to fit a wider calf. I don't mind doing some of my shopping online but I've done the shoe thing before and like anything else, you never know how the item's going to fit (especially with boots) & I just wasn't willing to chance it. So, I decided to scope out the department stores first. There has to be at least one boot out there that fits.

There is! Thank you, Jessica Simpson! With the help (& patience) of my mom, I finally found a pair of boots that fit! They are some dang cute black boots by Jessica Simpson - a woman who knows what it's like to have curves. God bless her. I love them. They are so cute and have the option to go over the knee or fold down. At first I wasn't sure what I thought about the over the knee boots but after trying these on, I really like them - but I definitely like having the option - basically 2 boots in 1.

I was like a kid on the first day of school. I could not wait to wear them and I made sure my outfit today included the appropriate leg wear to show off the new boots. (I heart leggings)

Gobble It Up

2010-11-09T17:14:00.001-07:00

I love this time of year when the temperature outside has dropped and snow is on its way. Nothing is cozier to me than sweaters with leggings and my favorite Ugg boots. Halloween decorations have come down and I'm starting to get excited about the holiday season just around the corner. Thanksgiving is a couple weeks away and I cannot wait! I love this holiday!

This year we have three dinners to attend. One with friends this weekend and with both families on Thanksgiving Day. I love to cook, especially for Thanksgiving. Time to scour through recipes! Here's my assignment for each dinner:
1. Fakesgiving with friends: Sweet Potatoes
2. Thanksgiving dinner #1 with the Swans: Veggie of my choice & a dessert
3. Thanksgiving dinner #2 with the Godinas: to be determined

(not to mention- I roast my own turkey the morning of so we can have our own "leftovers")
Love it! Can't wait!

2010-11-09T00:13:00.002-07:00

Witches Night Out

2010-11-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

My cute friend Caprice and our Bunco group all dressed up as witches for our October play date. Caprice hosted the party at her house and of course went all out. She is so creative and pulled out all the stops for the Halloween Bunco party. I loved the idea of us all coming as witches and it was so fun to see everyones attire. Caprice was definitely the most frightening, it was almost hard to recognize her with her green face and creepy nose & chin.

Caprice made some delicious soups, hot cider and homemade caramel apples. It was a perfect Witches Night Out for the girls.

Where the Party AT-AT?

2010-11-08T23:11:00.003-07:00

I know I'm a little late posting about Halloween but I definitely need to share our amazing costume and give props to Cardy for all the hard work he put into it.

This year we were trying to come up with costumes for some Halloween parties we'd been invited too. Now, we are definite lovers of this spooky holiday but every year we are the biggest procrastinators when it comes to costumes. We always have good ideas but usually end up scavenging the stores for something decent or throwing together a mish-mash of old crap we've used in previous years. So this year I wanted to be different. I wanted to put together a great couples costume we would be proud to show up to our parties in.

After lots of brainstorming and internet searching we finally came up with an idea. I don't quite remember how we came up with the idea, although I know it was Cardy's and not mine, but we decided to go ahead and try to build our Halloween costume.

Here's the whole process:

And here's the finished product:

Yep. Cardy built an AT-AT Imperial Walker. Most definitely a costume George Lucas would be proud of! It's gi-normous and it fits both of us inside. We wore it to our first Halloween party of the season and I think people's jaws dropped when we walked through the door and paraded around the house in this massive body. I'm pretty sure because we won 1st place in their costume contest. We quickly realized the AT-AT is not a costume you can keep on the entire night. It's more of a 5 minute type of attire, just enough to get some ohs and ahs. Unfortunately our 2nd party was canceled but we were not going to let our costume go to waste so we invited some friends and neighbors over to enjoy the festivities...and so we could parade around a little more.

Serious props to Cardy, my tried and true Star Wars lover, who took this project to the next level. He put some serious work into this costume and it definitely didn't go unnoticed.

YAPPY BIRTHDAY

2010-10-27T22:08:00.001-06:00

Yappy 1st Birthday to our sweet little furry baby!

Lucky for us, Zoe's actual birth date had been written down in her vaccination records. Of course we'll always remember the day Cardy brought her home but it's fun for us to know her real birthday.

This morning started out like any other morning. A morning walk (in the new snow), back to bed for some snuggle time with Cardy, and then breakfast. Cardy decided because it was Zoe's special day he was going to make her a "special birthday breakfast" with all of Zoe's favorite foods. Ready for this? Roast beef, string cheese, red bell peppers, carrots, honey greek yogurt, oatmeal and chicken broth on top of her regular dog food (luckily she didn't get sick). This afternoon Zoe played with her friends Lola, Max and Bauer.

When I got home from work it was present time. Zoe got some new chew toys, Beanie Babies for Dogs (her fave and mine). Zoe was also treated to a rawhide cupcake for dessert. I was so excited when I found this. The entire cupcake is made from rawhide including the lacing and the candle. She devoured it, of course. Zoe's a spoiled little thing and she was definitely pampered for her 1st birthday but she's our baby and we love her that much.

Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Miss Zoe

2010-10-19T22:12:00.000-06:00

We're pretty much obsessed with this little one. She has stolen our hearts.

Poor thing had to have surgery a couple weeks ago. We had her spayed at the Salt Lake Spay & Neuter clinic - which I HIGHLY recommend. They were so nice when I called with my list of questions (thanks to all of Cardy's research) and they were especially nice to Zoe on the day of her appointment. I'm not sure who was more nervous for this surgery, Cardy or Zoe.

(Zoe waiting to be taken back. Poor thing has no idea what she's in for.)

(Zoe a few days after surgery. If you look closely at her belly, you will see her incision.)

We had to keep Zoe on lock down for a little over a week so she could fully recover & she was going stir crazy. Zoe is used playing with friends and going on longs walks daily. Our fish bowl of a house turned to Fort Knox with the shades drawn, paper taped up in the exposed windows and a cover over our doorbell. Without this, Zoe was sure to see her friends outside playing without her.

Thank goodness Zoe has made a full recovery and she is back to her old self.

Jenn vs. The Scale

2010-10-06T00:44:00.001-06:00

Here I am, once again, weight loss attempt #who knows? I feel like my struggles with my weight are starting to define me. At this point in my life I should be a weight loss coach - I know so many tips and tricks, recipe modifications, healthy fats vs. unhealthy fats, carbs vs. proteins, and workout regimens. Hell, I could be a fitness guru. Yet...here I am, still struggling. I hate it. I would love to blame my genetics for my body composition and while I know they play a part I also know I have to take responsibility for my intake and output (there was only one in a million chances I was going to end up thin with my DNA makeup - that one thin gene went to my brother, damn him!). Unfortunately for me I was blessed with the metabolism that requires me to accountable 99.9% of the time. Bleh.

I realize I'm not morbidly obese and 25 pounds does not qualify me for The Biggest Loser but it's still enough weight to make me feel like a failure. Constantly self conscious. Constantly comparing myself to others. Wishing I could wear a bikini or a perfect pair of designer jeans. Just once I would love to forget about belly fat, back fat, love handles and sucking in. About the only things I love to try on in a department store are shoes and bags. Oh yeah- and jewelry.

So once again, my friends, I've rejoined Weight Watchers. I've been a member at a few different points in my life but most successfully before my wedding. I was extremely motivated at that time in my life and I was determined to lose the weight. I didn't want to look back on any wedding photos and feel any disappointment in myself. On my wedding day, I was the thinnest I had been since high school.

Slowly but surely over the last few years the weight has crept back on. Not entirely but enough to where I just feel disappointed, frumpy and frustrated. I only have myself to blame. I have lots of excuses and a crazy life but ultimately I control my weight. I know this...I've always known this. So why does it have to be so hard?

I'm hoping this time will be different. I'm hoping the lifestyle modifications will stick with me for good. I know I will always have to count calories, watch my portion sizes and exercise regularly and I want these things to come naturally, like breathing, just something I do without having to constantly think about it. So this time, I may not have the motivation of fitting into a wedding dress, but I have the motivation to want a better, healthier, and thinner life for myself. I'm putting my right foot forward, tracking my WW points and attending my weekly meetings. Accountable. Excited. Motivated. So if you see me out and about, feel free to ask me, "how many points is that?"

We ♥ Football

2010-10-03T21:59:00.000-06:00

Okay, okay. So I get it...most girls don't love football. And most girls loathe the thought of losing their husbands (or boyfriends) from August to February, spending weekend after weekend watching countless games. College games, NFL games, Monday Night Football - it all seems never ending. But I say, "if you can't beat 'em, JOIN 'EM!"

My husband is a crazy mad man when it comes to football. He's practically Rain Man when it comes to football statistics. Our friends and family won't even call the house when they know the Bronco's game is on (apparently it's bad luck). Back in the day, I used to take Sunday afternoons as an opportunity to catch up on my sleep. Cardy would be glued to the TV and I'd be zonked out next to him on the couch. He'd always beg me to stay awake to watch the Broncos and just to appease him, because I love him, I would do my best. Slowly and surly I started to familiarize myself with the players and specifics about our team and after a while I got quite good. Cardy knows a heck of a lot about the game (Rain Man, remember) and he was always willing to stop and explain the details.

I began to really like our Sunday afternoon rituals. So much so, I joined a Fantasy Football league. It was an all girls team and it really helped me understand more about the NFL. I had to know key positions and players, scoring, schedules, etc. After playing in this league, I not only had a better understanding of football, I was actually starting to love football. I can carry on actual, intelligent conversations with my male peers and my husband is thrilled with my new hobby.

Fantasy football is pretty much a national phenomenon and is the current obsession in my household. I play in a league with all boys. Cardy is our league commissioner and we hold live drafts before the season begins. Did I mention this is an obsession? It's pretty dorky but it's something we enjoy doing together.

Here's a picture of everyone in our league (minus Shane who lives in Texas).

This was Zoe's first draft. She's a football freak too.

My beautiful draft board. I create this board every year so we can know our order, who's been picked, what the trends are (it's color coded, of course).

This year, I picked #1. We draw numbers out of hat just to be fair. The #1 pick is the most anticipated pick in the draft. I chose Chris Johnson, a running back for the Tennessee Titans. CJ2K as we call him.

Here's our family pic (too bad it's a bit blurry). As you can see, we're true to our team. Zoe didn't have a choice, she's a Bronco's fan by default.

Go Utes!

2010-09-22T00:32:00.000-06:00

Go Utes!
What an awesome season so far! We've been lucky enough to score tickets to all of the games (Thanks Brittany & Stan!).

Godina Fun

2010-09-22T00:28:00.000-06:00

We've had a lot of fun spending time with our nieces and nephews this summer. My brother and sister in-law moved back home from Reno and we are so excited! I missed the kids while they were away so it's nice to have them so close.

Since they've been back we've had our annual summer party at Grace & John's and we've loved going to Tony's football games. I love the Godina bunch!

Fun Additions

2010-09-22T00:07:00.000-06:00

I love decorating my house but it's funny how long it takes me to get around to doing things, especially when it comes to hanging pictures on our walls. We finally hung these shelves in our computer room- I bought them over a year ago. I even had all the frames and most of the pictures ready to roll. Of course, Cardy, who thinks I don't let him have any say in our house, chose a few of the interesting (to say the least) inserts.

Cardy is my professional hanger (is that a title?). He is so precise when it comes to measuring and making sure everything is straight and in place before he makes any holes in our walls. I guess this comes from having an amazing carpenter for a father. He did a great job and I'm in love with the final product!

Here's what Zoe was doing while were working

3

2010-09-15T22:31:00.000-06:00

3 years and I still adore him...dearly. I love him more & more every single day.

It's pretty amazing to be married to your best friend- Someone who makes me smile and laugh out loud daily. Someone who makes me feel comfortable, no matter what. Someone who cares about me so deeply. I am lucky.

Dog Lake

2010-09-11T23:04:00.000-06:00

Last month we took Zoe on a hike to Dog Lake in Millcreek Canyon. We loved it! The trail is gorgeous, you can't beat the mountains in the Fall. We didn't know what to expect taking this hike. We had heard mixed reviews on the intensity of the trail. The hike was a little longer and a little more strenuous than I was hoping. Luckily, I was prepared with enough water, snacks and good shoes. I tried not to complain too much, especially when we would see kids and even a few pregnant ladies on the trail. I guess if they can do it, so can I.

At the end of the trail, Zoe was excited to see the water and couldn't wait to get wet and play with the other dogs. We hung out at the lake for a bit and enticed Zoe into the water with sticks to fetch until she learned to swim. We were so excited when she first did it. It's amazing how innate swimming is for dogs. As soon as she realized she could paddle, it was all over- we have a swimmer!

For as difficult I felt the hike was on the way up, the way down smooth sailing! In fact, we ran down a good majority of the trial. It was such a good day spent with Cardy and Zoe. I love getting outdoors and being active - it makes me feel so good!

Shakespeare & Rednecks

2010-09-11T22:44:00.000-06:00

Back in July, Ashley and I drove down to Cedar City to the Shakespearean Festival. Ashley's sister, Jenny, was performing in Great Expectations. I was so excited when Ashley invited me. I had never been to the Shakespearean Festival and I had only driven past Cedar City on long road trips.

We had so much fun. Ashley and I never have lulls in our conversation, not even on 7 hour long car rides (round trip). Two lattes, road treats, good music, and lots to talk about - these are the moments I love to spend with my BFF. Our ride was smooth and we made it there in good time. My mom was so worried I was going to fall asleep at the wheel. She was just certain the two of us wouldn't be able to stay awake that early in the morning. Even at 30, mom's don't stop worrying!

I really liked Great Expectations. It was so much fun to watch Jenny perform. She has an amazing voice and great stage presence. I always love it when I know the performers, it makes the whole experience that much more fun.

Cedar City is a really cute town. We had a little time to stop for lunch and walk around on Main Street before the show. Ashley and I explored some of the shops and even visited the Redneck Thrift Store which was pretty much comparable to a yard sale in a building. At least we got a good laugh. I loved the whole atmosphere of the town. The mountains, the campus and the quiet streets. I hope I get a chance to go back...more Shakespeare, please.

Jenny, Me, Ashley

Lake Powell 2010

2010-09-06T19:07:00.000-06:00

This blog would not be complete without pictures from our annual Lake Powell trip. No stories, just pics. This trip was back in June but always memorable, as usual.

Bartender, I'll have another raspberry lemonade & vodka - with lime!

Brother & Sister

The girls - ready for a night in Page, AZ

Welcome to Ken's!

Dustin's annual gig at Ken's Steakhouse. Jammin' with the house band.

Goods to go home!

Las Vegas

2010-09-06T18:41:00.000-06:00

Earlier this summer, I attended a conference in Las Vegas. Of course, I could not leave on this trip without my hubby who absolutely LOVES Las Vegas. He loves the excitement, he loves to gamble, he loves the night life and his best childhood friend lives there. Vegas is always a nice quick get-a-way for the two of us and really, I love it as much as he does. On this particular trip I was most excited about our hotel. Typically when I travel for work I stay in pretty nice hotels but I was super stunned when I found out we would be staying at the Mandarin Oriental in the brand new City Center on the Strip. When I first received my itinerary I hadn't even heard of this hotel so of course, I Googled it. Wow! I could not wait to get to Vegas! Then of course, I checked out the rates. They were well over what I would ever, ever pay for a hotel. Think Bellagio...but more.

My expectations were met. First class service during our entire stay and one of the nicest hotel rooms I think I'll ever sleep in. Just to give you an idea - Bulgari toiletries and a TV (inlaid in the mirror) in our bathroom. Everything in our room from the curtains to the lights were on a touch screen remote. Turn down service every night including rose petals for our tub. Cardy made me call the front desk to make sure we weren't going to be charged for the water bottles left on our night stands. Nope, free!

The biggest let down of our trip - I remembered the camera, I just forgot to charge the battery! The pictures I did take were taken on my phone or found on google.

The other fun part of our trip was meeting up with our friend, Joseph. He hooked us up and got us into LAX, a dance club in the Luxor. We were treated to bottle service which includes a table and a private bartender all night. I had to laugh, I was not prepared to go clubbing in Vegas. I had an Ann Taylor loft dress and some heels which made me feel like a good Mormon girl dressed for Sunday school compared to most the girls there. I'll know better next time. I'm not so sure staying out til 3 in the morning was the best idea when I had 8:00am meetings the following morning - but totally worth it. It was a short trip but totally worth it!

Cute Zoe

2010-07-11T21:29:00.000-06:00

To our surprise - Zoe has become a woman.

We never, EVER intended for her to go into heat but it happened last week. Oops! The cycle lasts for ~21 days but luckily only the first week or so consists of any bleeding. So low & behold our beautiful dog is now wearing diapers full time (hopefully for only a couple more days now). She is actually really good about it and hasn't taken it off but once. Needless to say, Zoe will be getting spayed at the end of the month. Poor thing, what a traumatizing July for her.

Oh yeah. Cardy would like everyone to know she is now 52 lbs (his favorite statistic).

Why Oh Why

2010-07-11T21:18:00.000-06:00

Why, Oh why do I not have the motivation to blog? To be honest, I don't have the motivation to do a lot of things lately - just to name a few:

-work out (exercise. What's that? I know it will make me feel lots better but I can't seem to muster up the energy walk the dog, let alone run or lift weights)
-clean my house (Cardy thinks I'm crazy when I say this because according to him, our house is in tip-top shape. Not so)
-do laundry (I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! Not the actual laundering part, it mostly has to do with putting it away)
-wake up to an alarm (I have a serious problem. Confession time - I can [and do] hit my snooze for an hour before I get outta bed)
-sew (I miss it & I will be getting back to it soon)
-garden (plants. check. potting soil. check. laziness. check.)

I don't know what's wrong with me but I really need to snap out of it. Fast!

Argh...

2010-06-13T00:12:00.000-06:00

Dr. Swimsuit Designers,

Just because I'm a big girl does not mean I want to wear an ugly swimsuit, nor do I care for animal print.

Love,
Me

What the hell? The swimwear I saw today that "suits my body type" looks like it was ordered from a Lands End catalogue. Why should all the cute suits with awesome prints be reserved for size 2 girls with no boobies? Guess I've got 2 choices - 1) Change my body type (by Wednesday...ummm, not going to happen) or 2) Call Land's End.

2010-06-12T23:57:00.000-06:00

I'm home bored so I took a few pictures of Zoe. I just love this little thing (actually, she's not so little anymore).

Zoe with Crazy Mr. Chicken

Full Metal Crush

2010-05-12T16:38:00.001-06:00

Ummm....Do I have a huge crush on this guy???

You better believe it!
Robert Downey Jr. - I heart you.

Zoe update- 6 months

2010-04-19T22:19:00.000-06:00

Our little Zoe is now 6 months. I can't believe how much she has grown in such a short time! She was so tiny when Cardy brought her home & now she's 41 pounds! She loves snuggling on the couch and can now jump onto the bed. She typically sneaks up with us between 6:00 & 8:00 in the morning. She loves to be outside, go for walks and run in the park. She is very smart and has learned lots of tricks. She definitely has the beagle snout - there is no hiding anything from her! Her best friend is Lola, a boston terrier who lives in our neighborhood.

We love Zoe so much and think she's just about the cutest thing ever.

Sew in love...

2010-04-19T22:03:00.000-06:00

I have a new hobby & I totally love it! A couple months ago I posted a blurb about the sewing class I was taking. I really wanted to learn how to sew and have the ability to create fun things - it's something I've wanted to do for a long time.
Well, I fell in love! So in love in fact, I've decided to take the class again. I'm still very much a beginner and am eager to learn as much as I can. My first project was a little more challenging than I had anticipated. The pattern did say beginner - who knew double biased tape would take so much time! I didn't even know what double biased tape was??? Most of my sewing had to be done in class. With no sewing machine at home the only thing I could do on my own was cut and pin. This is no longer going to be a problem! For my birthday, Cardy gave me a sewing machine. I was so excited, it truly was the perfect gift! Let the sewing begin!

2010-04-15T15:31:00.000-06:00

Looks like Zoe likes the morning paper as much as I do!

One Hundred

2010-04-13T23:50:00.003-06:00

One Hundred. This is my one hundredth post. I've had this blog since July 2008 and I never, in a million years, thought I would be sitting here blogging #100. I am completely aware I have not written a single word in 5 weeks - and not for a lack of something to blog about but simply for the fact I couldn't narrow down exactly how I wanted to highlight my blogging milestone. Until now.

Up.

Seen it? The Disney/Pixar movie from last year. Well, we did not see this movie in the theater (and I'm actually glad now), instead we rented it and watched it at home on Sunday night. Oh my gosh! This movie made such an impact on me and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all week. The relationship between the cutest couple ever, Carl and Ellie, was so endearing and sweet; I couldn't help but cry (in both the beginning and the end) and think of my own relationship with Cardy. I know it sounds so funny to relate an animated story to my own life but sometimes I'm a little sappy and emotional like that.

I don't often boast about my relationship with Cardy but truthfully I'm proud of the connection we have with each other. Like Carl and Ellie, we've grown up together, been with each other for half our lives. Our dream is to grow old together and share all of our adventures with one another. As I watched Up, it reminded me that one day one of us will be without the other and just the shear thought of this made the tears stream down my cheeks. I can't imagine my life without him in it. Having the experience to share all my best memories with the man I love the most is something so special to me. Having him to listen to me, hold me, protect me, and love me means to world to me.

For me, I tend to go about my day to day life in such a comfortable fashion that sometimes I forget how lucky I am to be so in love with my husband and how I should never take our bond for granted. So thank you to Up for revitalizing my heart (even though you did give me puffy, blood-shot eyes the next day).

So, happy 100 to cardyandjenn.blogspot! I love you, Cardy and I will continue to journal our memories, adventures and the craziness of our life together.

Week 2

2010-03-03T15:47:00.002-07:00

14 days down, 26 to go. Cutting sugars out of my diet really hasn’t been as hard as I thought. Before I eliminated sugars I was so worried my choices would be limited. I’ve found my choices aren’t so much limited as they are different. I do miss the little desserts and treats I had on occasion (okay, probably more than on occasion). I really miss my tart yogurt. Other than the little things, I’m okay. I can do this.

It’s a little trickier eating out than preparing my own meals. It’s hard to know what ingredients have been added. I’ve made it a rule that if there’s no label to inspect - I can assume it must have sugar.

This week I’m feeling extremely low energy and more tired than usual. I’ve had a pretty regular sleep schedule (with the exception of the weekends which are always off for me) but I feel like I could sleep and sleep. I need a nap right now. I’d like to blame this on the lack of sugar in my brain. I’m trying to boost myself with lots of fruit and caffeine but nothing seems to be working. I also get slight headaches which I think are a combination of sugar blues and spending too much time at the computer.

Things I learned this week:
-I need to be drinking lots more water
-The sugar cravings aren’t as bad as I thought

New best friends:
-Blueberries
-Raw almonds
-Jello Sugar-free rice pudding
-Avocados

Week 1

2010-02-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

One whole week without sugar and I've actually surprised myself. Honestly...it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm always up for a challenge but I wasn't quite sure what to expect. How would I feel? Will I have cravings? What can eat? How much am I truly giving up? All in all, I must say, not bad. The first few days I was pumped and super motivated. Over the weekend we had a few plans and I was nervous about eating out. Saturday I had a major headache and all weekend I felt a little more sluggish than usual (not sure if this had anything to with staying up til 4 in the morning finishing up the True Blood series???) When I told Cardy I felt tired, his response was, "What's new?" {smart ass}

A few things I learned:
-I can pass up chocolate covered strawberries
-Sugar free treats aren't as bad as I thought (I'm trying to limit myself but they are a lifesaver in a pinch)
-There are very few cereals without sugar
-Plain oatmeal tastes like paste
-Plain yogurt tastes like sour cream

New best friends (and some re-discovered):
-Hummus. I found a kalamata olive hummus at Sunflower Market - Dee-lish!
-Laughing cow light spreadable cheese
-Light string cheese
-Fruit
-Diet Coke Zero {hey, I didn't give up carbonation or caffeine}

Sugar Coated

2010-02-17T13:52:00.005-07:00

Last night I indulged myself with my last tart fro-yo. It was a delicious treat with pomegranate seeds, strawberry slices, sprinkles and chocolate chips. It was huge and sweet and delicious. But why my last if I enjoyed it so much? Because I tend to enjoy these treats all too often - especially with the whole new "tart yogurt" thing. So for lent (and probably longer) I will be kicking the sugar habit. Hard core.

For those who don't quite know what Lent is (and I'm surprised how many don't), here's a brief explanation (love you, Wikipedia):
Lent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Conventionally, it is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan.[1]

This practice was virtually universal in Christendom until the Protestant Reformation.[2] Some Protestant churches do not observe Lent, but many, such as Lutherans, Methodists and Anglicans, do.

Lent was also traditionally the term used to describe the period leading up to Christmas before the term Advent was officially recognized.

Now back to giving up sugar:
This year, my goal was to re-establish some healthy habits back into my life. Well, here I am, and it's the middle of February and I've yet to make any diet changes, yet to go to the gym, yet to get more sleep, etc, etc. So, to me, Lent is almost like a 2nd New Year's, where I get to re-evaluate those resolutions I quickly forgot. So in the spirit of renewal and health, I will sacrifice sugar for the 40 days of Lent.

Sugars to me include: high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn syrup, sugar, sucrose, dextrose, cane sugar, and brown sugar. I will be cutting out all foods that list any of these sugars in the ingredients. I will not be completely be cutting milk out of my diet, mostly because from the research I've done, lactose (sugar found in milk products) is easily broken down by enzymes in the body and doesn't affect insulin in the body like pure sugars do. I am not cutting out natural sugars from my diet. Fruits and veggies are a must! A few things like corn, cooked carrots, and bananas will be eatten sparingly. They are high on the gylcemic index scale and apparentley can cause sugar cravings. I will also be limiting sugar substitutes to help avoid any unnecessary cravings (I don't use much sugar substitute anyway, so I don't anticipate it will be a big deal).

I'm both nervous (#1) & excited (#2) about this challenge/change I'm taking on. It's funny because in all my reading about cutting sugars out of my diet, most websites act as if I'm a 2 candy bar a day, 64 oz Coke drinking kind of girl - when the truth is, I'm a dessert passer- upper, 12oz diet coke drinking kind girl who likes the occasional cookie, sugary snack or fro yo. But in reality, I'm pretty amazed at how many of the foods I love are loaded with sugar, even foods I consider healthy. This is where the challenge will come in - making different choices and replacing foods I thought were "healthy" with foods that are actually...healthy. While I'm definitely not a food Nazi (psh...obviously), I do like to healthful approach whenever I can, so SUGAR FREE - Here I Come!

Here are a couple interesting facts about sugar consumption:
-156 lbs. That's how much added sugar Americans consume each year on a per capita basis
-Soft drinks account for 33% of all added sugars consumed
-Sweetened fruit drinks account for 10% of the total added sugars we consume. Candy and cake come in at 5% each. Ready-to-eat cereal comprises 4% of the total
-26% of added sugars comes from a variety of prepared foods like ketchup, canned vegetables and fruits, and peanut butter
Astonishing, right?

Here's a few things to know about sugar and what it does to your body.
Sugar increases fat storing. Possibly the most important hormone in the body when it comes to weight loss and health is insulin. Insulin is the main hormone that we have full control over daily through our diet and lifestyle. When we eat sugar and it enters into our bloodstream too quickly, we have a spike in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). Now in times of high activity we are able to burn it off, but if we are sitting around this is not a good thing. So in response to that high level of blood sugar (known as glucose), the body will release more insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin will then take the excess glucose and try to find a place to store it. If your muscles are all full (or have insulin resistance) then the best place to put the excess glucose is fat cells. When insulin is high, the fat cells are told to start storing (shutting down any process of releasing stored fat into the blood for burning). With chronic high insulin spikes comes a resistance to it (insulin resistance) by your cells, leading to more insulin production, leading to more fat storing, and more resistance, eventually going down a road of diabetes and ill health for the whole body. It’s interesting to note that in cultures known for their longevity, many had different diets and lifestyles but the one thing they all had in common was low fasting insulin levels.
Sugar disrupts normal brain function. I think most people can relate to mood swings and energy highs/lows that come after a high sugar meal. Sugar can also be the source of many people’s increased anxiety and depression. Let us not also forget the kids with ever-increasing attention “disorders” and behavioral issues. Sugar is not helping with that, either. In fact, there have been many studies that show when taking sugar out of a kid’s diet and increasing fat intake, their attention/learning ability increases, their behavior changes for the better, and in some extreme cases have been able to manage (if not eliminate) seizures. The brain is made mostly of fat and although runs on glucose it gets “shorted out” with too much sugar.

Sugar decreases your overall health and makes you age quicker. Too much sugar will lower your overall immune system, increase destructive inflammation, lead to essential mineral deficiencies in the body, feed bad bacteria growth in your gut (all health starts in the gut) and other wonderful stuff. Aging is just a fancy word for the body breaking down quicker than it can repair itself, as that is what happens when we get older. Aging also is accelerated by the increasing risks of all degenerative diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancers. We are all going to get older, but it doesn’t mean that we have to “age” quicker.

Great giveaway

2010-02-16T11:17:00.002-07:00

For all you cooks, visit this blog for a great giveaway http://padgetthoke.blogspot.com/

♥ to ♥

2010-02-15T18:56:00.001-07:00

For Valentine's Day this year Cardy and I decided to do something different. Dinner and a movie are a typical date for us so for Valentine's Day I asked Cardy if we could do something different and go skiing. It's been a while since Cardy and I had hit the slopes together - most of my skiing is done with my dad and his crew - so I was excited when he agreed.

Sunday morning we drove up to Solitude and we were so happy because it was a gorgeous day (the drive would've been a treat in itself even if we hadn't gone skiing). The sun was out, the sky was blue and the temperature was in the 40's - Blue bird ski days are the best! We had so much fun. It was nice to have entire day to spend with each other. I loved doing something active and outdoors with the person I love the most. Thanks baby for a great day!

Zoe also had a great Valentine's Day. Her best friend, Maddie, sent her a special delivery!

Zoe's First Bath

2010-02-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Cardy & I took Zoe to Dirty Johnson's Dog Wash for her 1st bath. For the most part she was really good. Zoe was not too fond of the water being sprayed on her but we'll just chalk it up to new experiences. It definitley takes two people for this wet task. Cardy and I were soaked by the end - good thing they have lots & lots of towels on hand. The dog wash was packed that day but luckily Zoe makes friends easily, she loved all the attention she got from being the only puppy in the place.

2010-02-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

After seeing this picture of all these adorable Valentine's decor, I realized I didn't put any of my decorations out. I don't have much but I do like the splashes of red & pink the decorations give my house. Maybe I'll still put it out - I can still get 3 days of enjoyment out of it.

P.S. I think I'm going to make the button pillow for next year (put my new sewing skills to the test) & I LOVE the idea of using the sprinkles as a votive filler - super cute!

P.S.S. Thanks Kimmy for having a link on your blog for Love, Actually. It's a new favorite! Photo courtesy of Love, Acutally Blog

What's in a name?

2010-02-11T13:10:00.002-07:00

Poor Zoe isn't going to know what her real name is if we keep calling her all these funny nicknames:

-Zo Zo

-Z

-Z-Money

-Zee Zee

-Zebra

-Zo-bell
-Protozoa

Boot Dilemma

2010-01-24T18:42:00.001-07:00

Dang gi-normous calves! I ordered some awesome riding boots online right after Christmas. I was so excited, they were on sale and the shipping was free. I ordered the black out of necessity for black boots but the brown were so cute - I decided to order both. Perfect! So far, so good. I was only going to have to wait a few weeks for these babies because they were on back order.

I've been planning outfits for weeks now thinking how cute everything was going to look with my new boots so I was super excited when they finally arrived last Wednesday. I pulled them out of their packaging and immediately went to try them on when low & behold...a zipper. ZIPPER!?! Boots with zippers never fit me & I don't remember the description of the boot ever mentioning a zipper (I double checked, it doesn't). Once on my foot, I was hoping & praying the zipper would glide right up the boot with a little room around my leg so my skinny jeans would fit perfectly. Not so much. About 3/4 of the way up my skin was pinching underneath the zipper. I tugged and pulled at the zipper and with a ridiculous amount of effort I was able to get the boot zipped all the way up. It was so frustrating. I knew I could not keep these. Not only were they super tight and I don't have 5 minutes every morning to mess with a zipper - there is no way any pants were going to tuck into these boots.

Over the years, I have sacrificed too much pain for amazingly cute shoes that didn't fit quite right that I decided these boots needed to go. As cute as they are, I cannot have another pair of uncomfortable shoes. DAMN!

Luckily, my friend, Julieanne, was online shopping with me when I ordered the boots. She really liked them and when I told her they didn't fit she wanted to try them on. They were so cute on her (and fit her nice, slender calves) so she decided to buy both pair from me. I'm happy they worked out for her and I didn't have to pay shipping to send them back but I'm really sad they didn't work out for me. DAMN!

Here they are. So cute but unfortunately not my calf size.

Sew What?

2010-01-23T20:26:00.002-07:00

I finally did it! I signed up for a sewing class. It's been on my bucket list forever and a New Year's resolution for the past two years.

For some reason I never took sewing in school. How I graduated from junior high & highschool without any sewing skills is beyond me. My best guess is with my other extra curricular activites I could never fit sewing class into my schedule.

I had originally checked out a couple classes at some of the local fabric stores. Most were 1 or 2 day classes that taught the very basics of sewing. While I understand you have to start with the basics, I also want to know how to make more than a pillow case or pajama pants. Luckily I found a class through Salt Lake Community Education. It's an 8 week course with a fabulously funny instructor. This class teaches the philosophies, the mechanics and the how-to's of sewing. Last Wednesday was my first night and I'm so excited. My 1st assignment is put together a sewing kit (I already have quite a bit, thanks to my Aunt Ruth) and to pick a beginner pattern. I can't wait to get started!

I'm not looking to be a contestant on Project Runway or become a master seamstress but I do want to learn and create and have fun. My thoughts are this: Sewing is a great skill to have & probably one we should all learn. Whether it's to hem a pair of pants, create a Halloween costume, piece together a baby quilt or make some new throw pillows for your couch - sewing is extremely helpful, creative and crafty.

Twenty-Ten

2010-01-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

Seriously. Where does the time go? It's weird to me that Christmas was almost 4 weeks ago but it seems like it's been forever. I didn't post much around the holidays - not for a lack of events or meaningful, post-worthy items but because I simply could not find the time to sit down in front of our computer and write. Since the beginning of the year, my schedule has dramatically improved and I've had a lot more time to spend at home. I'm enjoying my time not spent at work and I've had a much needed break from the retail world.

Work break has been great, but I wouldn't necessarily use the term "relaxing". We have a new addition in our lives that has been requiring lots of our attention and she doesn't seem to enjoy being pent up in our computer room long enough to let us check our emails, let alone blog.

I have wanted a dog of my own for a while now. Cardy loves dogs too but always felt our schedules were not accomodating for the dog lifestyle. I don't know what changed but he surprised me a couple days before Christmas with Zoe! She's a beagle/border collie mix and she's now 12 weeks old (and doubling in size!). We're in love.

She's a lot of work and demands almost 100% of our attention but she's worth every second!

Here a some cute facts about Miss Zoe:
-She has the cutest white legs with black polka dots
-The tip of her tail looks like a paint brush (black with a white tip)
-She is extremely smart and Cardy comes up with new challenges and tricks for her everyday
-She is almost potty trained and she will go down and entire flight of stairs and wait by the back door
-She LOVES to be outside
-She loves to chew - bark and sticks are her favorite but are usually left outside the back door
-She extremely sweet in the mornings and loves to cuddle. I love how much she yawns
-She loves to sit in my lap while she's playing with her toys
-She gets really excited when the door bell rings or the garage door opens (and is easily tricked by similar noises on the TV). She loves visitors
-Her best friends are Maddie, Sadie, Owen, Mr. Bentley & the nice labradoodle in our neighborhood

Here are some pictures of her from a couple weeks ago. I'll post some new pictures to show the difference in size. It's amazing how much puppies grow in a couple weeks.

2009-12-22T02:15:00.000-07:00

Cardy surprised me tonight with an early Christmas present. I couldn't be happier...she's the most adorable thing I've ever seen!

Now we just have to pick a name! Any suggestions??? She's a spunky little thing but sweet as can be.

2009-12-20T21:48:00.002-07:00

Holiday Parties

2009-12-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the holiday season and I especially love holiday parties. Every other year, Cardy's sisters plan a Godina family Christmas party. It's a huge get together for Cardy's massive extended family. Both sides of the family are invited and friends are always included. If you know Cardy's family or have had the chance to attend a Godina family function you know that they are a riot. This family loves each other and they will jump at the chance to celebrate any event together.

We also recently celebrated Beermas with our friends. Beermas is a holiday party hosted by Marcus in which everyone comes dressed in their most fantastic...or ugliest...Christmas garb and drinks beer to celebrate the holidays. Last year Cardy and I struggled to find actual sweaters with any sort of Christmas motif but we did our best with our last minute planning. This year I was little more prepared and I knew where to shop. Lucky for us, we were able to find matching sweaters (well, they were actually sweatshirts) and I thought we looked adorable. I was actually quite impressed with several of the Christmas sweaters at the party - people really out did themselves this year.

Last week my Bunco group met at Ann's house for some Christmas bunco. I love getting together with friends before the holidays

Stick a fork in me.

2009-12-01T23:42:00.000-07:00

So far this holiday season has started out quite marvelously. A few weeks before Thanksgiving we celebrated "Fakesgiving" dinner with several of our friends. Fakesgiving, as it's named, is the precursor to Thanksgiving and is always amongst good friends. We've been lucky enough to attend this event the last 2 years. Marcus organized the evening and we all signed up for our best dish to share. This year John & Katie were our gracious hosts. Katie did a fabulous job seating 20+ people in her house, beautiful table settings and all. I was impressed to see how many amazing dishes were prepared by everyone. We had everything from a charcoal grilled, bacon wrapped turkey (thanks Mike & Cameron) to homemade macaroni & cheese to a pumpkin trifle. Everybody truly brought it!

Our actual Thanksgiving dinner took place at my mom & dad's (sorry, no pictures). We had fun celebrating in the new house, it makes me excited for Christmas! My mom is a great cook and I always love when she offers Thanksgiving at her house. We had a great dinner (of course) and I brought a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. After dinner, I napped (thankfully!) and then we went home and watched the Broncos...yay for a win (also thankful)!

I will not have a breakdown. I won't, I won't, I won't.

2009-11-16T22:21:00.002-07:00

No, I'm not going to go all Britney Spears on everyone. No breakdowns for me, I don't have time. As many of you know, I'm working three jobs right now and am finding myself busier than I've ever been. Why three jobs, you ask? Actually this is the most FAQ I've been getting lately and honestly my best response is, "i don't know?" People think I'm crazy. My friend Alex says I'm the only person in America right now with the dilema of having too many jobs. Very true. While the unemployment rate continues to climb, I'm juggling three work schedules and keeping my hours in check. My other friend, Ashley, says she's just waiting for me to have a breakdown. I know she doesn't mean this rudely but more out of concern for my well being. My mom feels the same way. She keeps asking if I'm okay and what she can do to help me out. I'm fortunate to have so many friends who care about me.

For those of you who don't understand why I work three jobs or just think I'm plain old crazy - I'm going to break it down for you.

Job #1: Rheumatology Research Coordinator. This is job #1 because it's my first priority. It's the big cheese, my career, my "real" job. This is my full time job at the University of Utah and it's where the majority of my income comes from. I love this job and find it so rewarding.

Job #2: Pottery Barn. I call this job #2 because I've worked for PB part time for the last 6 years. It's a great little job & it's my "fun" job. The reason I can actually work 3 jobs is because of my very lenient PB schedule. I typically work only 1-2 days a week (and sometimes not at all). My shifts are short and I have a fun time while I'm there. Plus, let's not forget my incredible discount which at the end of the day, makes it TOTALLY worth it!

Job #3: Givenchy. My newest job. I started fragrence modeling this summer when a friend of mine hooked me up with this sweet little job. I'm a vendor for the line and we are contracted with Dillards and Macys to have our product in their department stores. My job is make sure the store has the products and the tools they need to sell the fragrence. I also spend several hours in the store luring customers to buy my product over others. Yes, I'm the girl spritzing the cards and handing them to you as you walk by. You may be annoyed with me but you may also find a new perfume for your collection. This is a very easy job for the money and who couldn't use extra income these days?

Honestly, I think I'm doing okay. Pottery Barn would like me to increase my hours for the holidays and my boss from Givenchy pulled a fast one on me and scheduled me 40 hours a week during December (which I politely refused). Luckily I know how to take care of myself. I know when enough is enough. I'm having to rely more on Cardy than ever. I don't think he loves his "honey do" lists I leave him but he's pretty good about completing them. Lately he's even been doing a few extras around the house which I appreciate (now if I could only get him to cook). I find if I do small things for myself and recognize when I need a break - whether it's a one hour nap, a pedicure with a friend, or dinner with Cardy - I think I'll get through this holiday season unscathed.

Home Improvement

2009-11-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

We love the newness of our townhouse but even being brand new comes the home improvements that make a house a home.

This week we added cabinets in our laundry room, hung directly over our washer and dryer. We have high ceilings so cabinets were a perfect option to take up some of the crazy wall space. It also helped alleviate a huge storage problem we seem to have in that room. Our laundry room also doubles as a pantry and as fun as it is to have your Bounce sheets and Clorox next to the flour & sugar...well, you get the idea. I'm so excited about the new cabinets and Cardy did a fantastic job building and hanging (thank you Ikea for the millions of tiny parts), I'm pretty sure we can hang from these babies.

Getting close!

Finished product

Bunco!

2009-10-29T21:24:00.008-06:00

This months Bunco party was extra special. With the date so close to Halloween - why not dress up? Marissa & Heather hosted our Halloween Bunco Party in a really cool barn. When I first heard we would be playing in a barn, I was thinking we would be sitting on hay bales, rolling dice next to cows and sheep. Not so. This barn was more like special venue with a slight barn motif - it was such a neat building. I would have taken more pictures of it but it was huge (and it was pitch black outside).

Everyones costumes were great - pregnant rocker chick, Mrs. Peacock, vampires, witches and a whoopee cushion, just to name a few. Ashley and I had been planning our costume for quite some time. After Halloween last year, I came up with the idea of going as dice (bunco...dice game...get it?). So I could not wait for Halloween this year to make our costumes. Ashley and I were black dice with pink dots and although our dice did not show a bunco when we stood together, we still looked pretty cool.

Marissa & Heather, fabulous job!

The Big Move

2009-10-27T22:38:00.008-06:00

I am filled with so many emotions as I write this post. This past month has been a whirlwind of excitement, anticipation, hoping & wishing, and true happiness.

Excitement: for my mom, who after many years of searching finally found exactly what she was looking for

Anticipation: the time and stress it took for everything to finally come together

Hoping & Wishing: fingers crossed that everything fell into place

True Happiness: for my parents who deserve this!

Just recently, my parents sold their home of 34 years and purchased a new house. 34 Years! I can hardly believe it. It was the first home they bought right after they were married, it's the home they've raised both my brother and me in until we were grown and gone. It's the cutest house on the street and the new owners are the luckiest people to have such a well lived in, well loved, and well cared for home.

I have so many amazing memories of our Bryan Avenue house. When I think back to when I was young, I think to myself..."I must have had the best childhood ever." My neighborhood was full of kids mine and my brothers age and we played & played until my mom would whistle from the front porch letting us know it was time to come home. We had clubs and forts and nicknames for everyone. We were the Bryan Avenue Bulldogs (or at least that's what we called ourselves). I had amazing neighbors, many of whom are still close friends to this day. My next door neighbors raised me like a grandchild and I am forever indebted to them. Even my cute friend, Katherine, who I grew up with, sent me a list of fun memories she had of the two of us in my house (thanks kath).

This week was a little sad for me as everything has been moved out and the house is sitting empty waiting for it's new owners. I walked around from room to room yesterday wanting to look in all the closets and all of the drawers- not to forget one nook or cranny. I'm a little surprised at how emotional I've been this week thinking about the Bryan Avenue house. I guess it never dawned on me I might not ever walk through the front door again.

Although I'm sad to see my childhood house sold, I'm really happy for my parents who bought an amazing house. Their new house is in Holladay and it's beautiful. It's on a really neat street right next to Wheeler Farm. They are excited about the move and their new house and I am just as excited for them. They deserve it!

BRYAN AVENUE BULLDOGS FOREVER!

Who'd a thought???

2009-10-11T23:11:00.003-06:00

Here's what 5-0 looks like in our house.

(The socks are throwbacks to celebrate the AFLs 50th anniversary. Believe it or not, those are the original Denver colors from 1960.)

Mile High Magic

2009-10-11T22:15:00.010-06:00

Last weekend, Cardy and I took a little road trip to Denver to see the Broncos play the Cowboys. Our friends Devon & Caroline drove with us and my friend, Jessica, flew in from California for the game. Cardy and I were the only Broncos fans of the group but it's not very often these two teams play each other so we couldn't pass up an opportunity to all route for our favorite teams under one roof...(okay, there's no roof on the stadium, but you catch my drift).

Our weekend started out with an 8 hour drive to Denver. I do not like road trips, I repeat: I do not like road trips. However, I must admit, this drive is slightly better than the one to Reno. The most noteworthy event of the drive was getting pounded with bales of hay in Rock Springs when some D-bag farmer took a right hand turn too quickly. Only in Rock Springs.

Once in Denver, we stayed in a fun area called Cherry Creek. Lots of shopping, good restaurants, & Shot Gun Willies...what more could we ask for?

On game day, we all rode the train to the stadium and made it with plenty of time to gawk at all the tailgaters and other crazy fans. I was amazed at how many Cowboys fans were attending the game. On the way in, Jess and Caroline had their faces painted to show their true team spirit. Cardy and I were already decked in full Broncos paraphernalia, Bronco head and all. Cute Jessica made us a Broncos logo fleece blanket and had carried it on the plane from Cali. She's a great friend (even though she is a Cowboy's fan). The weather was perfect for football, the planets must have been aligned and I think that God must be a Broncos fan this year because in the end (and it came down to the very end) WE WON! Totally unexpected for our team this year. 4-0. I was hoping and praying the entire way down that we could somehow pull it off because I know how disappointed Cardy would've been had we lost while we were in attendance. It would've made for a miserable ride home.
Oh wait...we did have a miserable ride home. No, it wasn't listening to Devon sobbing from the back seat but rather the fog/freezing rain/snow/black ice we hit just 1 hour out side of Denver. Our nice, sweet little 8 hour jaunt quickly turned into a 13 and a half hour ride home. Cardy was such a trooper, driving 95% of the way, all through the night. Next year...we fly. Despite the long drive to and from, we had an amazing time, the Broncos win was just the cherry on top.

2009-10-01T22:25:00.005-06:00

We're leaving for Denver tomorrow. The Broncos are playing the Cowboys and we must see it in all its glory. Mile High...here we come!

2009-09-23T22:55:00.002-06:00

Dear Fall, I'm so happy to see you. I know you just got here but I really want you to stay a while.

Dear Spiders, You are not welcome in my house.

Dear Healthy Choice Fudge Bars, You are the yummiest (& healthiest treat) I've had in a long time.

Dear Car, Wash yourself.

Dear Gym, I'll see you in a while. I'm going to play outside more- before it's too late!

Dear TJ Maxx, See you tomorrow for our weekly visit.

Dear Fantasy Football team, Please stop sucking...pretty please.

Dear Cutest husband, I love you. You can be a messy little thing but I still love ya.

To: My love...these two years have gone by too fast

2009-09-17T01:22:00.003-06:00

Two years. That's how long Cardy and I have been married. Tuesday was our wedding anniversary and I'm so amazed at how fast these last couple of years have already gone by. The last two years have been incredible, life has thrown a couple curve balls, but together we're happy. Cardy keeps me laughing daily and no matter how our day goes I know he is here to hold me at night. I can't imagine my life without him and although we've been together as a couple for many, many years, I truly cherish the bonds and memories we've created as a married couple.

On Tuesday I can home to flowers and champagne. We had found some leftover champagne from our wedding and decided to hang on to it for our anniversary. The traditional two year gift is cotton. Yes, cotton...weird, I know. Although I would be thrilled with new bedding, towels and clothes (googled suggestions), I knew Cardy wouldn't. Amazingly enough we both came up with creative ways to use the bag of cotton balls from the bathroom drawer. Before I left for work (I'm up waaayyy before Cardy) I made a cotton ball trail from the bed, all the way down the stairs, and into the kitchen where I left him a little love note and a gift. When I came home from work and saw my flowers, Cardy had made a heart on the table out of cotton balls. Later that night we went downtown and completed our celebration at Donovan's Steak House where we scored Kyle Korver's personal table!

It was a fabulous day. I love having the day to celebrate us and our love for each other. That cute Cardy....he's a keeper!

It's Game Time

2009-09-14T21:11:00.006-06:00

Our fantasy football draft 2009 just happened. 9 guys & me. I actually feel pretty honored and proud they all consider me knowledgeable and legit enough to play in the big leagues (or maybe it's because I feed them really good food on Draft Day?). I'm excited about my team this year, I think I'm competitive. I'm playing Cardy for week 1 - we're calling it Godina Bowl 2K9.

2009-08-25T23:13:00.004-06:00

My plan is to paint this accent wall this weekend or next. I've been wanting to do it for some time now but just haven't gotten around to it. I've been debating back & forth on colors, mulling over fandecks, paint samples and home decor magazines relentlessly.

Lucky for me- my dad owns a paint manufacturing business so getting the paint is not big deal, it's deciding on a freakin' color. We're having a difference of opinion in my house because I'm in love with green and my vote is the chartreuse. Cardy thinks we already have too much green in our house and votes for an orange shade(think autumn, pumpkiny, carrot cakey in a desert sort of orange shade). He wants something that "pops" and I say what pops more than bright green???? (The gold mine is still a little too orange for me, I've found a few others that are a little darker and a little more muted.)

What do you think?

Mile High, Here We Come

2009-08-14T21:45:00.010-06:00

They're here! They arrived in the mail this week & I'm sooo excited!

6 tickets the Denver Broncos Game #4 at Mile High Stadium.

Devon & Caroline, Rob & Jessica, and Cardy & I are all going. I can't wait!!! I love football but more importantly...I love the Broncos.

"Would you like to try our newest men's fragrance?"

2009-08-12T20:11:00.009-06:00

Yep. I'm that girl.

This is job # 3 of 3. Crazy you say? I'm starting to think so.

I've always been the type of person who likes to stay busy. Back in college I went to school full time, worked part time at the hospital, and had lots of little side jobs - not to mention, I volunteered once a week too. I'm no stranger to the "full plate."

I've kept my full time job in research (job #1) because I love it and it's what I've made my career out of (did I just say career???) and of course I could never give up my job at Pottery Barn (job #2), it's just too much fun and my discount is so unbelievably addicting! So along comes fragrance (job #3). My friend, Jasna, from the University is a sales rep for a couple different fragrance lines and I've helped her out in the past during department store events (in which I was paid in tester size bottles of perfume). Last month, Jasna approached me and asked if I would like to become a rep for the Givenchy line. My response was "ummm, thanks but no thanks" but then she enticed me with few but very flexible hours and surprisingly great pay. My mind was telling me "don't do it" & "how are you going to juggle all this" as my mouth was telling her "sounds like fun!"

This is my third week and so far so good. It has been a juggling act and Cardy is none to happy with me. Ultimately he would like me to work only one job but if I must fill every slot of the day working, he'd prefer it only be with two. I'm glad to have a husband who enjoys having me around as much as possible.

Currently I'm at the fragrance counter at the Macy's in Valley Fair Mall so if you're ever in the area (because I know so many of you can't wait to hit up the amazing shopping at VFM ::wink, wink::), stop by and see if I'm hanging out.

My first day.

Busy, busy, busy

2009-08-07T11:08:00.006-06:00

Hi All.
I hate that I haven't posted anything lately. This has been a busy summer and time seems to get away from me, especially at night which is when I typically blog. Here's what we've been up to lately - I'll explain more in detail in a few posts to come:
- New job. No, I didn't switch careers, I just added another job to the other two I currently have. Crazy? Probably.

-Denver Broncos vs. Dallas Cowboys - Tickets are on their way. Mile High, here we come!

- NY FunkExchange, Feel Good Patrol and Erin Barra concert @ Urban Lounge

- Attending the Twilight Concert Series, Farmer's Market, Art's Festivals and other summer time activities

-Farmtown. (dorky, I know) It's a total time suck but I'm addicted. Cardy is out of him mind in disbelief that I can be spending so much time playing "a video game." I like to call it a Facebook application.

-Cooking, cooking, and more cooking. New diets and lifestyle changes = new & healthy recipes.

Favorites

2009-07-17T09:08:00.018-06:00

Here are a few of my favorite summer time things...

SUNSHINE

FROZEN YOGURTFLIPPY FLOPPIES
PEDICURES

SUNDRESSES

FARMERS MARKET

PEONIES

SNO CONES

SUMMER NIGHTS

LAKE POWELL

You had me a Halo

2009-07-03T12:59:00.002-06:00

Sorry fellas.

3rd Trip in June - Chi Town

2009-07-02T23:57:00.009-06:00

June was an eventful month for me. 3 trips, 1 dental surgery, & the busiest month at work I've had in long time.

My last trip of the month was a VA conference in Chicago for one of the studies I coordinate. Lucky me! I HEART Chicago! The only problem is I've only visited while attending meetings for work. This gives little time to do all the exploring and activities this amazing city has to offer. For the short amount of time I've had there, I really try to maximize my free time.
This year my hotel was right downtown (no more 45 minute blue train rides for me). I was close to Michigan Ave (the ever so Magnificent Mile!!!!), Navy Pier, Grant Park, etc, etc. I swear downtown Chicago is close to everything!

I love shopping and Michigan Ave is where it's at! Blocks and blocks of my favorite shops and best of all, stores we don't have in Utah, namely my beloved, Crate & Barrel. I also made sure to hit up H&M, Lucy (best workout wear!), Fileene's Basement, The Limited, Room & Board, and Trader Joes just to name a few.

I was so happy when my friend Ralph, a native of Chicago, suggested I check out the Taste of Chicago, an annual festival in Grant Park. I had no idea the extent of this event. Over 50 food vendors from local Chicago eateries and live music from bands I've payed to listen to in Salt Lake.

Friday night, Gary (the doctor I work with), and I walked down to check out the festival. We were blown away. I think every Chicago resident was in attendance. It was packed. We bought food/beverage tickets and made our way through the crowds. Gary thought it would be a good idea to check out every booth before making our food choice. Big Mistake! Too many choices! I finally decided on Chicago style pizza, hush puppies, and a samosa, oh yeah, and a lemon ice for dessert (you can purchase small, taster size portions at every booth, hence my variety of choices). Gary ended up with a prime rib quesadilla, samosa, Irish eggroll (corned beef & cabbage in a wonton) and half my hush puppies. That night the Gap Band was playing. I was a little bummed because Counting Crows were playing the following night (for FREE!) and they are one of my favorite bands. Other nights included Barenaked Ladies, The Wallflowers, Ne-Yo, Guster, and Buddy Guy. Pretty amazing line up for free concerts. Needless to say, I left full & happy.

Oh yeah, the conference was nice too - blah, blah, blah (I'm sure you don't want to hear about joint counts, data safety monitoring boards and biostatistics of Veterans with RA).

(this is the only photo I have of me in Chicago )

I'm On A Boat

2009-07-02T23:20:00.014-06:00

Lake Powell 2009

Lake Powell Trip #43

That's my rough guesstimate. I've been going to Lake Powell every summer since I was a toddler, and some years we make it down to the lake a few times. This trip is always by far my most anticipated trip of the year. Not only do I love boating on Lake Powell, but I love the entire Lake Powell crew. Our Lake Powell crew is a core group of 16 - four families (& 4 boats). Swans. Cooks. Bitners. Georges. We've been making this trip together as far back as I can remember.

This group has since expanded to a whopping 30-40 depending on the year.

We've also evolved from camping out on beaches and sleeping under the stars to pulling off the lake and staying in Page, Arizona in air conditioned rooms with showers. None the less, I've grown to love this style of boating too. Each year, we make sure to bombard our favorite restaurants and annoy the hell out of other patrons and staff with our enormous group. We never miss an evening at:
-the Dam Bar
-The Cove
-Ken's Steak House
-Antelope Point Restaurant & Marina (a new favorite)

Unfortunately for me, my husband is not much of a boater. He's not a swimmer and is not especially fond of the heat. He prefers to sit this one out Too bad, he doesn't know what he's missing! On the other hand - this is lucky for Ashley! She loves Lake Powell and has been part of our group for the last 4 or 5 years.

This year was different than past years in that the weather was a little cooler and some days cloudy and overcast. The water seemed to be freezing compared to normal. Most years I get my most summer sun on the lake, but this year I enjoyed the cooler air and my hoodie at night.

Dustin played in his 2nd annual guest performance at Ken's. The last couple years he's gotten up on stage and played with the house band. He follows along with anything and everything they throw at him. It's absolutely amazing to watch. (Next year I'll be sure to record it).

This year, Ashley played too! Tambourine that is.

*the black & white pics & the panoramas were taken by my brother with his new camera. i think they turned out awesome!

Trip to Reno

2009-07-02T22:57:00.006-06:00

The beginning of June we took a trip to Reno to visit Cardy's brother & his family. Our nephew, Fernando (formerly known as Little Nando) graduated from high school so we decided to take a quick road trip to join in the festivities (if you know the Godina's - you know there's always a reason to throw a party!).

Let's just say, the drive to Reno is one I don't think I'll be taking many times in my life. It is a long...ass...ride. Of course, in pure Godina fashion, we left Salt Lake around 4:00...4 hours behind schedule (I'm passing the blame elsewhere - in these cases, I'm still a true Swan at heart). For those of you who don't know, Reno is about an 8-9 hour drive from Salt Lake. I'm not much of a road trip kinda girl, I much prefer travel by air but what I do love most about being confined in a small space for that long is the one on one time I get with Cardy. It's not often I don't have to compete with the TV, internet or games. For 8 solid hours we listened to music, talked about current events, discussed our future, and laughed...a lot. I fed him road treats as we sailed down the longest, straightest highway I've ever seen.

Needless to say, we made it to Reno in one piece (next time you see me, or my car, ask me about the mini tornado), tired, but excited to see the family (of course, they were all asleep when we finally arrived). Cardy's sisters had driven out the day before and Cardy's mom, our nieces and Josephine (Bea's best friend) had taken the train (apparently quite an experience). We missed the actual graduation which happened a few days before we got there but Fernando and Michelle threw an amazing graduation party for Nando. Cardy's family cooked all day, preparing amazing homemade chile verde, rice and beans - I love my Mexican in-laws!

We had such a great time and although we were able to stay only a few days, I would never miss an opportunity to spend time with family.

Voice Talent...Confirmed.

2009-06-08T23:45:00.003-06:00

We found it! My game. Invasion Earth.

A few years back Cardy was working for Sensory Sweep and they made a game for an arcade system. I was hanging around "the Sweep" one night while Cardy was working late and it just so happened they needed some voice work for the video game and they were looking for a female. Being the industry it is & the size of Sensory Sweep at the time - there weren't many females around so I offered up my talents ::wink, wink::

It was a lot of fun. I went into the sound office and they gave me a few lines to say. I was the computer voice for the ship whose job is to save the Earth from enemy ships and asteroids. My lines included:

"Enemy ship approaching"

"Warning (pause), warning (pause), warning"

I used my most professional sounding voice - careful to enunciate. It worked out and with a little computer magic, my voice was incorporated. This little job has gotten me into the E3 convention a few years in a row. My badge reads: Jennifer Swan, Voice Talent, Sensory Sweep.

We've seen the game in the video arcade in one of the local movie theaters but to our surprise, it can also be found in the arcade in the Peppermill Casino in Reno, Nevada. Of course we had to play!

2009-05-27T20:23:00.003-06:00

I've been having some fun with cooking lately. I love to cook and nothing frustrates me more than being stuck in a "cooking rut." I'm continually asking Cardy for requests and I'm on a never ending search for great recipes and fun cookbooks. But what I've found are most recipes can be quite difficult &/or time consuming - not the types of concoctions I want to create when I've just come home from a long day at work. I always save those recipes for the weekend (and most often we end up eating out anyway).

Hallelujah for food blogs. Just like cookbooks, there are some that are better than others but I've been really lucky to find a few diamonds! It's amazing how many foodies are out there and thank God for the time & dedication they take to blog about their recipes (and so frequently too!).

For the Love of Cooking is by far one my new favorite blogs! She blogs daily and provides new recipes that I've found to be fairly easy and really, really good. I love the variety provided on this site - everything from Mexican to Asian to paninis to cookies. The pictures are great and helpful. I just love this blog.

Chews Wisely is another blog I've come to really enjoy. This is a weight conscious blog providing figure friendly recipes with nutritional facts and Weight Watcher point values. What more could we ask for? Don't be fooled - I tried the crockpot thai chicken recipe from this site and it was awesome!

Ancient Chinese Proverb says....

2009-05-16T19:38:00.006-06:00

Last night at Pei Wei I grabbed 2 fortune cookies before our dinner came. I handed 1 to Cardy and I kept the other. We have a tradition of eating the cookie before reading our fortunes. He read his first and it was a pretty typical fortune - something like..."a great adventure is headed your way." I could not help but laugh out loud and smack the table when I read mine. Here's what it said:

"WORK ON IMPROVING YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE"

Are you kidding me??? Thank you, O' Wise One! (That'll teach me to eat my cookie before my meal!)

Anyone see a trend?

2009-05-16T19:32:00.002-06:00

1. Watchman
2. Wolverine
3. Star Trek

These are the last 3 movies I have seen at the theater. I don't want to be a complainer and I like to think I'm pretty easy going when it comes to movie genres but does anyone see a trend? These certainly weren't my picks and by the looks of it I think it should be my turn next!

2009-05-05T19:27:00.003-06:00

our hearts still hurt. day by day we are trying to heal. we miss you. we love you. thank you for watching over us. cardy & jenn

2009-05-02T15:18:00.001-06:00

Today is Cardy's birthday. He thinks I always make too big of deals about birthdays but I think it's the one day that's actually yours. Aside from holidays, birthdays are the only other day of the year we get to celebrate - & what better thing to do than celebrate yourself?! To me, birthdays are the day you should be able to do whatever you want. You should be pampered and spoiled and not feel a bit of guilt.

To Cardy: Today I will pamper and spoil you and let you do whatever you want. I love you and feel like the luckiest girl to be married to such a amazing guy. Happy Birthday, Baby!

Cardy is 31 today so I'm going to share 31 things I love about him:

1. He is my very best friend

2. We share the same memories from the last half of our lives

3. He is a great son & takes good care of his Mom

4. He's a wonderful brother and has a close relationship with all of his siblings

5. He's an amazing Uncle and loves spending time with his nieces & nephews. It just confirms what I've always known...he's going to make a great dad some day.

6.He keeps me laughing & is the funniest person I know. People always tell him he should do stand-up, I think he should be a comedy writer.

7.His sense of humor is unique. He's witty and quick and weird (think Conan O'Brien or Family Guy)

8. He's passionate about his job & he loves what he does for a living (turning a hobby into a career is not a bad way to make a living!) He has most guys dream job.

9. He's a loyal friend (and he has more friends than anyone I know)

10. He is amazingly smart. He retains anything and everything he has ever heard, seen or learned. (plus, i swear he has a photographic memory)

11. He has amazing sport's knowledge. He knows just about everything there is to know about football. I love learning about the game from him.

12. He is a devoted Denver Bronco's fan. We enjoy watching the games and discussing the team dynamics together.

13. He's strong and is a good protector

14. He's easy going and chill. This is a really good thing for me. It balances us out as a couple

15. He is happy with what ever I cook. He's never picky and he's a good critic. He helps me modify my recipes for the better

16. Have I ever mentioned - he's a Super Taster (at least he thinks so)

17. He's a really good snuggler & I love when he wraps his strong arms around me

18. He has the most luscious, full lips. I can't help but kiss them

19. He has lots of nicknames for me...synga, snakes, nakes, baby, ginger...

20. I love that he tries to incorporate me in some way in his video games whether it's in the credits or a character's name

21. He wants the best for us. He's a great provider and I know he will always take care of me

22. He has an amazing family both immediate and extended. He understands and values the importance of family and puts those he cares about first

23. He has faith

24. He's sensitive

25. He's a fantastic dancer. He can break dance, pop & lock, hip hop, crump, salsa....

26. He doesn't care what other people think. He secure and confident about himself

27. He's adventurous - whether it's night adventures in his car, adventures on bike or foot, or during our travels to other cities, he always wants to explore

28. He never lost his imagination or his creativity

29. Did I mention he's hilarious? (his humor deserves a double mention)

30. He's a great husband and I'm lucky to be married to him

31. I love him more than anything

tulips

2009-04-26T12:52:00.011-06:00

My tulips are starting to bloom. Last fall, Cardy & I planted 11 bunches in our small garden area around our patio. I was so excited when they started to sprout a couple weeks ago and we've been checking them daily waiting for buds & blooms. Well a couple days ago they started to bloom! I'm so excited - tulips are one of my favorite flowers and it was really fun to plant my own. (the only weird thing is I bought a bag of bulbs thinking they were all shades of pink but we ended up with yellow & red??? i guess you never know with bulbs. oh well, just another excuse to plant more this fall)

37:12

2009-04-20T22:54:00.002-06:00

That's my time.

This past Saturday was the Salt Lake marathon/5K. My friend, Julieanne and I ran it and we had a really good time. She was a great partner and kept me pumped and motivated throughout the course.

For the past 9 or 10 weeks I have been running several times a week preparing for this run. It has been tough and I still have a hard time deciding if I want to stick with running. If you've read my past entries, you've heard me describe my struggles. But, through it all, I kept at it, determined to run. Each week I kept expecting for things to get easier and while I improved (slowly, very slowly) running was never easy for me. The last two weeks I was really down and thinking my training had failed me. I thought to myself, "I cannot run this 5K, I just can't do it." I've been told that a huge part of running is mental, so as you can tell, my training was only helping me get so far. Who can run long distance when the whole time they're telling themselves that they can't?

Well, I can. And I did. I had an attitude adjustment the morning of the 5K. I planned my dinner the night before and my breakfast and outfit for the day of. I had trained physically, now it was time for the mental part to kick in (it maybe would've helped if I had started my mental training a little sooner ::shrugging shoulders::).

My original goal was to run the entire 5K without having to slow down and walk. Sadly, we stopped a few times. However, with that said, I took only the necessary time to recover, slow my heart rate and catch my breath. We never slowed for longer than a minute. I ran at least 98% of the course - a large improvement from last year but my biggest achievement was my time. I improved by a whole 5 minutes! So what if I didn't run 100% of the course, I improved my time, stamina, and my distance. Overall, I was happy with my performance.

It's Britney, B!tch

2009-04-20T22:20:00.006-06:00

Okay, okay. I know what you're all thinking ::gasp:: "she really went to the Britney Spears concert?"

Ummm ye-ah. Whether we like to admit it or not, she's an icon and one of the biggest icons of my generation. She's everywhere. And let's face it folks, she puts on one hell of a show! I have to hand it to her, the songs make me want to dance and I can't help but get a huge grin and sing every word to hit me baby, one more time.

She put on quite the production for her Circus tour and I was impressed by the performance of all her dancers and entertainers. Britney sang (well, lip synced) all of her #1's and in Britney fashion, the dancing was pretty amazing. Her set design was really cool so props to the set designer. If you think the Britney fans are few & far between, you are completely mistaken! This was almost a sold out show at the Energy Solutions Arena. I couldn't believe all the people, girls mainly. Ashley and I were laughing the entire time and in Ashley's words, "we look like we're going to church compared to these girls!" Perfectly stated. It was hood rat nation! I was in people watching heaven all night.

Thanks Ash for a fun night even if we did spend an hour at a complete stand still in the Gateway garage at midnight on a Tuesday. And for the girl who thought she was in a music video, crawling on the hood of her car...please for the love of God...purchase a pair of leggings and spend the dough on some real hair extensions!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T18:07:00.002-06:00

On Friday, my sister in-laws, nieces & myself got together to dye Easter eggs. This is one of my favorite things to do before Easter. I'm glad I have family that enjoys this activity as much as I do. All together we colored 13 dozen (it's a Godina thing)! We had so much fun coming up with themes, designs, pictures, animals and faces to put on our eggs. We were in creative mode, for sure.

Now I have to figure out how to use all the eggs I brought home with me.

WARNING...

2009-04-12T17:53:00.004-06:00

If you get queasy at the site of blood - Don't look below!

Here's a little practical joke I played on Cardy.

We are constantly teasing and playing jokes - mostly at my expense. I've come home to witch masks hanging from the garage door, fake rats on the hood of my car, etc, etc. Well, last week I made some sugar cookies for Easter. As I was dying the frosting to make a nice pink color, a drop of red food coloring landed on my counter. I quickly wiped it up using my finger and I realized how much it looked like fresh blood. Of course, my first thought was to wash it off before it stained my hands but then I realized I could use it to my advantage.

I put another droplet on my finger and ran up the stairs shouting to Cardy I had cut my finger ::wink, wink:: I was holding on to my hand as I entered the room and put on my best terrified face. He took one look at the "blood" and jumped up. I have never seem him jump up so fast in my life! He was generally very concerned and immediately wanted to know how and what knife I was using. I couldn't contain myself! I just started laughing...he didn't think it was so funny.

I'm already dreading the retaliation!

{Disclaimer: Not real blood}

Muy Bueno

2009-03-31T15:47:00.003-06:00

Our friend, Kelly, has started a website where he writes reviews for taco stands around the Salt Lake valley. He uses a 5 star rating system and generally gives a great written review describing his order and the best menu items.

If you've ever thought about venturing out for a street taco...and I highly recommend it, check out Kelly's website for the best vendors around town. I know some might be scared off by these carts - not to worry- they are closely monitored by the state health department just like any other restaurant (if not more so) and are delicious and cheap too!

http://www.slctacos.com/

FroYo

2009-03-30T20:03:00.005-06:00

Lucky Californians.

I had to try Pinkberry while I was there. So yummy. I love frozen yogurt - aka: fro yo. Utah is starting to catch up to the coolness of the "new age" fro yo with flavors like green tea, pomegranate, and the original (which is actually like a tart custard). I had the original with raspberries & chocolate chips, I was in California heaven! (I know this is wishful thinking but I was hoping to run into Kim Kardashian or some other cool celebrity while I was there, hell, I was in Beverly Hills...why not?)

I Can Hardly Contain Myself

2009-03-30T19:44:00.003-06:00

So I found my new favorite store. I was in Los Angeles this weekend and had a few hours to kill before meetings. Lucky for me there was a shopping mall within walking distance from my hotel. My motto when I'm outta town is: I will not shop in a store I can shop at in Salt Lake. What's the point? I'm not going to tote Gap & Express bags around with me when I need precious hang strength for all the Crate & Barrel, Sephora, & H&M bags. Anyway, as I was walking across the street I noticed on the upper level of the mall was a store I had heard of a few times so I headed up the stairs to check it out. To my amazement and utter excitement I entered

-THE CONTAINER STORE-

Instantly I fell in love. Organization galore! They have boxes, hangers, tupperware, shelves, garbage cans, hampers, media storage, gift wrap, etc, etc. I'm talking Office Max meets Target - but better! This store has it all. What I loved most is all the creative storage supplies and fun little accessories you don't find in everyday stores. I bought the coolest container to take cold cereal to work. I has a bowl and a topper that not only holds milk but keeps it cold (and a portable, bendable spoon) - so neat! I no longer have to resort to oatmeal packets and stealing spoons from the cafeteria.

I didn't have much space to take a lot home but I called Cardy and made sure they have a website, sure enough, they do. Believe me...I will be ordering from home!

Street Fighter 4 Cardy

2009-03-22T22:13:00.003-06:00

Ever since Street Fighter IV came out Cardy has been begging me to dress as one of the characters. Tonight when I was blogging he thought it would be perfect to fix my hair and take pictures...for the blog, of course. I tried to tell him that no one reading this blog (well, maybe 1 or 2) knows who Chun Li is.

Needless to say, here I am with my hair in two buns posing in fighting form for my husband. I think it looks like I have two marshmallows on my head, he thought it was fantastic.

I guess it only takes a little to make my husband happy. Love you babe, here they are.

Music

2009-03-22T22:07:00.001-06:00

Cardy told me if his name is going to be associated to this blog, I MUST have cooler music. Therefore, he added several new songs. Enjoy

Party like it's your birthday!

2009-03-22T21:53:00.002-06:00

My birthday was on Thursday, the 19th. I'm a firm believer in having your special day off, so I took the day off work to spend my whole day doing whatever I wanted. I had only a few things planned but having the day to myself sounded delightful! Here's what I did:

-slept in (for a Thursday, anyway)

-went to the spa for a little waxing

-worked out at the gym

-went grocery shopping (not typically something one might do on their birthday but I actually enjoy it and lucky me...I ran into my good friend, Katherine which is always fun!)

-met my mom & brother for lunch @ Red Butte

-went with my mom for pedicures

-cleaned my house

-had my family over for cake, ice cream & presents

-went with Cardy for pizza (my fave!)

I had such a great day!

Training update

2009-03-04T23:00:00.003-07:00

So it's week 4 of my training and I thought I would post an update. Here's what I've discovered so far:

-Running is still a challenge. At this point in the training, I'm still doing a walk/jog combination to increase my stamina
-Everyone on a treadmill at the gym appears to be running at great speeds with complete ease. Everyone except me that is. I'm still a beet red, sweaty mess.
-I do like the feeling I get once I'm done. My profuse sweating makes me feel like I've done a body good.
-I'm a little disappointed in how long it takes me to complete a mile. I'm slow but I don't wear out as quick if I keep a slower pace. Fast = tired. I had a chat with my self and this is not a race, it's a competition to complete my goal, slow is okay with me as long as I finish.
-Taking breaks while training your body to run longer distances is a no-no. This weekend I skied and did the elliptical for cardio. Tuesday was like stepping back in time a week.
-Talking and running...not easy. My cute friend, Alex is also my gym buddy. We keep each other motivated and we love to chit-chat the whole time. This is difficult for me while running.
-My goal this week is to work on my breathing and focus on finding a rhythm that works for me.

Winter Fun!

2009-03-04T22:24:00.001-07:00

This winter I was lucky enough to get a season ski pass to Park City. My Dad, my Uncle Steve and some friends (Bruce & Brett) all have season passes as well. It's been a fun time and I've really enjoyed spending time with my Dad. He's a great guy and a pretty awesome skier and I always have a fun time hanging out with him! This bunch is keeps me laughing, never a dull moment with these guys.

I've skied since I was a kid but I usually only make it up to the mountains a couple times a winter so I've really enjoyed having this pass. I'm working on my skills and skiing with an all guy group has forced me to increase my speed. I'm hoping we get more snow so I can have a couple more months of winter fun!

Carbonation - Not for me anymore.

2009-03-04T17:15:00.004-07:00

Yep, I gave up carbonation. No more fizzy sodas, throat burning sensations, or icy cold brews (not that I drink that much beer, ask my husband!). Actually, I came up with the idea of giving up carbonation after talking with my nieces and discussing what they were giving up for Lent. They each gave up their favorite food: Chile gave up bacon & Sage gave up hot cocoa (both staples in their diets). As of last week, I hadn't decided what I was going to forgo...in fact, I hadn't given it much thought at all. I even contemplated not giving up anything. As my week went on and the more I thought about it, the guiltier I got. I figure if my nieces can give up their most favorite food for 40 days, I certainly can come up with something. CARBONATION.

I wouldn't say I'm a total soda addict but I do drink my fair share during the week (especially if we go out to eat). It's probably one of a few things in my diet I can stand to cut back and who knows, it might make a difference in my 5K training (no bloated belly for me). Therefore, I'm cutting all carbonated drinks out of my diet for the next 38 days (I started a few days after Ash Wednesday, what can you do?).

So far, so good. We'll see what the rest of the month brings.

COUCH TO 5K

2009-02-20T22:54:00.002-07:00

I AM NOT A RUNNER. With that said, I am trying to be a runner. It's something that has never come naturally or easy to me. In fact, if you see me running you might think I'm going to need mouth to mouth resuscitation any minute. I struggle with my breathing, my stamina and endurance are pathetic, and I'm worn out easily. Not to mention, my face turns beet red and I sweat like a mad woman.

So why am I trying to become a runner, you ask? Because it drives me crazy that it's so difficult for me. It's something I've yet to defeat. I ask myself daily, how is that I can do most physical activity for long periods of time, yet I cannot run a mile? Why is it so hard for me? Last year I tried to run a 5K, which I entered and finished but I was not able to run the entire race. I had to stop and walk during the course. This did not satisfy my original goal. The funny thing is I "trained" for the 5k (training for a 5k sounds pathetic, I know). Several weeks into my training, I said to my husband, "I don't think I'm progressing. This isn't getting any easier."

Well needless to say, here I am...training again. I'm using the Couch to 5K program I found online. I used it last year, but this year I'm totally dedicated. I'm going to finish the SL5K if it kills me (and running the entire way). It has made me feel a little better to read of others running struggles on their blogs but this is a personal thing. This is a mental challenge I need to overcome before I can lay it to rest.

Valentine's Day weekend

2009-02-15T21:48:00.004-07:00

This year for Valentine's Day, Cardy and I spent the whole day together. We slept in, made pancakes, did a few projects around the house, took a nap, grabbed a bite to eat at one of our favorite restaurants (Mi La Cai), and watched movies. It was great. I loved having the day to spend with him without having any specific place to be or anything to do. I made him promise we would be low key this year. No spending money on silly gifts, no fighting the crowds for dinner at a fancy restaurant...just us, in our house, together. There is no one I would rather spend my time with than my husband. He is truly the funniest person I have ever met and he keeps me smiling constantly.

Friday night we went out with friends to A Bar Named Sue. My cute friend, Alisa, is moving to Colorado Springs for a new job so we had a little going away party for her. Alisa is one of the funnest people I have met while working at Pottery Barn, I'm definitely going to miss her.

Happy Birthday, Mama

2009-02-03T21:02:00.004-07:00

5 Reasons I have the BEST Mom:

1. She always puts everyone else's needs before her own

2. I can talk to her about anything and everything. Sometimes we talk 2 or 3 times a day and we never run out of things to talk about

3. She is always there for me and always seems to know what to say when I need her

4. She is my favorite shopping partner. We always have fun together

5. She works hard at everything she does whether it's school, her job, her house, or her garden. I am proud of everything she does

She is a great mom, a special friend, a confidant, and a mentor

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Here's to the next 4 years

2009-01-20T21:12:00.002-07:00

congratulations. good luck. i believe in you. thank you.

Here's to: renewed faith. relief. strength. acceptance. high hopes. inspiration.

I ♥ Maddie

2009-01-11T22:06:00.005-07:00

Last week my parents were in Mexico so Cardy and I got to watch Maddie. Luckily, Maddie is accustomed to our house and is very comfortable here. She loves Cardy and follows him around like his shadow. Her mornings were very tiresome due to the fact she was staying up with Cardy every night.

Maddie is such a funny dog and is quirky as hell. She does not like being left (by anyone) and throws tantrums you would not believe (I think I need to call the Dog Whisperer)! She is happiest when she's surrounded by her whole family. She loves walks but hates other dogs and she can spot them a block away (the dog park is her biggest nightmare). For some reason, she thinks she's a lap dog or a small child and if I sit cross legged on the floor she will always sit in my lap. She's extremely smart and makes me laugh constantly. It was fun to spend so much time with her, I really miss having her around.

{Maddie always rests her head on anything she can find}

{This is Maddie's favorite position to lie in}

Good Eats!

2009-01-11T21:56:00.005-07:00

Thanks Alton Brown for the awesome Mac & Cheese Recipe! I've been wanting to make homemade mac & cheese for a while, so last weekend I was feeling domestic and tried out a new recipe. It was so yummy! The cheesy inside mixed with the crunchy topping was heaven. The only thing I would do differently is half the recipe. This recipe made so much, we still have left overs. I took pictures to share because it looked too good to keep to myself. I love to cook, especially from scratch. It's become a hobby of mine and I get total enjoyment out of trying new recipes, especially when they're "keepers" and this one is definitely a keeper!