"When you're happy like a fool, let it take you over. When everything is out, you gotta take it in." - Good Life by OneRepublic
Monday, December 29, 2008
What we did on our Christmas break...
Brian and I had a great Christmas. We kicked off the fun by going to the Las Vegas Bowl to see the Cougars play Arizona. Unfortunately, BYU lost 31-21. Kind of sad. I think I was the only one who thought they would actually pull out a win, and I'm a Ute fan! But we had a lot of fun. We walked around the Bellagio and saw their Christmas display. We also got some raspberry gelato which tasted awesome! We went through the shopping area at Caesar's but couldn't find a good exit. How annoying! But we had a good time laughing at all the weird things that happened (finding the Wii remote in the Pringles can is our favorite).
We had to drive back right after the game to make it to our Christmas program at church. I made Brian join the ward choir (hee hee), and somehow I got asked to play for them. (It all evens out, I guess.) The primary sang a few songs with a very small group. Later on, there were magically more kids...little sneaks! There were a lot of groups from the choir that sang. Both of our moms came and heard us sing which was cool.
Christmas Eve came, and we went to the Reynolds' family dinner. We stayed overnight and opened gifts in the morning. Clothes, movies, books, gift cards, and games were our gifts. We are set! We then headed to my mom's house to talk to Daniel. He called us, and we all asked him questions about Portugal. He is doing great over there! We had lunch all together with Grandpa Klinell. I called my dad, Ryan, Grandma, and Grandpa later that afternoon to wish them a merry Christmas. So...it was a very fun couple of days. It's too bad it comes and goes so quickly! Until next year...
Friday, December 12, 2008
We love Christmas!
I'm happy to report that we are done with our Christmas shopping. We did a lot of it on Thanksgiving week before all the crazy shopping days. Going to the mall at night with no one around is the way to go. Mostly we buy things online. It's very nice! Wrapping can be ordered, and the gifts are delivered. How nice is that? We ship all our goodies to the Reynolds' post office. (Thanks Mom and Dad R.!) Brian is a little sneak and tries to get all the surprises out of me and others. It's more fun giving him stuff he isn't expecting. I've been good so far with not telling anything. He just shouldn't ask! Naughty!
We went to see 2 choir performances this week. And we got to go to Temple Square and see the lights. You can't have a good holiday without doing that! Most of the lights were orange again this year. I wish they would do blue or purple. That would be cool. Our little Dexter tree has pink lights on him. We also made snowflakes that hang from the ceiling and red/green paper chains for the doorways. That is our festivity until we can buy real decorations. It looks good!
Other than that, we are excited for the holidays. It's fun to see all our family and friends and get together. We hope everyone is well out in cyber world. Have a merry Christmas!
Friday, November 7, 2008
HOORAY!!!
Brian and I have been really good. We had a good Halloween. Unfortunately, I missed the nieces and nephews and all their outfits. Grandma Reynolds had her Halloween party the Saturday before. I was a sick girl and stayed home. But on Halloween, Brian and I went to a trunk-or-treat for the first time. It was pretty fun! We splurged and bought the big candy bars for the kids. Luckily, we had leftover Butterfingers to munch on ourselves! Yummy...
The Utes played last night and beat the Horned Frogs 13-10. It was the weirdest game. Utah has been quite inconsistent and nerve-racking lately. I hope things shape up because I might have a heart attack before then! I thought for sure they were going to lose. But they pulled out a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. They are still undefeated, which is a bonus. I hope they win the Mountain West Championship this year, if nothing else. It's been too long!
Well, I'm off to the grocery store. I hope everyone is having a great week! Till next time...
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sunburn Sally (the tune "Mustang Sally" was in my head this morning)...
At least, I have my trusty aloe vera gel today. And I work in a dungeon so I don't have to go out and see people if I don't want to.
Brian and I had a fun Saturday. We went to the Utah football game. (But we were not smart about sunblock. I should know better...I am Snow White after all!) The Utes whomped Colorado State 49-16. They are now 8-0. Yay! In the BCS standings, they are #11. It would be nice if they made it to a BCS bowl game again, but I'm not getting my hopes up yet. They play at New Mexico on November 1. Then their big test is at home against TCU on November 6. Eek!
We went to the Pie in West Jordan with Sara and Jon that night. It is always yummy! I love the chicken alfredo pizza and cheese sticks. We then headed over to the Crazy Corn Maze. We did a little too well at getting out. You are supposed to find all the numbered posts and answer T/F questions. We did #1 and #2, but we ended up at #7 somehow. So we were going backwards a lot. Eventually, we found them all. We're just too good at this maze thing! Later, we watched "Iron Man" and played with all the dogs at the Wyatt's house. We love dogs!
On Sunday, we had FHE at Paul and Marja's house. Yummy food and fun family is a good combination. I tried out a new dessert, caramel apple bars. I think they turned out pretty well. Unfortunately for Brian, I was up at 7:30 am chopping up apples in the processor. Sorry, babe!
I guess I better get to work. I think it's also time for another slather of aloe vera! My face is on fire!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Plateau...
Friday, October 10, 2008
The Kansas Trip Lowdown...
On Wednesday, we got to the airport a little early to make sure everything went smoothly with the reservations. I will say that I was very impressed on how easy it was to get checked in to the flight, car, and hotel. I will definitely be booking a vacation ahead of time again! It was awesome! We had a layover in Denver both ways, which wasn't too bad. But we noticed that the Denver airport doesn't really have a whole lot going on. We were surprised at how scarce the options were for browsing and eating. Once we got to Kansas City, we hopped on a shuttle to go get our rental car. It was a Chevy Cobalt; not a bad little car! It was easy to drive and had a smooth ride. We had dinner at K.C. Masterpiece; it was yummy! We checked into the hotel around 7:30pm and then drove to visit at the Blanks'.
We got up late on Thursday and found one of our favorite breakfast places, Denny's. Yes, we realize that this restaurant is known for its old folks, but hey, their breakfast rocks! After we ate, we drove to get Grandpa for a day out. Back story: Brian received a Topeka visitors packet in the mail a few months before we left. He was curious about the Union Pacific train station; his grandpa worked for them his whole life. And there was mention of a Harley museum in the city. So...that's where we explored. Overland Station had some cool artifacts and historical memorabilia. They also had this giant model train area. It was cool; they made a whole city in one room! We went over to see the Harleys. They had all these old models, and we got to walk through the repair shop. Out back, they had all these new models. They had some sweet bikes! Later, Brian and I headed to the pasture with Grandpa. He wanted to get some apples, but really, he wanted out of the house! He's not a home-body. Grandma made us all homemade fried chicken; it's the best! Plus, we had fried ocra and fresh tomatoes out of the garden. Nothing beats fresh vegetables.
On Friday and Saturday, we visited with all the family and had a picnic at the pasture. Everyone had traveled to come to Grandma Doris' 100th birthday party. The senior center had a little birthday lunch for her, and all of us to celebrate. She was itching to get out of there, but I think she was happy to see everyone. Brian and I explored again and found a frozen custard place. So good! We found a Kansas sports store on the way back to the hotel. We browsed and got some cool Jayhawk stuff. This was definitely needed after Kansas won the championship. Woo hoo!
Sunday was the birthday party at Gage Park. Grandma Blank said there were about 100 people there. It was fun! Grandma Doris was a good sport and let people take her picture all day. Here are some fun pics that Ray took:
Tammy & Brian
On Monday, we headed back to Kansas City to turn in our car and head home. All in all, we had a very fun time. It was great to see everyone and laugh at each others' stories. We can't wait to go back!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
FOOTBALL!!!
This week's games:
Friday: Kansas at South Florida (6:00pm)
Saturday: UCLA at BYU (1:30pm)
Michigan at Notre Dame (1:30pm)
Utah at Utah State (6:00pm)
Ohio State at USC (6:00pm) (We hate the Buckeyes!)
Sunday: Colts at Vikings (11:00am)
Bears at Panthers (11:00am)
Steelers at Browns (6:15pm)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Read All About It!!!
The Klinells (my grandparents) had their 50th wedding anniversary party on August 16. My family from Texas came out to celebrate with us. It was good to see everyone. My parents' house was decorated and full of food! My aunt, Karen, even bought a 3-tiered cake. We went all out! There were probably 50+ people who came to visit. Aunt Sis even came up from Oceanside, CA. Aunt Julie was the designated photographer. If I ever get a cd from her, I will be sure to post some photos. We had a couple family pictures taken with all the grandkids and their parents. There are quite a few of us now!
Brian has started classes again at SLCC. He loves it! (I'm teasing.) This semester he's taking sociology and physics. He's just chugging along, hoping to get his bachelor's degree completed by next December. This whole process has been such a pain, but he's determined to get done. I'm proud of him for sticking with it. It's hard to do when you have to rely on stupid college counselors. I love them! (I'm teasing again.)
Sara and I went to see our friend, Jill, one Saturday. She was having a baby shower, so we thought we should attend since we all used to be roommates. It was a lot of fun. Jill is excited to have a little girl in a week or so. Her poor feet are so swollen. Remind me to never be pregnant in the summertime!
That night, we went out with Sara and Jon to Cucina Toscana. It was very yummy and expensive. But it was worth trying once. We were sitting next to some VIPs who ordered salmon. Totally not worth it! There were about 4 bites of fish! I guess it doesn't matter when you know the owner and get it free.
My mom and Diane had their birthdays last week. Mom made a chocolate cake, and Grandma brought over a cheesecake. Of course, some of us wanted both. :) Who can choose between those options?
I'm sad to report that we haven't moved yet. But we definitely will be next March. We're crossing our fingers that the condos we like will have an opening then. By staying a little longer here, we'll be able to pay off the truck and save up for our Disneyland trip in June. Hooray! There is light at the end of the tunnel for us!
Friday, August 8, 2008
California Dreamin'....
Life is good. I just got 100% on another exam today. I am now to the comprehensive tests on my anatomy unit. Not my favorite! And I'm one of those who has to memorize over and over again. It's very tedious, but as long as I keep doing well, it's worth it.
I am counting down the days until we leave for Kansas. I am excited! We leave on the 27th and get back on Labor Day. It will be great fun hanging out with the Blankenship clan. Plus, Brian gets to finally meet all the extended family and experience hot, humid weather! (Fun, huh?) We're flying into Kansas City and getting a rental car. We'll probably drive down to K.C. Masterpiece. We've been craving steak and ribs! Then we'll trek over to Topeka and Silver Lake. I can't wait!
Well, I better get ready for the day and head out to Wal-Mart. Grocery day; hooray!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Catch up time...
I failed to mention that we finally made it out to the Bountiful temple. We've cancelled a few times with Emily and Stephen and felt terrible. But the third time is the charm! It was a really nice day out. Brian and I were walking the grounds while we waited for our company. There were a lot of weddings going on that day. We smiled at each other and were both thinking, "Man, am I glad we don't have to go through all that planning stuff again!" Once is enough!
Brian's cousin, Nicole, invited us to her sealing ceremony at the Salt Lake temple. That was very cool. It was neat to see how happy the new couple was. We enjoyed the reception at This Is The Place Park. It was very hot but nice.
My dad has had a rough month with doctors. He had a shunt placed in his arm for dialysis. The chest port wasn't a very good location. This week, he had to go have eye surgery. Incisions were made to remove the fluid that was making good vision a problem. He is now a sporting a pirate patch!
Brian and I were in charge of FHE this month with the Reynolds' family. We all had dinner and then headed over to the float preview at the convention center. That was pretty cool! I had never been before. You get to walk around and look at all the cool ideas people had come up with and then vote for your favorite. We caught a little of the 24th parade to see who won. We still don't know... we must have missed it.
Last weekend, the Lloyds had everyone over for the Cedar Hills fireworks. We had KFC, salads, and rolls. The kids were running around having a good time. We could also hear the men in the basement laughing and having fun with the Wii. Unfortunately, the weather changed drastically and started a nasty thunderstorm. It didn't last long, but the fireworks were cancelled from the strong wind.
My brother, Daniel, sent us a letter and email. He is doing well in Figueira da Foz, Portugal (pics above). He is right by the beach now and loves the sights! He says the people are very nice, but there are a lot of Catholics. He is making friends and being a hard worker and good example. Sometimes that's all you can do.
I had the opportunity to sing with a group of ladies in church last Sunday. That was a lot of fun! It's been a while since I've sung in front of people. Some of our family members came to support and listen. I think it turned out really well! Brian and I later went to the Blanks' for dinner and socializing. Plans were made for the Klinell's 50th anniversary party in a few weeks. Our family from Texas is planning on staying throughout that week and visiting with us. It will be fun to have everyone here!
That's it for the loooong post. If you don't get through it all, don't feel badly!
Monday, July 7, 2008
4-Day Weekend...
I had the smart idea of taking Thursday off before the July 4th holiday. I'm so glad I did! I have all these vacation days that I never use so I thought, "Why not?" I studied a lot and took 2 anatomy tests. I got 100% on both! Wahoo!
On Friday, Brian and I bummed around the house and thoroughly enjoyed being off work. I made a birthday cake for Ryan's 13th and chicken enchiladas for dinner. Ryan and Diane came over and then we all went to the Bees game. Unfortunately, they lost 8-5. The other team hit two home runs in the first inning! Yikes! We were doomed. But we saw the firework show afterwards. That was pretty cool. We could also see Murray park and Sugarhouse park. I think we'll try to go there next year. They had tons!
Saturday was laundry day. We got up early and all done so we could go out and see "Wall-E." Dad and Diane went with us to Jordan Commons in the afternoon. No surprise, Brian and I loved it! We highly recommend it! Yes, we're probably a little biased toward Disney-Pixar movies. We own and love them all. We always have a hard time deciding on our favorite. This will be added to the collection.
Back to work for me. We hope everyone is doing well. Talk to you soon!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Lloyd family fun and other news...
Speaking of parenthood, Lacey and Travis brought their baby, Adyson, to the hospital on Tuesday. We all had lunch together. It was really good to see all of them. Adyson is beautiful, and Travis cracks me up! He's so quick! And I always love to see Lace. She came up to clean out her desk and visit a bunch of our friends. She starts her new job on Monday. Good luck, Lace!
I think that's all of our news for now. I better get outta here before the day disappears! Errands, here I come!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wide World of Sports...
Monday, June 9, 2008
Celtics up 2-0!!!
Game 1: Boston 98- LA 88
Game 2: Boston 108 - LA 102
Game 3: Tuesday, June 10 at Los Angeles
In other news, Brian and I are doing great! We had a nice weekend and got our Father's Day shopping done. We went to Paul and Marja's on Friday night to celebrate Violet and Bela's birthdays. They are growing up so fast!
I went to a retirement luncheon for my friend, Jan, on Saturday. I put it together, and there was a good turn-out. We had a lot of fun at the Dodo at the Gateway. The food and company were very good. I'm glad most of my work buddies came; it was fun to catch up with everyone! We'll have to do it again soon!
Primary is still going well. I was recently called to be the chorister and do singing time. It's pretty fun. You get to act goofy and entertain the kids with games. What could be better?
We went over to the Blanks' after church for dinner. Dad cooked, and we visited with Ryan and Diane. It's always good to see them. I'm glad they let us come over for Sunday dinners!
There are our updates. Back to work I go!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Rain, Rain; Go Away...
Nothing much is going on with us right now. Same old, same old. We get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch "Wheel of Fortune" and maybe "Jeopardy," and usually go to bed pretty early. We joke that we act like old folks already. We can't help it! For some reason, we are tired people.
Tonight the Celtics and Lakers are playing in Boston. That should be an interesting matchup. Personally, I don't really care about this one. I hate the Lakers, so I hope the Celtics pull out a championship. But on the other hand, the Celtics lead the NBA with the most championships. And the city of Boston has been kicking butt in sports (i.e., Red Sox and Patriots (I was so happy to see them lose the Super Bowl this year!!!)). I like to see different teams win, and I usually root for the underdog. It's more exciting to me. As long as Kobe gets shut down, I will be a happy camper!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Dignified and hard working. With a gentle and soft-spoken manner you have something many people don't. Patience. Even through the moments of heartbreak you're still able to hold onto all of your hopes and dreams. Bide your time; your dream will come true.
Which Disney Princess Are You?
Friday, May 30, 2008
Life...
Ryan's baseball team won their game on Wednesday. It was the perfect weather, too. Now they are headed to the finals ( I think). They were one of the bottom teams who battled their way to the top. Very nice! It's fun to watch the kids play. Next year, Ryan will be on a team his own size. Maybe he'll get to use a real bat, too! He did have a few hits, including a 3-run homer. That was sweet! The Rockies won 10-9 in 7 innings. It was very exciting! Monday or Wednesday will be the last game. Go Chubby Hugs!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Sunshine City...
Grandma and Grandpa Blankenship were in town this weekend. And of course, it was the only weekend we had things going on every night. But they came and visited for a little bit on Friday night. They were down the road with Dad while he was doing his dialysis. They took a break to come say hi. We always love to see them when they are out here.
On Saturday, we went out to dinner with the Wyatts. They came up to us this time, so we headed over to Z Tejas at the Gateway. The food was okay, but we really loved taking a walk around the mall. Brian and I haven't been down there for a long time. It reminded us of the awesome outdoor mall in Santa Barbara that we visited a few years ago. The Gateway is pretty nice. We'll probably go back soon for another stroll. We love summertime weather!
Utah Jazz note: The Jazz are out! They lost Game 6 108-105 to the Los Angeles Lakers. I hate those guys!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Baseball Game...
Monday, May 12, 2008
Mother's Day and a Jazz Win...
Saturday was a very nice day. My mother-in-law took all the girls out to lunch at Chili's in American Fork. Since most of them live down in Utah County, it was easier to meet there. I enjoyed myself and love visiting with my sisters-in-law. They are awesome moms; I hope they can teach me a few things when I become a mom.
On Sunday, the Primary kids sang in sacrament meeting. We had about 10 who came that day. I was probably one of the few who heard them, but they tried hard! I love to be in the Primary. The kids are really great. It's a lot of fun for me to hear our little choir.
My sister and I decided to cook dinner for our mom that evening. I made 18 chicken enchiladas, and Diane brought the chips and dip. I had Dad make the salad. I think it turned out very well. Enchiladas are Brian's favorite! We had a nice time visiting with my family. Then we headed over to the Reynolds'. All the kids and grandkids were there; it's always fun to have a full house!
No, I didn't forget about mentioning the Jazz game. I thought they were going to cruise nicely to a needed win. But no, they like to make things difficult for themselves. Boozer had another off night. So far, he's only had 1 good game. The Jazz held the lead for 3 quarters, but they fell apart in the 4th quarter. (This is their weakness.) They gave up their lead, yet again, and the Lakers forced it into overtime. Brian and I hate these kind of games! They kill us! But we have Deron Williams to rescue the Jazz. The national critics can say what they want about him and Chris Paul, but I'd take Williams over Paul any day. He is the heart of the Utah Jazz. He helped them beat the Lakers in overtime 123-115. So...on to Game 5 in L.A. on Wednesday. Go Jazz!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Boom, Baby!
I'm using this title to set up my embarrassing story. From the sound of it, you can probably guess something blew up or someone fell down. The latter is true. I came home yesterday and went to the mailbox. I retrieved our mail and was carrying a few other things inside with me. I was wearing my black pants with the wide cuffs (one of them needs to be sewn as it drags on the ground all the time). As I was walking toward the stairwell, my foot gets caught in my cuff. I went flying face-first towards the ground. I didn't catch myself very well. All the contents of mail, purse, etc. came crashing around me. I tried to get up with my dignity intact, and I was lucky that it appeared no one had seen me in all my gracelessness. Scrambling, I collected all my stuff and headed home. I got inside and assessed the damage. I had 2 knuckles bleeding on my left hand. My wedding ring has a bent prong, which I'm fixing today. I scraped my left wrist and bruised my right palm. I had road burn on my chest and face. Luckily, that doesn't show anymore. My left knee is nicely bruised and swollen. What a state of affairs! How I manage to survive everyday is beyond me. So sad...
Since I haven't posted anything lately, I thought this would be a good story to share. And please, don't feel too badly for me. I am doing fine now and hope that my jeans and tennis shoes work a little better for me today.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Our weekend...
That night we went out with Sara and Jon to Tucano's in Orem. So yummy! Brian and I ate meat till we were so full! But it was totally worth it. We had our matching Jazz shirts on. The waiters kept commenting. We were glad they won that night! Then we went to Sara and Jon's house and played games and met their puppy, Zoe. She is adorable! Brian and I loved her. We are so anxious to get dogs anyway...it probably didn't help our patience any. But she was fun to play with. Towards the end of the night, she got tired and layed on our laps. So cute!
Nathaniel (our nephew) turned 12 this week. He was ordained a deacon yesterday. He seemed very happy and excited. We were glad to be a part of it. We are very proud of him! We all went over to the Lloyd's for a family luncheon. The salads and rolls were delicious! I made a dijon chicken pasta salad, and luckily, it was all gone. I don't like leftovers. Later, we went to the Reynolds' for spaghetti dinner (one of my faves).
We're a little worn out today, but we'll make it!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Spring is here!
The weekend was very good. I didn't get my chores done, though. So...I got to work very early in order to leave early. Chores, cooking, exercising, and schoolwork all await my arrival. I'll have to fit in a new episode of Bones, too. We love that show! Have a great day, everyone!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Jayhawks win!!!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Back to the grind...
We had a very nice weekend. It always goes by too quickly!
My friend, Lacey, had her baby shower on Saturday. That was fun. I saw some of our friends and had a good time. I got her a froggy bathtub, baby soap, and flannel blanket set that I finished crocheting the night before. It turned out pretty well.
Brian and I watched the Jayhawks beat the Tar Heels. That was also very awesome. I was very excited to see them play so well. Tonight is the championship game. They better win!
We went to the Conference Center yesterday for the afternoon session of General Conference. We got left-over tickets and decided to try it out. We really enjoyed it and took a walk around Temple Square afterwards. It's too bad that the weather hasn't been better. Usually there are lots of flowers around.
And now, we are back at work. What a bummer! Can't every day be the weekend?
Monday, March 31, 2008
YES!!!
Side note: I found this awesome template for Brian since our blog has been kind of girly. You like it? Me, too!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The Big Dance...
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I enjoyed my day off, even though I did schoolwork most of the day. It beats going to work! Brian and I went to Red Lobster, and I tried crab for the first time. It was very yummy! Then we went to see Dad. He looked a lot better and should be able to go home either today or tomorrow. Diane was there and gave me 101 Dalmatians DVD. She came over and had leftover cake and ice cream. I got birthday wishes from all the family and friends. So...all in all, a very nice day. Plus, the Jazz won! What else do you need?
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Woo Hoo!
I just took a test and got 100%! So far, so good. I am excited about this transcription thing so far. I think it will be an excellent career move for me. I can't wait to work from home and make my own hours. It will be awesome! (About this pic: I typed in the words "woo hoo" into Google and looked up pics. Of course, the first picture I see is Homer Simpson. Who doesn't love that guy?)
Monday, March 10, 2008
Good Times!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Yeah!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
St. Patty's Day...
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
2 More Days...
B-ball Updates...
The Jazz pulled out a win last night. They beat the Mavericks 116-110. They were up by as much as 21 points. Sweet!
Kansas is still kicking bootie, and we love it!
"Six Jayhawks scored in double figures as fifth-ranked Kansas posted its most points in 194 games in a 109-51 basketball rout of Texas Tech on Senior Night in Lawrence Monday night.
Kansas improved to 27-3 overall and 12-3 in Big 12 play, while Texas Tech fell to 16-13 and 7-8. The Jayhawks finished 2008 with a perfect 20-0 home record. It is the first undefeated home season for KU since going 13-0 in 2001-02. "
http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/030408aaa.html