One Heck of a Day...

Hooray! I passed my test! I am so happy, relieved, elated, etc. I hope to never have to take another test EVER AGAIN! It wasn't as terrible as I was assuming. But then, studying for a month in advance is great preparation. Now I will get bumped up a level at work (definition: $$$) & can use these CTR credentials forever in the future if I ever need to find a different job. Yay! And for my reward? Being as lazy as I want today.

The Irish decided to break their 2 game losing streak today by beating Michigan State 31-13. It was a pretty awesome game. There were a few early turnovers & mistakes. But ND managed to hang on to the lead & build on their progress. (Picture of Cierre Wood for a touchdown.) Blanton was definitely the player of the game. We finally have a secondary defensive player worth mentioning. He kicked butt! Good day for Notre Dame.

Happy dances all around!

Whoa! It's Been A While!

Yes, we're still alive. Here are some updates from our little corner of the world. Enjoy!

1. Work is busy. My boss asked me the dreaded "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" question last week. I never know how to respond to that one. You can't lay out all your plans since they might not involve work at all. So you sidestep it as best you can. Luckily, she just wanted to give me a chance at doing a new project. She said I was the first one she thought of. Pretty good, right? I'm grateful for an awesome boss who values her employees.

2. March Madness is killing me this year! Yes, I still have time for a comeback, but the Big East teams were a major disappointment. I shouldn't have listened to the "experts" this year. They don't know SQUAT! Plus all these po-dunk teams are coming out of nowhere.

3. I'm wondering what the weather is doing these days. Snow, rain, sunshine, repeat. I guess that's about the norm for us in Utah. I'm just ready for sunshine, STOP.

4. I dropped off some chicken enchiladas to Lacey & Travis. Max is a cutie & Adyson is so funny. Kids have the darndest expressions, verbal & facial. Kills me!

5. Twenty-nine already? Yes, that's right. St. Paddy's came again this year. My co-workers decorated the office & shared some chocolate chip brownies. Yum! They got me a cute picture frame for Lily. Brian and I enjoyed burgers at Red Robin on Thursday night (I got a free one; can't beat that!). We also went out to Texas Roadhouse on Saturday night with our parents. Delicious ribs for me & 16 oz. steak for Brian. Yum! Good birthday with people I love.

6. Bridal shower/old friend get-together: Friends from my old ward threw a shower this weekend. Luckily, I got to see Chelsea, Susan, Breezy, Lisa, Dawn, and some other old friends from my Young Women's days. It was fun to see all these ladies who helped me grow up & make good choices in life. It's amazing how people can touch your life, & you can still be comfortable with them after all these years.

7. Lily story: We got home from church yesterday and fed Lily. A few minutes passed, and she started growling & her scaredy ridge popped out on her back. I kept asking her what she was looking at that was so scary, and obviously she didn't answer me beyond growling more. She kept backing up from our sliding glass door with her tail between her legs. Finally, I caught on & saw a plastic bag floating around in the wind outside on our porch. Lily has seen these bags before; I bring them home every week, & she rummages through to find her toy that day. I have no idea why she was so freaked. Maybe because it appeared out of the sky or something. I brought it in to take it to the garbage & the growling continued. Crazy dog!

D-Will Gone...No Way!

If you haven't heard yet, you will. The Utah Jazz have traded their franchise point guard to New Jersey for 2 players, 2 picks & cold-hard cash. This latest dramatic spectacle is by far the most astonishing. I guess we can call this officially by the real name now...rebuilding. I just hope the Jazz's front office knows what they're doing. They have been notorious for drafting players we didn't need or didn't pan out. Since this season has pretty much been over for the last month, I guess we sit back & see how the soap opera turns out.

And cheer for the Celtics during the postseason. :)

A Fond Farewell...

For all you sports fans & Utah Jazz enthusiasts, yesterday's news of Jerry Sloan's retirement was quite a shock. After hearing all the reports & watching the press conference, I felt at a loss for words. No way could this guy quit mid-season. The Jazz were in a slump but would surely grind it out to get to the playoffs & make some sort of run.
That's what Coach Sloan was known for. Regardless of the lack of star talent, he had a plan for any basketball team he was given. He was best known for coaching 2 Hall of Famers, John Stockton & Karl Malone, and making it to the Finals twice. If it weren't for losing to Michael Jordan, Sloan would surely have 2 championship rings.
Jerry Sloan was the longest-tenured coach in all of the 4 major sports. The Utah Jazz will have some rough road ahead. Amidst the drama & speculation, Coach Sloan left on his own terms with loyalty & determination as his calling cards. He will be sorely missed.

Jazz Beat the Bobcats, 83-78

Brian & I got the chance to visit EnergySolutions Arena last night. Luckily, we had a good show with our team winning (it's been a rough week, Jazz fans). Yes, D-Will was out, but we had a chance to see Jefferson, Millsap, and the rest of the team up close. We were about 17 rows from the floor so it was a nice view! The Jazz did like to make things interesting for us all. They turned the ball over way too much (Millsap missed a few catches) and somehow Charlotte was tied with us in the last minute or so. But a win is a win, right? Here's hoping they can keep it going until playoffs. It would be so nice to move up a few spots and not have to face San Antonio or Los Angeles right off the bat. Sidenote: One of the biggest cheers came after the Jumbotron showed Jimmer Fredette sitting in the audience. Poor guy had to escape early to avoid being mobbed.

FINALLY!!!

Our nine-year drought is over. Notre Dame beat USC on their field. And our heads are spinning with the bliss & joy of the victory over the Trojans. Notre Dame RULES!!!

Are You A Believer?

If you aren't in the know, the Utah Jazz are FREAKING amazing right now. Yes, they come back from 20 points down, but man, they pull out HUGE wins. I say start paying attention to them. They could be surprise contenders this year. Yes, they still have to beat the dang Lakers in order to get some respect. But I like their chances. Our new team parts are working very well together, and they will continue to get better. D-Will is the perfect leader for this rag-tag group. And Sloan definitely knows what works. Give him the "Coach of the Year" already!

3 Wins = Happy Dances!

Football is king at our house. Great weekend with happy fans. Can't wait till next week!

Notre Dame wins big against Western Michigan, 44-20

The Utes Rush Against Wyoming, 30-6

Colts Gallop Away With A Win VS The Redskins, 27-24

Heartbreaker...

So close! Losing by 1 point is a killer! Back to the same old mantra: Try again next year, Jazz. :(

Good Thing I Didn't Watch...

I went to www.sltrib.com to read up on the game that I didn't get to see. But I now realize, it was probably a good thing I got to bed on time and had nice dreams. Dang Jazz! Dang Lakers! All the pics online this morning have a common theme. The Utah Jazz look tired, dejected & done. They have a mental block when it comes to the Lakers. I still hope for a miracle. We should at least win at home. But until the Jazz can beat the Lakers in the paint & shoot better than 38%, this series could end quickly.

So Close...

Many will say that this game was never close. But when you consider the comeback win that almost was, the Jazz were well on their way. After being down 14 points, the "scrappy" Utah Jazz had a great open to the 4th quarter. The bench showed up and went on a 10-1 run against the second-string Lakers. Best moment: Boozer & D-Will on the sideline with grins while Kobe sat with an open mouth. The Jazz went on to have a 4-point lead with 4 minutes to play. Too bad we couldn't make a field goal down the stretch. The Jazz lost 104-99. I will say there is some good to come of this. Our second-string players showed that they can step up and make big plays when needed. If Utah can steal the 2nd game in LA, they have an excellent shot at surviving this series. Go Jazz!

B-ball...

Yes, my bracket is dead. And to win again this year, I need Duke to lose on Saturday. Will it happen? Who knows? This has been the weirdest year for men's hoops in a long time. Three #1 seeds are gone, Kansas being the first to go up in smoke against...Northern Iowa? Yeah. It's been that kind of year. So...in the end, I don't really care who wins it all. I'm kind of rooting for the little guy, Butler, for fun.

In other news, the Jazz are still in the hunt while the Lakers have lost 3 road games. Yay! I hope they make a good run this year in the playoffs. They are 3rd in the West right now and at the top of the power rankings list all year. This could be a great year to bring it home, finally!

Mostly Disappointed...

This picture explains it all. When you love a team and a great American game, a loss kills big time. The Indianapolis Colts were bested by the New Orleans' Saints in Super Bowl XLIV with a score of 31-17. The Colts were pretty dead on defense and not quite in rhythm on offense. It's too bad. I do have a feeling that they will be back with all the pieces in place. Manning will get another ring and the monkey off his back. He's the second best quarterback ever, in my opinion (Joe Montana will always be #1). So...hats off to the Saints and playing with a lot of heart to get the win. Their defense covered up all the great receivers, and their offense kept marching down the field for big scores. The city of New Orleans deserves some happiness so I hope they enjoy their moment. Congrats!

SLAMA JAMA!

Brian will probably mock me for this title. Oh, well. We went and saw the Jazz beat the Mavs, 104-92. Loved it! Paul Millsap (pictured above with a great dunk) was the leading scorer with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks. The Jazz had a little trouble in the 3rd quarter (typical), but they got it together after they shut down my least favorite, Dirk Nowitzki. I love that the Salt Lake crowd still boos that guy!

Andrei Kirilenko surprised with his aggressive play and 4 steals which helped the Jazz pull away in the 4th quarter. As Hot Rod would say, "You gotta love it, baby!"

GO COLTS!!!

Super Bowl XLIV is coming our way. The Colts and the Saints will meet in Miami this year for what has the makings of a great game. Indianapolis beat the New York Jets 30-17. The first half was a little rocky. I was worried. But Manning and the troops dug in and got it done. I will even give Collie a chance now that he's on my fave NFL team. He had some awesome catches. New Orleans finally took out annoying Brett Favre and the Vikings in OT, 31-28. Nerve-racking game until the fitting interception thrown by Favre. The Saints field goal kicker finished it up. We're excited for the Super Bowl. Football rocks!

Reggie Wayne making a run

Peyton Manning with a bullet

High-jumping Pierre Garcon

Nice grab by Austin Collie

Dallas Clark takes a stroll

Turkey Day & Other Things...

Hey, out there! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week. Brian and I enjoyed the 4-day weekend. We ate ourselves silly and avoided all stores on Black Friday. If you are one of the crazies that day, good for you! I prefer online shopping. I value my health and well-being enough to not venture out and get killed over Christmas presents.

Brian and I played in the Turkey Bowl with Paul's family & Travis' family. It was awesome! It was a little chilly, but after running around, I got warmed up. I had multiple chances to catch but missed a few. The sun was in my eyes! Next year, I'll be better prepared with my sunglasses.

We went to the Blanks' this year for Thanksgiving. Mom and Dad are great cooks! We had tons of food! Mom made 2 turkeys for 8 people so we got to take home lots of leftovers. Brian has been eating turkey sandwiches all week, and there is still some left! We had to move the stuffing away from Ryan...he kept saying how full he was but then would have another helping! Growing boys, I guess. Brian got his boysenberry pie, and I gobbled up the pumpkin pie from Costco. So good! Dad had a little bit too much fun with the Cool Whip on his. We played some games and even got Mom to participate on Mad Gab. It was funny! We were kicking butt with Ryan on our team, but the older folks eventually got the hang of it. All in all, very fun!

We ventured over to the Reynolds' as well that day. Brian thought he could eat another meal; didn't happen. But we did take some pie home. We brought Lily over to get her used to a lot of people. I think we've got 2 kids now that will play with her. We're getting there! Ethan and Isaac had a lot of fun with her. Lily is just a big sweetie (50 pounds now). I hope our families continue to warm up to her.

Lily got fixed on Friday morning. We went to pick her up from the vet and were so sad to see her limping. She had very wet eyes all day and kept crying. It was killing us! The rest of the week has been much better. She is back to her old self. Only a few more days left till we can take her walking again. She needs it almost as much as us! Gotta get that turkey weight off!

I wasn't going to mention the annual rivalry game, but I will. Utah played terribly last Saturday! We were listening to the radio so we would know what was going on. I think they made it into the end zone once the whole game! So maddening! BYU won 23-20 this year. I will say that I don't think either team played up to where they could have, though. Notre Dame also concluded their annoying season with a loss. They were 6-6 and have fired old Chuck. See ya! We hope good things are happening for the future with all our teams. At least the Colts keep winning! No matter what, though, football is a lot of fun to watch.

Have a great week, everyone!

Rooting for Lebron...

Yes, another sports update. I just can't help myself. The NBA playoffs are going on! Even though our beloved Jazz are long gone on their summer vacations, I still like to know what's new in the basketball world. I find it very exciting that King James and the Cavs have swept their series. I think I'm going with them to win it all this year. Lebron is just amazing. No one will ever beat Michael Jordan in greatness, but Lebron James comes pretty close. And he's only 24! I'd like to see the Cavs win the championship and this year's MVP get his first of many rings. GO CAVS!

Pittsburgh Steelers - 2009 Super Bowl Champs

What a crazy game! I was getting a little nervous in the 4th quarter. The Steelers almost blew it! Arizona and Kurt Warner were looking good, coming back from a 20-7 deficit. They scored quickly and led 23-20 with about 3 minutes left. But Big Ben and Santonio Holmes hooked up for the game winning touchdown.

The Steelers won 27-23. The 2009 MVP was Santonio Holmes for that amazing game-winning catch. Pittsburgh now has the most championships ever with 6 total. Woohoo!

Willie Parker

Big Ben

Santonio Holmes and Ben Roethlisberger

Our favorite commercial was by CareerBuilder. Check it out! The lady in the car reminded me of Brian for some reason. Ha!

Tips - CareerBuilder.com TV Commerical

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UTES WIN!!!

Don't worry. I didn't forget to post anything about the Utes winning huge on Friday night. I am still a little stunned and way excited!

Utah finally got a chance to play the big boys from an SEC team. No one thought they could do it from the moment they were chosen to represent in the Sugar Bowl. The sports "experts" were claiming all week that Utah would get creamed. Yet, here we are with the biggest win in Utah football history. How awesome! I love when the "little guys" win big!

The Utes started out the first quarter with 21 consecutive points. The defense swarmed all over Alabama's running game and made their quarterback try to throw. Poor guy; Utah ended up sacking him 8 times. Hee hee...

Brent Casteel stretches the ball over the goal line for the first Utah touchdown.

Great catch!

By halftime, Alabama had scored a touchdown and field goal. The halftime score was 21-10. The Tide looked very confused at how they could be losing to a little team from Utah. But when you have the will and heart, anything can happen.

Both teams scored a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. But the Utah defense played their best and Alabama's big guns weren't a factor. They had no answer for the Utes' swarming D.

At the end of the fourth quarter, Louie Sakoda got to wrap up the game with a field goal. (Very fitting for Utah's highest scoring player EVER.) The kick was good, and Utah won 31-17. Awesome...

King Louie

The Utes ended their season with the best record in the nation, 13-0. Utah is the only unbeaten team in the country. They should get a claim of the national championship, but the system is not built that way. It's too bad the Utes can't at least have a shot at it. It would be awesome to have a college football playoff. But until then, we'll take this huge win.

What we did on our Christmas break...

Feliz Navidad! I hope everyone had a nice holiday week. Again, I only have to work two days this week. How nice!

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...