4.18.2010

for today.

for today: april 18, 2010.

outside my window: the sun is shining, the grass is turning green and the snow is melting on the mountains. it might finally be spring.

i am thinking: about all of the adventures i have coming up. i get to take my six-almost-seven-year-old nephew to his very first concert on thursday. i don't think he has any idea what he is in for, but i am super stoked that i get to be the one that gets to share his first concert experience with him...i get to be the "cool" aunt.

i am thankful for: so very much...especially today. specifically the opportunity that i get to experience each day.

from the kitchen: there's not much to mention. not much at all. so many plans, though.

i am wearing: jeans and a shirt and a t-shirt and some shoes.

i am creating: memories. always creating memories.

i am going: to portland, oregon in two weeks. omigosh. i didn't realize it is only two weeks away. yay.

i am reading: a book by jane green called the beach house. i like jane green. she is british, so whenever i read her books, i always read them with a british accent. lame, i know. just thought i'd share.

i am hoping: for so much. but mostly i'm hoping for spring to keep coming.

i am hearing: the tv. and the youth that i'm working with keeps talking. and talking...and talking...and talking. so annoying. but i will survive.

around the house: there is much activity, but nothing really newsworthy.

one of my favorite things: is the fact that i can finally wear flip flops everyday. yay.

a few plans for the rest of the week: work. laundry. daughtry concert with my nephew. more work. oh, and work.

here is a picture thought i am sharing:

4.16.2010

i feel the earth move under my feet.

well, actually, i was sitting...but you get the drift. yes, i did, in fact, feel the great northern utah earthquake of 2010. it was a little bizarre and i felt a little crazy until everyone corroborated the event.

i was sitting at work (remember that i work in a secure facility...ya know, with cinder block walls and cement and plated glass and metal) and i was minding my own business. i happened to be working in the control room, which is a "box" room somewhere near the middle of the building. and it sits a couple of feet higher than the rest of the building. i was conversing with and watching some co-workers who were in the intake area of the building, right next to control. the one co-worker i was talking to turned to finish up some paper work, so i was just sitting there and the keys that were hanging on the wall right in front of me started swaying back and forth...no banging, just swaying...and it felt like someone was "rocking" the control room. you know, like when you are in a camper trailer and someone outside starts rocking it to scare the crap out of you? that is exactly what it felt like. so i looked around, clearly thinking that there is no way someone was rocking the room. then i asked the co-worker that i had been talking to if he felt the rocking and he said that he did, but he thought maybe he got lightheaded or something.

and then we were all calling each other, asking if we felt it, looking it up on the internet, and, of course, pulling out the emergency procedure manuals...ya know, just in case the "big one" followed the little one.

anyway, just thought i'd share.

that's all.

ps. the title of this post...i feel the earth move under my feet...it's a song by the great carole king and i just have to share that i'm going to see her, live in concert, in three weeks. and she will be with james taylor. he's the reason we are really going to the concert and i've wanted to write about the fact that i am going to see my musical icon but i haven't been able to really put into words how i feel about it. i know you know all about my love for music and for james taylor, so i know you can imagine what an event this is for me...anyway, don't be jealous.

4.13.2010

spt.

the challenge: weather or not? ahh, springtime. despite the fact that my world seems sunny and warm these days, i am acutely aware that across this country (and beyond) winter is not willing to give up it's foothold. and in other places, summer seems to be kicking spring to the curb before she even has a chance to bloom. amy m. has shared some of her thoughts about how the weather affects her outlook on things. i feel much the same way. how about you? what is your weather these days? is it putting you in a bright, cheerful mood or making you want to pull the covers up over your head?

after a pretty "normal" weather day yesterday, today turned out to be the most random weather day we've had in awhile. it rained and, at one point, the sun came out and then it hailed and there was some snow and then more rain. and now, for tomorrow's forecast...sixty degree sunshine.


i drove up the canyon after work and, of course...just so you know...it was snowing up there.


i don't mind the rain...in fact, i quite like rain...but i need it to be about 15 degrees warmer, i need it to stop snowing, i need the gray and "grudginess" to go away and i need to wear flip-flops. i need spring!

4.11.2010

i'm just sayin'.

When work feels overwhelming, remember that you're going to die

there are days at my work where i look around and think to myself that they pay me way too much to do what i do. and then there are days...like the last few...where i look around and, out loud, express to anyone who will listen that i don't get paid nearly enough to deal with the crap we've had to deal with. not even remotely close to enough.

and to quote a co-worker..."as soon as i'm done with these incident reports, i'm writing my two-week notice...or maybe i'll write my two-week notice first."

yep. it's been one of those weeks. i'm very grateful that today is my "friday."

that's all.

4.09.2010

random.

this completely made my day. i just watched it seven times in a row and then i decided i had to share. priceless.

4.06.2010

spt.

the challenge: hello, old friend...what better way to ease back into the spt routine than to kick off with an easy "challenge?" it's been long enough that i feel like having a little homecoming party. would you like to come?!? you don't need to bring anything and please don't stress out about what to wear. it'll just be a gathering of friends, doing what friends do... sharing stories about what is new in life. go ahead: snap that photo!! tell us what you're doing today - a few words, a few sentences, a few paragraphs... it doesn't matter. but make sure that beautiful self-portrait is front and center!! *see you* you tomorrow!!


i've been at my sister's house since sunday night. i wanted to spend time with my parents and my babies and it's been super nice. it's nice to have a break from my school job. i really, really like having full days off of work. and i definitely can't complain when i get to spend them with this little face!

ps. lillie had the biggest wad of gum in her mouth, which is why she isn't smiling. can you tell she has a mouth full of something? trust, there is a picture coming.

4.04.2010

laundromat observations.

for the past couple of months, i have been doing my laundry at the laundromat. i love being able to put my laundry into a couple (or a few...depends) washers and then into a couple of dryers and then being completely done with laundry in an hour and half, two hours max. over the past couple of months, i have been able to make some awesome observations at the laundromat and i thought i would share them here.

one: there seems to be a need for girls, ages 18 to 21, to do laundry together. and by together, i mean with every roommate and friend they have and then all the boyfriends. and i know you might think i am exaggerating, but i am not. and i wish i had pictures to prove it. but two weeks in a row...two different groups of girls were collectively doing laundry. it was the weirdest thing ever. i remember having to do everything with my girlfriends, but i don't ever recall laundry being on that list.

two: i pray, pray, pray and then pray some more, that i won't have to do laundry for an entire family at the laundromat. i can readily manage my one basket of laundry a week, but i can't imagine having to lug multiple baskets from the house, to the car, into the laundromat, back to the car and back into the house. torture is what i call that. plain torture.

three: just because you can fit into the dryer at the laundromat, it doesn't mean you should get into it. and i would definitely say that you shouldn't turn it on. twice in the last couple of months, people have climbed into the dryer and turned it on. not sure why, but i think it's pretty lame. funny to think about...yes. to actually do it...lame. gotta love college students.

four: the laundromat is where you do laundry. it's not an internet cafe. so, this is what i have to say to those who pretend the laundromat is the local internet cafe...please stop taking up table room if you aren't actually doing laundry. please stop "stealing" the courtesy internet. i do believe it is probably for paying customers. at least that is what i would assume. maybe you have a different perspective, but even if you do, it still annoys me. so, when i show up with my laundry and want to sit at a table for an hour and a half while i am a paying customer...MOVE. thank you very much.

five: the laundromat is frequented by the families of the people that i work with at the youth center. this isn't a bad thing, but i spend a lot of time avoiding eye contact, or any contact for that matter. it gets a little awkward. maybe i should find another laundromat, but i am kind of attached. maybe the families could find another one. please. thanks.

and that's all i got for now.

look who's four.

two weeks ago was my nephew, malcolm's, fourth birthday. i was lucky enough to spend the morning with him and i even got to attend his adorable play-doh party (my sister decided to get super creative with the birthdays this year).

his birthday was on a saturday and my sister wanted to take him to breakfast...he loves ihop. i couldn't pass up breakfast with the fam, so i drove down to slc after i got off work, friday night at 11:00 pm.

the kids didn't know i was coming...i was a surprise. well, jesse and malcolm woke me up and malcolm let me squish him and sing him my own little happy birthday song. he sometimes doesn't like it when i want to squish him. then he disappeared upstairs and a few minutes later, he came back downstairs with jesse. they said that their mom told them their was a surprise for them in the guest bedroom. they were looking in the closet and the drawers of the dresser and everywhere and they couldn't find it. kristen came down and that's when they were informed that i was the surprise. they weren't that excited. rude, i know.  shortly after that, we jumped in the car and headed to ihop.

this kid loves him some bacon and pancakes. and even the eggs. check out the devouring of the bacon.

it only took three takes to get this, but how can you not want to squish that malcolm in the middle.

after a little while, malcolm's friends showed up for the play-doh party.
i love that his shirt coordinated with his party hat.

kristen, the brave mama that she is, invited 9...yes, NINE, of malcolm's friends over. he is in a preschool group, so they all came. two little girls that are family friends and his new little buddy from across the street were there. and another young one that i didn't really know. maybe he was from primary.
but seriously...there were TEN kids.
it wasn't too chaotic, but i have an aversion to messes and play-doh, so i was on high alert.

they were very serious about their play-doh skills.
i'm not sure that they made anything specifically.
mostly they were just squishing it around and such.
and making messes.

after the play-doh, there was a pinata. the kids were far too little (i.e. weak) to break it open, so aunt chelle had to step in and bust it up.
it was pretty funny.
then malcolm opened presents and they had cupcakes.
it seemed that the proper way to eat these cupcakes was face first into the bright, bright frosting. some kids left with stained faces.
oh well.

this little guy thinks he is tough.
i think he is adorable.
we get along...

...most of the time.
hahaha.

because malcolm's birthday was the day i made a life changing decision, it will always be a special day to me.

i was so grateful to spend the day with the little tikes (messes and all) and, as always, to spend it with my family.
i can't believe he is four!
crazy how time flies.

that's all.