Come Fly With Us

New arrival!!!

2010-08-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

So, I know it has been over a week, and I am slow to get this post done, but hey, I've been recovering!! If you don't want to know detils, just scroll to the bottom for photos. :) I guess the best place to start in this story is the beginning. I had a doctor's appointment on the 18th, and everything looked great, but I was told it looked like the cord was wrapped around Dorothy's neck. The doctor said it's not a big deal and just monitor the baby's movement and call or come in if it was decreased at all. We were told at that appointment that she was measuring about 6 lbs and 11 oz. Good size for a baby that still had two weeks til her due date.

So, through that night I was paying close attention to all the movements she was making and by morning time I decided I needed to go to the doctor for some peace of mind that she was okay. We went in and they hooked us up to the monitors and she was doing just fine. My blood pressure had been kind of high, so we decided I should take the rest of the day and just have some down time. I went home and hung out with Matt until he had to go to work, and then my friend came over and she taught me how to make adorable hair bows. We sat around on my living room floor for over two hours just making bows and talking. After we finished, I decided I wanted to show my mom what I had made. So, I packed up my bows and took them over to show her. By the time I was done there, Matt was off work, so I went home to spend a few minutes with him before heading off to bed. We got to bed about a quarter after eleven. I was feeling kind of sick to my stomach so I had my sweet husband get me a glass of milk. (Had I known at this time that I would have nothing else to eat or drink for the next almost 24 hours, I would have requested more than milk!) I laid back down and tried to get as comfortable as possible with my rounded belly, when the next thing I know, my water broke!

I told Matt that I thought my water had just broken, and he was wide awake in a hurry! We picked up the bag I had packed earlier that week, and headed off to the hospital. Upon arriving, we had to check in with the ER because it was after hours for the regular hospital doors to be open. They got me a wheelchair and took me up to Labor and Delivery. I was given a room and hooked up to an IV and then the fun times began. I wasn't having regular contractions, so I was started on pitocin. Not too much fun, so I opted for the epidural at an early stage of labor. I admire those women that can do childbirth all natural, but I have to say I LOVED my epidural!!! We progressed though the night and by 7am I was at an eight. I thought, hey this hasn't been too bad only two more centimeters. Little did I know those two more centimeters would take six more hours! By 1:30 I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing. After two hours of pushing and a realization that the baby had a head that would not fit through my apparently too small pelvis, my doctor said it's time for a c-section.So, off to the OR we went. I got a new dose of anesthesia and the surgery began. just a little over ten minutes later Dorothy Jenna Crotchett was born at 4:03 pm. She weighed 5 lbs 12 oz and was 18 inches long. So much for my 6 lb 11 oz baby I was told was on there two days earlier. We spent the next four days at the hospital where after we had spent Saturday together, we were told that Dorothy had to be put under photo therapy lights for a high bbiliruben. Not what a new mother wants to hear. We made the bast of it, and we were so happy that she responded so well to the treatment and we go to take her home with us on Tuesday the 24th.We have been home almost a week now, and we are adjusting to the new schedule, or lack there of. Dorothy is doing well, and I am feeling better every day. It is amazing how much you don't realize you use your stomach muscles until you have them unavailable to you.
Thanks to all for the love and support you have given us the past couple weeks. We look forward to having you all meet Dorothy!!

Update. . .

2010-07-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

So, this is not going to be a long post, but at least it's something right? We went for a check-up yesterday and everything is great! Dorothy is growing so fast! They doctor said that she was measuring approximately 4 lbs and 13 oz!!! She's measuring at 34 weeks, so we may end up having an August baby instead of September. I guess she will come whenever she is ready.

I can't believe that time is going by so quickly! We got the nursery all done; painted and decorated. I will try to post pictures soon. I think that is all for today. I said it was going to be short, and it is! Hope you all have a good day!

I am growing. . .

2010-06-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

. . .not up, but more out. I have been promising pictures for a while now, so I am going to make good on that promise today! It's hard to believe that our baby girl will be here in less than 12 weeks. There is still so much to do, but I am sure we will be ready by the time she arrives. Okay, so I will post a few pictures, and I will try to remember what weeks hey are from. (My camera's date got reset at some point, so we lost the dates on the photos.)

22 Weeks

24 Weeks

26 Weeks

28 Weeks (current)

It's funny, when I look at myself, I can see that my belly is getting bigger, but looking at the pictures just makes it even more real!

We are doing well, nothing new to report. Matt is still on the hunt for a new job, and I am settling into the last couple months of work and everything before Dorothy gets here. She is growing and doing well; we have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I will try to post then to let you know how big she is and all the fun and exciting news that goes along with that. Until then, enjoy (or don't enjoy) the photo update.

I need ideas. . .

2010-05-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am stuck! We need to get around to getting the baby's room painted, but I cannot decide what I want! I am going to post some pictures of the bedding we got, and see if any of my loyal blog followers have any ideas! The only thing I know I want is that I don't want to paint the walls pink!!! I want to be able to use this room for future kids, hopefully without having to repaint it. Thanks in advance for your input.

Baby things.

2010-05-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

So, we went yesterday and registered for baby stuff. WOW is all I can say. Who knew there were so many things that you have to decide about? Probably a lot of you knew, but not me! So, I am going to ask all of you a question. What one or two things would you say are MUST HAVE baby items? I need to know if I should go back and add them to our registry. I'm open to any and all suggestions, so feel free to leave your comments. Thanks in advance for your help. :)

The latest info. . .

2010-04-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know already, Matt lost his job last week. The company that hired him to help them expand their business and offer custom designing to their customers decided that it was more work than they wanted to put into it. So, we are back to the drawing board in the job hunt. Luckily he has been able to increase his hours at Domino's, so we are doing good still. It's just so frustrating!! I feel so Bad for Matt. It has been three times in the span of two years that he's had to go through this. No fun!!! We are trying to stay positive though and look forward to the good things to come.

On a happier note, our sweet baby is still continuing to grow and develop as she should. She is getting stronger, and I am feeling her kick much more often. What an awesome and amazing feeling. I still sometimes find it hard to believe there is a little person growing inside me. But, as my belly gets bigger, it's getting to be more and more believable. We got the crib bedding for Dorothy's room. It is so, so cute. Once we decide what we want to do as far as painting, I will put everything together and take pictures to share with you.

Speaking of painting the baby's room, does anyone have any ideas/suggestions? Currently the walls are a beige color and the floor boards and door and window moulding are white. It's nice and neutral, but not very fun. Her crib bedding is a light green, pink, red and black. Sounds different, but it all comes together so well. It has the cutest ladybugs and flowers on it, and I love it! Well, I think that is all for updates today. I will try and post some of the cute baby stuff we've gotten.

What's in a name?

2010-04-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

I have been giving a lot of thought to this post. (Maybe too much.) I wanted to let any of you that don't already know, what we are naming our baby girl. Her name will be Dorothy Jenna Crotchett. Now to tell you how she got her name.

My grandma, Dorothy Lou Bates Holmes, was an amazing woman. She raised five daughters, and was the ultimate homemaker. I don't remember a time when I was growing up that my grandma didn't have a project or craft that she was working n. There was always a home cooked meal on the table, even breakfast!! (no cold cereal at grandma's) The most important thing I remember about my grandma though is the love that she showed for her family. She was at every activity she could possibly manage to be at. She never missed a birthday or any other special events. She was probably the best grandma any kid could have.

Two years ago, we had to say good-bye to my sweet grandma. It was, and still is, s hard to have her gone. I miss her so much! For the wonderful woman she was and the example she set in her daily living, we have decided to name our sweet baby after her. I really can't think of a better role model for any girl, especially my daughter. I cannot wait to tell her all about her namesake.

As for her middle name, there's a story behind that as well. Matt and I were blessed with awesome moms!!! We are lucky to have them, and our kids are lucky to have them as their grandmas. Matt's mom is Jeanette, and my mom is Mona. Being somewhat creative, we combined the names to Jenna.

We hope that our baby will grow to love her name and be happy to know how much love went into picking it out just for her. Sorry for this being such a long post, but I really wanted to write this all down, and my blog seemed like a good place to do it. And, as an added bonus, you all now know what our baby's name will be. We are excited for little Dorothy to get here and meet everyone!!!

Sugar and Spice and everything nice. . . .

2010-04-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

. . . that's what little girls are made of. Well friends, the results are in, IT'S A GIRL!!!!! We are very excited. I can't believe we halfway there already. Matt and I were just talking last night about how fast the time has gone by since we found out we were expecting. It's been a great journey thus far, and I look forward to the rest of it to come! Thank you to all of you for your love and support at this time in our lives. I will try to keep updates on the blog as the next months progress. If you're lucky, I may even let Matt take a picture of me and you can see my baby bump. (That's a big IF, I'm really not fond of having my picture taken, though I do love to take pictures of others.) So for now, enjoy this news with us!!!!

Fun new things

2010-04-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

So, I didn't wait two months between posts this time. . . only one. I consider this to be an accomplishment. Things are going well at our house. We celebrated Easter this past weekend and had a great time visiting with family. Our nephew Alex was in town visiting, so we got the chance to spend some time with him this past week and then we got together with all for Matt's family for am Easter brunch on Saturday. We had a great time!! We were able to have lunch with some of my family on Easter Sunday, so that was nice as well. It's nice to have family nearby to spend time with, especially during the holidays.

We continue to prepare for our new arrival. We're almost halfway there!! WOW, time seems to fly by lately. I just ordered our new car seat and stroller, and we decided to go ahead and order the matching Pack 'N Play as well. I have been looking for a car seat/stroller combo that I like for the last couple months. Yes I know it's early, but what can I say. . . I'm a planner. Anyway, I was looking online last week and came across a set that I fell in love with. I will post pictures here so you can all see.

I know what you are all going to say, of course it's Disney, but I promise you I was not looking for anything Disney or Mickey Mouse!!!! I came across this as I was searching all car seats and strollers, and the colors are just what I have been looking for. I also have been debating whether or not to get a travel system car seat/stroller combo. I didn't like how bulky the travel system strollers were so when I found this stroller that is more like the umbrella style and also can accommodate the car seat snapping on, it was perfect. I dragged my sweet husband to the store to look at the models for all of the products. about forty five minutes at the Babies R Us later, I was happy with the styles and we decided we may as well go ahead and get these. I hope when they come they are as cute as in the pictures. I have read a ton of reviews and I only found 3 bad ones out of over 50 that I read. I think that is pretty good. (Maybe it's not, but I'm gonna go with it anyway)

So, other than that, not much new here. We are hoping that we have a cooperative baby when we go in for our appointment next week so that we can find out what we are having. Once we find out, I will update and let you know what this little one's name is going to be. (I could tell you what we like, but that would spoil next weeks surprise.) If you want to make a prediction, feel free to leave a comment and we will see who is right!

Hope that everyone is doing well, and we will post again soon.

Changes

2010-03-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

Well, again it has been a while between posts. I am not going to apologize for the lack of blogging, but I will try and fill you all in on what has been going on in our lives since the last post. I can hardly believe that it is March already! Where have the last two months gone? Well for me they have been spent working and really not doing much else. I promise I am not just being one of the laziest people in the world. There is a reason for my lack of activity. If you haven't heard already, we are having a baby!

Yep, it's true. Come September 3rd (approximately) we will be welcoming a new member of our family. What a crazy, amazing, and scary adventure! We are excited about this new journey we are taking, and are happy to share the news with all of you. I haven't been feeling too terrible, though I have had some nausea, contributing to the lack of activity. I'm hoping here in the next few weeks that will start to disappear and I will get to move on to what they say is the most "enjoyable" trimester. I am just over 13 weeks along, and so far everything has been going well. We went to the doctor on the 17th of February and got to see the baby moving all around and hear it's heartbeat again. What an AMAZING thing to see and hear! We got a picture to take home, and in it you can see the baby's fingers and toes, so cute! Keep in mind, this little person is only about two inches long, and it already has fingers and toes; crazy!

In other news, Matt started a new job last week! He is working for a company called Scoreboard Sports in Bountiful. He is doing graphic design work, and so far so good. I will have to let him do an additional post to tell you all about it. All I know is that it has been a long road after graduation to get this job, so we are very grateful for it. He is still working a couple nights a week at Domino's, so all in all, life isn't too bad on the job font.

Other than these two, somewhat large, events in our lives, there is not too much else going on. I know that the coming months will be busy and filled with things to do to get ready for the next phase of our life. I am so grateful for a sweet husband who has made the last two months of feeling like garbage most nights bearable. He has been so good to me, and I am so lucky to have a wonderful partner. Hope you are all doing well, and no promises, but I will try to post more frequently in the future. (Since I've been told I don't do that great of a job keeping this updated.) Until then, take care!

Merry Christmas to all. . .

2009-12-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

Wow, two and a half months between posts!! Sorry folks. Life's been busy, and I've been unmotivated to update the blog. I hope that this post finds you all well and happy this holiday season. I can hardly believe that Christmas is tomorrow. We have been staying busy the past few months. Nothing too exciting, just settling into our home and preparing for the holidays. We didn't get any lights up this year, but hopefully the budget will look better next Christmas and we can be more festive.

This time of year gives us a chance to reflect on the things that are near and dear to our hearts. I am thankful at this time for a sweet and loving husband who is always there for me in good times and in bad. I know that no matter what life throws at us, we can conquer it together. I'm thankful for our extended families, moms and dad, brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews. We had my family Christmas party last night, and it was so fun to play with all of those lovable little kids!! (The adults were okay too.) It's nice that this time of year gives us an excuse to have more get-togethers with loved ones.

We decided that this year for Christmas, rather than spend time and money coming up with gifts for each other, we would apply the money to a vacation. So, at the first of November, we packed up the car and took the long drive down to Anaheim for some days of Disneyland magic. Have I ever mentioned that I love to go to Disneyland? Well, for anyone that knows me, you know I would vacation here weekly if given the opportunity. We stayed four nights, and spent Three days in the parks. We had a great time, but interestingly enough, we were both ready to come home when this trip was over. It may be a while before we go back, but we do already have a trip planned for two years from now to go with our friends to celebrate a college graduation. Hopefully we will have a little one by then to introduce to the magic. We'll see. Either way, I may go through withdrawals, but it will make the return trip that much sweeter!!

I am excited that today is my last day of work for the year! At AFCU, we have to take an entire week off every year, and since no one had any time scheduled off for the week between Christmas and New Years, I thought why not?!?! I have absolutely nothing planned, and I am so excited about that!!

I hope that you all have a Very Merry Christmas and may your lives be blessed in the coming year. Love you all!!!!

We're moved in. . .come and see

2009-10-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, so after moving at the end of August, I swore I was going to update our blog with pictures and a fun event log of how everything went. As you can see, I didn't do this!! Sorry, but I just don't have the motivation I need to get this updated as often as I'd like. So, instead of putting pictures of our new home up on the computer, I am inviting all of you to come see it in person!!

I hope that you are able to come and visit. For all of you that are not able to come, I will try to be the good blogger that I should be and get some photos up for you to see!! I know it's short notice, and I apologize for that, but I still hope you can come.

August already?

2009-08-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

I know, I SUCK at keeping this blog up to date. I will try to do better. At least I changed the colors and everything to make it look kinda fun!! This will be a short post, but I just wanted to say hello to the online world, and let you know some fun updates. (Okay, maybe only one FUN update.)

Well, we are in the process of buying a house. We should be closing sometime next week, and we are very excited. I will post more about that later, and add some pictures. It is in Clearfield, so I am excited to be closer to family and friends, and Matt is excited for a new adventure.

Nothing too exciting with work. Matt is still at Dominos, and will be transferring to their Clearfield location after we move. I am still at AFCU, and will stay where I am until at least the end of the year. I can't give up my weekends just yet!

Other than the house, nothing too exciting going on here. Isn't the house excitement enough? As I said, I will try to be better at posting, but I make no promises!!! For now, I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the end of summer.

Wonderfulness, a.k.a. Graduation, and other things

2009-06-18T10:49:00.001-07:00

Well hello there. It's me, the guy that has, maybe, a couple people left looking out for another of his crazy posts. In the last month and a half, a lot has gone on, and I'll post it in some kind of logical order and, hopefully, in very fine prose so as to not make anyone lose interest and fall asleep.

Uh-oh. Too late. Wake up!

The biggest life-altering change is that I am now graduated from college. I have a Bachelor of Science in Digital Media, majoring in Animation. In addition to that, I have over seven years of professional experience in graphic design. It's all great and dandy, except that it hasn't led to a job yet. And not just a job, but a job. One with benefits, perks, a set no-mo-school-to-rearrange-around schedule, perhaps with the opportunity to advance upward, travel, relocate to a tropic place, and drink a smoothie from a cut-up coconut. Well, maybe not the last couple items, just something a bit more permanent than I've ever worked. It's proving hard to come by, and if at least for the time being, impossible. It sucks, sure, that I've got a degree that's not working for me yet, but...

It will. Until then, I do have a stable job working as a delivery guy for Domino's Pizza. And as long as I have nowhere but upward to go, I figure I'll get that lucky break sometime.

A funny thing happened after my graduation ceremony. America West Bank went under. Funny eh? It gets better. Wendi wanted to go revel in it and see if the building she used to work at had replaced their signage yet. So we go, just two days after AWB announced their downfall, and AWB still had AWB signs up. Story over.

So I thought. AWB is in the same complex as Bellissimo Gelato, an Italian ice cream eatery owned by our good friends, the Olsens. (plug-plug It's really good. You gotta go try it. It's outta this world! end plug-plug). It was Sunday. They're usually closed on Sundays, yet the lights were on and a ton of cars were parked in front, and a lot of people were inside. What in the world? So we go closer. And then I recognized one of the cars. My friend Ryan. And then another. My brother Ryan. And another, and another, and another and...well, pretty much half the people I knew were there. And then it hit me. Wendi set me up, and I had not even the slightest idea. Dang, she's good! It turns out she'd rallied all these people around to congratulate me, have a little dinner and, if it hadn't happened before, get introduced to gelato.

About a month ago, I finally caved to external pressures and joined the Facebook craze. Now, usually, I'm into things technological. Computers, animation, and all lovely things non-Amish, but concepts dealing with communication have always taken me a long time to warm up to. The capacity to build networks personal and professional had won me over, and interestingly, had been made pretty fun and intriuging. So, since then, I have been facebookin' like a madman. My good buddy Jake, just as hesitant as I with some of these snazzy forms of communication, had joined up as well, and at about the same time as I did. He'd come to the same conclusion that Facebook, though probably evil, is very popular and a pretty powerful communication tool.

Yeah, now as much as it ever has been, life is an adventure. Some parts provide some rest and relaxation, and a lot of it is just figuring stuff out as you go. That's about where we are right now. Though life is chaotic, and the path ahead is around the bend, through the woods, and maybe beyond a pit of snakes (why'd it have to be snakes?), we're doing good.

Don't worry. . . we're still alive!!

2009-05-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

I know all of you were probably so concerned that we have been missing from the bogging world recently, so I apologize!! We've been keeping busy with finishing up Matt's school and just life in general. I will post some pictures from my vacation to Disneyland, and also from Matt's graduation. It's sometimes much easier to say things with pictures than words!!

Fun photo ops @ Disneyland!!
We went for my sister Traci's 25th Birthday. It was lots of fun!

Okay, so I was going to put some pictures of Matt's graduation on here tonight, but seeing as they are still in the camera and not on the computer, I will have to skip that for this posting. I will see if I can talk my sweet husband into posting a more thorough update with those pictures in it. Well, I am going to sign off for now, but I will TRY to get on here again in less than a month's time!

Life goes on. . .

2009-04-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

Even when I'm not blogging, life goes on. It's been nearly two months since I've posted, but really there's not a lot to post about. I suppose there have been some updates in our life, but I just forget sometimes that you all might want to know about it. For starters, last week we got a new car. I really love it. I am still adjusting to driving something different, but overall I am happy about it. We got a 2005 Chevy Equinox. It is fun to have an SUV again, but not so fun when it's time to fill up the gas tank. I know it will just take some time to adjust to the difference, but I am still used to the 27-30 MPG that my car got! Oh well, the price we pay for having the car we want huh?

Another new development is that Matt got a part time job to help us financially get through the last little bit of school. We did okay on my income, but it was causing me far too much stress and because my husband is so good to me, after talking about my stress level, he said okay that's it, I'm getting a job. I feel so lucky that Matt is so good to me. He does everything he can to make my life better, and I appreciate it so much. So, anyway, back to the job thing. . . he is working part time at Domino's delivering pizzas. It's not the most glamorous job, but the hours are working around school, and the tips aren't half bad. I just feel bad the he is at work until 1:00am on the nights he works! We keep reminding ourselves that the current position we're in is only temporary. Only four and a half weeks of school left!!!!

Speaking of school, we have decided to get away for a weekend following graduation. We are going to head up to Lava Hot Springs for a couple of nights to get some relaxing in before Matt has to get a grown up job. :o) We are really looking forward to getting away and having some time to do nothing but relax. Matt deserves it more than me, but I told him he had to take me along. Graduation is one month from today, so we don't have to wait too long!!

Well, I suppose I will sign off for now. I will try to post again soon. I am going to Disneyland next weekend, so I am sure I will have stories to tell. Until then. . .

Random Thoughts (seriously!)

2009-02-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

Again I have waited a while between posts, but I really don't get much computer time at home, so I have to take the chance when I get it at work. Last night we went to the Jazz game courtesy of the Jr. Jazz organization and my dad. It was nice to go out and do something that didn't require spending too much money, or extensive amounts of thinking. It was, however, sad to see how many empty seat there were in the arena. I felt kinda bad for the players. (Not that any of them cared I am sure!) But I couldn't help but wonder if this was another sign of the economic problems plaguing us recently. I know we wouldn't have been there if we hadn't been given the tickets, but still there must be people out there willing to pay for games still, right?

So, I have been having some stressful days at work the past couple of months with the way the mortgage market has been going. It's all I can do some days to not yell at the people and tell them that their 5.5% rate IS a good rate, and they should NOT refinance to drop it to 5%. It's amazing how people are all about getting the best deals. "Well, maybe if I hold out I will be able to get an even lower rate." Or my favorite, "What do you think rates are going to do?". If I know what the rates were going to do, I would certainly NOT be working where I am.

Anyway, I know all of these thoughts are random, but then again, for the five or six of you that read my blog, you'll just have to deal with it! :) (I suppose if you don't like what I say, you don't have to read.) So, with the random thoughts in mind, I am going to change topics completely.

I was talking to a friend the other day and we were talking about how it is nice to be able to go somewhere and just "escape" from life. I think it is true of most any vacation, but what about here at home? One place I know of to escape the world is the Temple. We went last week to the Ogden Temple with my grandpa, and it was so nice. I love to go and feel the peace there and not have to think about things for a couple of hours. It's nice to have the Spirit with you as you face the things in life that may bring you challenges. I am thankful that I am able to go with my sweetheart to the temple. Thank you, Matt, for being the man you are and being worthy to take me to the House of the Lord. I Love You.

Okay, I will be done with my ramblings for today. Thanks again to all who read my random thoughts, and still don't write me off. Love you all!!!

The Game of LIFE - Almost past that graduation space!

2009-01-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

Life these days just goes by so very fast, and so it is that I rejoin our blog, having been in progress for some time without my rantings and ravings. As has been mentioned, I became unemployed last month, which is a mixed blessing. On the upswing, I've been granted all the time I need to finish out my school strong. On the downside, I'm, well...unemployed. In this cutthroat economy, and being on the cusp of graduating college, it feels less like being merely without a job, and more like giving the LIFE wheel a good spin. Within only a few tiles are: joblessness, graduation, career potential, limited income, student debt, and a spot I can only label "it'll all work out". Place your bets he'ah!

We ran a couple errands on Saturday, one of which was to the formerly vast empire of Circuit City. Just three days ago, the company's powers that be sounded the death knell, triggering the masses of deal hunters to converge on the City's many carcasses. It's amazing to witness this free-for-all in action, because mere hours previously, you couldn't have paid many of these folk to deviate from their routines to step foot in that place. Only one day into the liquidation, an entire row of laptops, both new-in-box and demo models, had been picked clean. Wall shelves hanging empty formerly had been stocked with what I assume to be a vast array of computer software, found under the "computer software" banners. Checkout lines snaked from the front of the store to the back. All this before the liquidators had even dusted off their"##% OFF" signs and hoisted them to the rafters!

I made another run today to a different Circuit City, looking for a particular boxed set. I was surprised that, this far into the fray, the building still hadn't sported the increasingly popular "Going Out of Business" banners. About fifteen minutes of fruitless rummaging later, I walked out, and whaddyaknow...a crane had arrived and had started mounting a "GOB" banner. With so many gargantuan retailers shriveling up lately, it has unfortunately given me something new to look for when I go into the big box bungalows, and I just can't help it. I start plotting where I would put a giant "Going Out of Business" banner, and how it would look next to the unfortunately bankrupt business's name. In this climate, who knows if I would see it on (business name here)'s building for real.

On Friday, we took possession of Wendi's car from the repair shop, fixed good as new. It drives and looks just like before, so we're happy with that. Although I didn't mind being her chauffeur for a couple weeks, she was understandably trunky, anxious to get her independence back. She's just like me in that regard. Taking away my car equals bolting my legs down to the floor. If that isn't the environmental statement of the year, nothing is. ;)

I have to say that, even with such a dour economy and a dim immediate outlook, I remain optimistic about the long term, both individually in my own sphere and collectively as a society. Things will work out for those that survive the storm and keep on keeping on. As I get one week closer to graduation, I become just that much more antsy. It means that, for the first time in my working life, I can hit the market without needing flexibility for school. And no funny looks and closed doors from those who don't want to be flexible. One thing in particular will make this all possible: the loving support of my dazzling wife. Without her, I dunno if I would be able to make it that far. Thanks for all you do for me, babe! Love ya!

It's been a while. . . Happy New Year

2009-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Seeing as it's been over a month since I posted, I figured I should probably write a quick update. Happy New Year to everyone!! We had a wonderful holiday season, and wish that it could have lasted a bit longer. But, I suppose we wouldn't love it so much if it lasted all year long. Lots has happened in the month since I last posted. For those of you that didn't already know, Matt lost his job at the first of December, so that caused us some stress at first. After a lot of thought and some tears, we decided to make a go of it on my income alone. YIKES! Only one more semester of school and then he gets to go out and find a "grown-up" job. :)

Many of you may have heard that mortgage rates have hit major lows, so when I was offered a chance to work up in Riverdale for a few weeks or months, and earn mileage reimbursement, I was okay with it. Well, four days into that I got into a car accident and my car was determined to be undriveable. Wonderful huh? So, I am back to my branch in Salt Lake, and it turned out to be a good thing Matt wasn't working as his full time job turned into being my chauffeur. What a fun job, especially in all the snow!! Don't they say that things always happen in threes? So, I can't help but wonder what the third thing is going to be?

On a much happier note, My brother got married over the holidays! Robert married Jessica Ann Hillan on December 28th. It was a really nice wedding and they are deliriously happy! We also gained two nephews and a niece with their marriage, and those kids are adorable! We also go to go to a birthday party for Daisy's 1st birthday just this last week.

Wow!! What a month, and also what a year!! We've been though a lot this year. Matt has lost his job not once, but twice last year. I lost my grandma who I love very much and miss terribly! I changed jobs as well, so that was an adjustment. We've had our trials, but we've ultimately been very blessed. We have each other, we have wonderful families that have been there for us through everything, and we have the knowledge that things will work out. It may not be in the way or the time we want them to, but Heavenly Father knows us, and he knows what we need and when we need it. Thank you to all of you for love an support, and here's to a bright new year!!!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-11-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again. The time of year when there are a million people at every store, the time when you have to come up with ideas for presents, but most importantly, the time of year where we get to be with the ones we love to celebrate the birth of the Savior. It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is gone, and Christmas will be here in a few short weeks. I just want to take a minute and let you all know that I am grateful for so many things in my life. First, my sweet husband. I am super lucky to have a man that is so patient and loving. Matt is my best friend, and I am so glad that we are together.

Next, my family. I again have been blessed in having such an awesome family. I have wonder parents that are supportive and loving, not to mention just plain awesome!! Also, my brothers and sisters. We may not always get along, and we may not see each other as often as we'd like, but I am grateful for each of them. Now, the fun part of our families. . . the nieces and nephews! I am so lucky that I have such adorable nieces and nephews. Last year we had one niece, Cameron, and one nephew, Alex. This year, we have been very blessed in our extended families, and we now have SEVEN nieces and nephews!! (Our siblings have been busy) This year in April, we welcomed baby William to the family. A month later , at the end of May, we welcomed baby Miles. And just recently, my younger brother met an awesome girl and she is letting us share her adorable kids, Copper, Austin and Daisy. Whew!!

It's fun to look back and see how things have changed over the past year. Matt and I have both changed jobs, and are preparing ourselves for Matt's LAST semester of college. YEA!!! He is so excited, and I am so proud of him. It's been a long road, and I am glad for him (and me) that it is almost at an end. I am sure there are still may challenges awaiting us in the coming year, but I am looking forward first to finishing out this year on a happy and fulfilling note. We have been able to do some fun things, and we look back on the year with mostly good memories. Of course we've had some hard times as well, but for the most part we are very fortunate. I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the Christmas season!!

Our fun trip

2008-11-07T09:52:00.000-08:00

So, we got back from vacation over a week ago, and I still haven't posted. . . are you all shocked? Well, as you know we went to Southern California for a week to vacation in the HOT temperatures. We had such a fun time. We went to Sea World in San Diego when we first arrived and we caught the dolphin show and the new Shamu show there. It was the first time Matt had ever been to Sea World, and I hadn't been for over ten years. It was so much fun. After we went to the shows, we went to the tide pool where you can pet the rays. Now if you have never had a chance to do this, I would HIGHLY reccommend it. I was a bit apprehensive the first time, but I have to say there is nothing to be afraid of and they feel so cool! I'll have to get some of the pictures my mom took of four adults standing over the pool, all with their arms in the water, trying to pet the rays. They are funny pictures to look at!! After our fill of Sea World for the day, we headed up to Anaheim for our week at the Dolphins Cove Resort and some fun at . . . DISNEYLAND!!!!

I know, I have been to Disneyland many times, but I still just love it! We headed over on Sunday and got in some rides and such, but, being a weekend, it was a little crowded so we didn't do too much. I surprised Matt on Monday morning with reservations for a Character Breakfast. We've done this a few times, and it is always fun. It's a great way to get photos with the characters without haveing to wait in a line or search all over the park for them. It will definately be a fun thing to do when we have kids to take with us. We spent the rest of the day and all of the following day at the parks. It wasn't too crowded, and we walked on to almost every ride.

After our time in the park Tuesday, we went back to the condo and dressed up for Mickey's Trick-or-Treat party. It was so much fun to be able to go trick or treating as adults! Also, California Adventure was closed to the general public, and only those with tickets for the event got in. Less crowds + all the rides still open = lots of fun!! It was fun to dress up, and fun to trick or treat, and just great to be doing both in the happiest place on earth!
Well, I am sure most, if not all of you are getting tired of the play by play, so I am just going to post some random pictures, say we had a great time, and leave it at that!

. . . And they all lived Happily Ever After.

3rd time the charm?

2008-11-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

For those who know us well, you might be surprised to note this post is not at all Disney related.

I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion today that I need to start hunting for another job. Yet again. This year has been one of those hot potato type of years, one where the magical timeframe for employment seems to be no more than 5 months. The problem I'm running into is that my current employer, a contract shirt printing company, is the indirect victim of its customers' fears of the economy. We're the last link in the chain of a customer, their marketing company, and then us, their printers. And the little guy and little company alike are reigning in their spending. I'm impacted because, as the graphic designer, my workflow of incoming art is coming to a trickle, when just last month, it was a waterfall. When it rains, it pours!

At the top of this year, I was employed at a place where, for the last 6 months of that position, every passing day made me that much more twitchy and irritated. I was there for over two and a half years when I had reached my limit, and landed a gig at a startup company. It was a fantastic position which was prime to give me great benefits and awesome advancement. Unfortunately, not even 2 months later, the company folded. It took 2 months, over 70 resumes and 10 job interviews to get to where I am now. All while going full force to finish out my college degree. This is a rather unusual situation because I've held jobs down an average of a bit under 2 years. While I can't help but wonder if that's just the way things are meant to go down, I can't help but try to remain optimistic. I am still employed, so I can jobhunt without the added pressure of trying to make ends meet with just one income.

Indeed, come fly with us. Never know where life will lead.

Starstruck...

2008-10-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

I'm still starstruck. Today, most of my animation class gathered 'round to hear the musings of a revered figure in the industry. And got his autograph, as pictured. Now granted, the guy wasn't David Archuleta or someone like that who would really make you lightheaded. "Oh, David! WHOOOOO!". Faint.

myeah.

No, the fellow in question is Mark Walton, storyboard artist extraordinaire from Disney's Feature Animation. A guy so good at his craft that, were Walt Disney still shuffling around the halls of his empire, he might look at Mark, look at all his layouts, ideas and scribblings, and tell him "You know Mark, that's not too bad at all!" Mr. Walton was in town to promote "Bolt", the newest movie from my favorite group of pencil grinders, and our animation professor convinced him to stop on by and talk to us about our ongoing senior project. Now, before you go on thinking "oh, he's gonna rip these inexperienced yahoos a new one", you have to have a bit of insight on him. This is someone who thrives on being able to pull out ideas from the most random places and run with them. To his confession, most of those ideas don't really go anywhere, so he told us that what we had, though underdeveloped and at risk of losing some of its punch, was a good start.

Already, I sense you, the reader at the edge of your seat. You're saying "ummm...what animation project? I don't know nothin' about it". Fair enough. The short end of this thing is, this project represents the last series of classes I have left before I graduate. We launched this project during the summertime when we were handed a script from a grad student. The story left much to desire and so we had the summer to hash it out and make it worth doing. Well...we kinda weren't able to do that and blahblahblahblahhh

Sorry, I trail on sometimes. Anyway, now that this project is halfway to its deadline, we're just now getting to the point where we can start animating it, a junction we should have arrived at some time ago. No matter, Mark says. We just need to button up the story so it's at least entertaining, and get it done. Entertaining, eh? Okay, here's entertaining for ya! How about:

Girl falls asleep. Go ahead, laugh! Girl is watched over by an angel. Angel is challenged by a devil. A war is called over the soul of this girl. It's on. Devil starts controlling girl. Angel starts casting various objects at devil to distract and dissuade him, running the gamut of a kitchen sink, bathtub, refrigerator, shovel, cement bag, tractor, steamroller, plane, ship, anvil and many other such painful, probably metallic, painmakers. So, we'll have our hands full preparing the computer generated models of a heap of stuff, for the sole purpose of blindsiding the devil with each and every item.

Now it's not enough that Mark was kind enough just to talk to us a bit, but he stayed for 4 HOURS! And just chatted! We would ask him questions that we thought he'd hastily answer, but 10 minutes later he was still going on talking about it. He then showed us a couple clips of a couple movies where he'd voiced the characters, treated us to a couple trailers to "Bolt", and not only gave us all a pack of promotional playing cards, but signed them too! If working at Disney makes its people this crazy, man, count me in!

Poor Wendi. Someday, she'll have both kids and me to put up with when we act like children.

Crazy Halloween Stores!!

2008-10-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

So last night we embarked on a journey to pick up a few halloween costume odds and ends. Oh my heck!!! I couldn't believe all the costume choices, but more importantly I couldn't believe the cost of all the costumes!! Who wants to spend $40 on a cheap piece of fabric with a label on it that says something to the effect of "Grecian Goddess". But, there were PLENTY of folks out and about buy said costumes and being super excited about it. The funny thing is, after we went to a couple of the Halloween specialty stores, and didn't find what I wanted, we ended up at Walmat (much to Matt's chagrin) and they had the EXACT same things there for half the price! I know, I know, it's walmart, and they are taking over the world, but come on. . . half the price of the other places? But, they didn't have what I wanted in the halloween section, but I got creative and got some material from the fabric section, and I am improvising. I'll put our Halloween costume photos on here when we get back from vacation. We decided it would be fun to dress up for the Mickey's Tirck or Treat Party in Disneyland next week. Thus the last minute scramble for accessories. Anyhow, I was suprised by the number of people at the crazy halloween stores, so much so, that I wanted to share it with all of you. I hope everyone already has their costumes, because it it crazy out there if you still have to venture out for them!!

Vacation Fever. . .

2008-10-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get to the point when anticipating a vacation, that you just shut down to your normal, everyday schedule and get vacation fever? I am to that point today! It is a good thing we are leaving on Saturday, because it is all I can do to get through work this week. I wouldn't care if I was just going to stay home for a week and not be working, but to add that I am headed to California, just makes it that much better! So, we are leaving on Saturday and flying into San Diego. Besides being the place that we were married, it is so NICE down there. The temperature seems to always be close to perfect, and I love the ocean. If we could afford it, I wouldn't mind relocating there. I guess for now I have to settle for making it a favored vacation spot.

I love being on vacation, but is it just me or does there seem to be more work getting ready for the vacation than actually getting there? Today is my early day from work, and thank heavens for that! I have to change the oil in my car, go vote (I figure it will be easier than doing it on Nov. 4th), do laundry, and think about starting to pack! I can't believe it so close to time to leave. Tomorrow I am going with my family to Hale Center Theatre to see Into The Woods, so that takes out tomorrow for packing. It's a good thing we scheduled ourselves off from working with our friends at their gelato store on Friday. I have a feeling I am still going to be trowing things in my bag up until the minute we leave on Saturday morning. I just hope I don't forget to pick up our Betta fish, Bo, to take to my mother-in-laws house before we leave so she can watch him while we are away! Thank goodness for parents!! Who would have ever thought we would have needed a "baby-sitter" for a fish? Oh well, maybe someday we'll actually have babies for our parents to baby-sit.

Well, I guess that is all that I have on my mind at this time. Well at least all that I feel like writing down. If I don't manage another post prior to leaving, I will be sure to get an update when we get back.

Two more weeks. . .

2008-10-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

In two weeks we are going on vacation with my family to southern California, and most importantly, Disneyland! My youngest brother, Clay, just got home this past week from his mission, and we have pretty much been planning this vacation since before he left! I am getting so excited to be back in Anaheim. I know I was just there a couple of months ago, but that was such a short trip that I didn't get a chance to fully absorb the essence of the place! As most of you know, I am addicted to Disneyland! I love to step into the park and let myself be a kid again. It's a place where you can just relax and not care about all the problems facing the world or any stresses you may have left back at home. I know some people think I am crazy for wanting to go so much, but I just can't explain to said people that the place really is "magical"! How can you not smile when you see Mickey waving at you, or a princess smiling as she passes by? How can you not stop and take a deep breath every time you pass a Churro stand? I realize that I may be in a minority with my love for this place, but lucky for me I married someone with as much affection for it as I have. I'm lucky in that regard. We often wonder what it would have been like for us had one or the other of us never been introduced to the Magic Kingdom. I know I am again rambling on again, but I was told that was what a blog was for. . . to write down your thoughts and not worry about what people think of them! Well, I guess that is all I have to say for tonight. I am sure I will post more on this topic again soon (since I think about our vacation EVERY DAY!!!). Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Blog? We don't need no stinkin' blog

2008-10-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

So I figure now would be a good time to contribute to the blog my wife started up...um, awhile ago. My excuses for not having done so by now run the whole gamut. I'll dredge them up for you: busy, lazy, indignant, daydreaming, multitasking, homework, commuting...gah! Too many excuses, and unfortunately they seem to point in just one direction - laziness. Well, no more I say! At a time when I should be doing some homework now that I'm in my school's computer lab, I'm going to get a bit of built up luggage out of the way. Trust me, this'll help me focus on homework later on.

You should get to know a bit about me to know why I operate like I do. You see, at any given time, my mind is thinking about only two things: The first is something Disney, whether it be Disneyland, Disney characters, toys, books, or my time as a Cast Member at Walt Disney World. In fact as I write this, my ipod had previously treated me to a ditty played during Disneyland's Boo Too You Halloween Parade, featuring none other than those two plucky little troublemakers, Chip and Dale. And the other thing I think about? Well, my honey says I've got a one track mind when I think it. 'nuf said.

So, since half of what occupies my mooshy brain-like matter is something Disney-esque, it's led me to the one career path that really lets me daydream to my heart's content: Animation. I have aspirations to one day work for Disney (heretofore referred to as "the Mouse"). I figure that it's the perfect way to pay them back for reeling me into their universe so early on in my impressionable youth. See, it happened the first time I saw "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers". Deep within the abyss between my ears, something snapped. I knew even then I'd never be the same. That pair of diminutive nut-eaters took tiny yellow caution tape and roped off a good section of northern real estate as their own. There's now a big acorn tree there, deeply rooted and directing my career path in the Mouse's general direction.

At this point, as I start talking about my honey and how we met, Jeff Foxworthy has graced my earbuds and is telling how he's being trained! Ohhh, silly man. It'll ne'er happen to me! Anyway...our love story! We met initially when my mom had told me of a neighbor in a 'hood a few dozen zip codes away from me. They'd become good friends, and at some point decided to see if their dateless offspring would like to meet. We met, dated a couple times, and then, as some guys are wont to do, parted ways. Our story, however, wasn't meant to end at that crossroads. It picks back up with me perched on top of a chainlinked fence, having just left a spectacular 4th of July fireworks display. It was pitch black. I'd readied myself to hop to the other side. And then...I botched my landing. I broke my foot. Wendi, it turns out, had some unresolved feelings toward a guy who'd previously said "Well, there's no easy way to say this, but..."

So, a year and a half later, we made a bevy of our well-wishing family and friends fly from Salt Lake to San Diego to wish us well. And then we rode off into the sunset in a rented Mustang convertible. Don't worry, I didn't peel out of the temple's parking lot! But I think I did in the expanse of Six Flags' car collection.

As Wendi's mentioned, I am a semester and a half away from graduating college. With a Bachelor's degree, no less. See kids, college pays off! Even if it takes you 9 years to abscond with a 4 year degree. And I just can't wait. I've got Senioritis so bad that all it takes for me to deviate from my homework is a good chocolate chip cookie and a quick glance at Mickey and Minnie's photo. And now that I've been grandstanding here long enough, I think I'll return to it. 'til next time...remember not to feed the chipmunks. They're up to something...

Online world, here we come. . .

2008-10-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I set this blog up about six or seven months ago, and have really done nothing with it since then. So, now that everyone is going high tech, I figured I would try to do better at maintaining this. I'm probably not going to go back and give you a full history, but I'll give you all some highlights. My husband Matt and I were married in August 2007 in San Diego California. They say that the first year of marriage is the hardest, and we've had our share of trials. BUT, we made it and are doing well. We live in Taylorsville and minus the weird/crazy neighbors, we really like our place. Matt is in his final year at UVU studying Digital Media with an emphasis in 2D and 3D Animation. only seven more months, and then NO MORE SCHOOL!!!! YEA! (Can you tell we are excited about that?) He is also working at R&R Embroidery in Provo while he finishes up. While it's not the greatest job, nor the most convenient, it is close to school and is flexible, which as we learned is VERY hard to come by. I am currently working as a Mortgage and Consumer Loan Officer at America First Credit Union. I enjoy my job for the most part, and like being back at the Credit Union after an absence to explore other options. Well, I guess that is a good start for the first post. As I said, I will try to keep this updated, but we are pretty boring and don't really have anything too exciting to share too often.